[Stan R]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Just reading your original post I need to ask this. If it drove OK in 1979, the likely wear parts since then are not the steering gear box. Now if you were unhappy in 1979, it's possible, I guess. A high dollar rebuild with a faster steering ratio will improve the steering for sure if you want to go that route. If you want it to handle like a 1971 GTO did in 1971, the steering box is likely not at fault. I would do a "dry park test" first to assess the steering linkage. With the car parked, steering wheel straight on the ground, have an assistant wiggle the steering wheel back and forth through the looseness until he feels resistance in both directions. While this is going on, you should be looking and feeling for movement in the inner and outer tie rod ends, up and down movement in the center link, idler arm and pitman arm. All of these items are far more likely to give you a loose, disconnected feeling from the steering system than the gear itself. If all those parts are nice and tight and you are still not happy with the steering, then a new box may be a good option. There is very little to wear out in a Saginaw steering gear. They are very rugged and reliable. The sector gear can wear a little and it is adjustable. It is extremely rare for the ball/rack to wear out, especially at only 122K miles. Good luck with it.

Originally Posted by Lifetime Goat

I have a 1971 GTO with 122k on the chassis and one of the oldest parts left is the original steering box. Every other component on the car has been rebuilt except the WW motor. On the highway I have a lot of play, which back in 1979 when I got it was normal, however it is time to tighten it up. Here are my choices;

1. Rebuild the original steering box so something on the car is original.
2. Toss in trash and install something better and what would better be?

Thanks is advance.

I have a '71 Goat with manual steering and comparable mileage and had a similar issue with about a 20-degree rotation of the steering wheel between the points where the wheels would start to turn. In my case the fix was very simple...turning in the pitman shaft lash adjuster screw until all lash was removed between the ball nut and sector gear teeth. I should have done this years ago instead of putting up with the sloppy steering action.