[428GTO70]

Originally Posted by amcmike

Stock alignment is probably not helping.

Aim for
Caster: +3 to +4 degrees
Camber: -1/2 to -3/4 degrees
Toe: in 1/32 to 1/8"

I would agree it sounds like you have an alignment issue. My 70 GTO drives totally fine after the conversion. Very natural feeling like any other modern car and the wheel stays straight and centered without having to baby sit it. Got the box from a junkyard 97ish JGC.

[bsblguy]

Picked up a Grand Cherokee box and pump pressure relief valve yesterday and ordered the conversion kit from Lee manufacturing. Looking forward to the change.

[63gpman]

Originally Posted by Squidward

Just wanted to update on my Jeep box conversion. I hadn't had a lot of road time following the conversion, but I've had some drive time since then and wanted to give my feedback. Car is a 67 Firebird, so the 87 degree travel is utilized.

First, the conversion wasn't so bad. I bought a reman box, got the Dorman adapter rag joint, and got the Lee inserts. My pressure side insert got all cockeyed and jacked (thought it was straight), and had leakage issues. That was fixed by removing the insert, installing an oring to AN fitting, and getting a new hose made for flare fitting on pump side/AN on box side. I also replaced my original 67 pump pressure valve with one from a 78(?) pump. I have no issues in performance.

Here is where I have regrets: The steering is TOO responsive. The tiniest movement of the wheel steers the car. It's kinda like driving a car with a joystick or xbox controller. If I ever have to do it again, I will replace it with a steering box that is a compromise between the 12.7:1 Jeep box and the stock 22-ish:1 box. It gets a little annoying having to be constantly dialed in to every movement so that the car doesn't wander.

Was just going through this carcraft article and thought about you. Wondering if you can adjust the valve so that it is not so sensitive? Just a thought for ya.

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles.../photo_01.html

http://www.borgeson.com/xcart/catalo...it-p-1684.html

[Scarebird]

Originally Posted by Squidward

Quote:
Originally Posted by Squidward
I would say it's more of a personal preference. It just requires more concentration to make sure things don't start to get away from me. It's like surfing the web using a mouse with a really high scroll speed.

Alignment was done by a shop. Setup is stock, no mods.
Stock alignment is probably not helping.

Aim for
Caster: +3 to +4 degrees
Camber: -1/2 to -3/4 degrees
Toe: in 1/32 to 1/8"

That toe in is no good. I aligned mine by eye, toe was 1/8" left, 5/32" right and was darty as hell driving the 2 miles to the alighment shop. Shop corrected it to 1/32 both sides: night and day/

[amcmike]

Originally Posted by Scarebird

That toe in is no good. I aligned mine by eye, toe was 1/8" left, 5/32" right and was darty as hell driving the 2 miles to the alighment shop. Shop corrected it to 1/32 both sides: night and day/

Whoa, my bad. It was supposed to have been 1/32" to 1/16" for toe-in range with those camber specs. Even 3/32" might be liveable.

Aim for
Caster: +3 to +4 degrees
Camber: -1/2 to -3/4 degrees
Toe: in 1/32 to 1/16"

[uforacing]

I need to get a box for the 76 TA. It really sucks. My 72 has manual steering and I plan to convert it to power. I have the set up from my 80 Grand Am (12-1) I plan on putting on it.

Alignment makes all the world. When I did my 65 wagon I took it in and explained that it had all new dick brake stuff under it. I asked for +3 caster and they said the did the best they could do. Wound up like +1 and camber was 0.

With the big bars I had and tires I lived with it since the "pros" did it right? After a few years I got tired and I do have a clue how it all works. Taking my old school caster/camber gauge I first increased camber to -1/2 and then increased caster as much as I could and wound up with +3.5. Checked toe and off I went.

It was like another car. everything I wanted it to be came true. A good alignment to performance specs by someone that gives a crap is worth it. Just a thought and you can do it yourself.

[63gpman]

can someone fix that

[Qball]

Okay, so, say I pick up a jeep steering box from a junk yard, I want to get the pressure valve and spring from that same Jeep's power steering pump, right? If for some reason the pump isn't available, is there a way to get just the pressure valve and spring?

[63gpman]

If you call Lee's manufacturing, they will send you what you need there. They sent me the fittings and the valve. Total cost was $30 inc shipping

[Qball]

Originally Posted by 63gpman

If you call Lee's manufacturing, they will send you what you need there. They sent me the fittings and the valve. Total cost was $30 inc shipping

Outstanding. Thanks!

[428GTO70]

You can also grab the fitting out of any mid 80s GM vehicle with lets say an olds 307 in it or probably any chevy truck in that era or later. The newer fitting will have the metric line with o ring style just like the jeep gear box, but it will still thread into your old pump.

Then you can just get a hose designed for the same mid 80s GM and it should work fine for you as long as it is similar in length as your original. That's what I did in my 70 GTO anyways, I added hydroboost brakes at the same time which also had the metric o ring fittings, but that's another story altogether..

[Qball]

One last question. As far as the rag joint is concerned, if I use a JGC box, will the rag joint from that box mate up with my steering shaft? Or do I need some special adapter rag joint. I really don't want to drop $60.00 on a rag joint, which is what Lee wants.

[bsblguy]

The jeep i got my box from did not have a rag joint, had a coupling like a u joint. I got a kit from lee to install and pump valve from an impala when i got the box from the junkyard.

[Qball]

I ordered the pressure control valve and flare adapters from Lee. Like I said, I really don't want to drop $60.00 on a rag joint. I'm not too interested in using a U-joint, either. If The Jeep rag joint will mate to the GTO steering shaft, then I'll be in business.

[428GTO70]

The rag joint you need to adapt this is from some 80s chevy truck. I cant remember the exact one right now, but the jeeps all have universal joints and even then the tops are different and wont connect to your column. If you do a search you should be able to find the correct application for the rag joint, I want to say like 80-87ish chevy truck. A quick search shows people suggesting one from an 85 chevy s10...but do your research to make sure.

[Qball]

Sweet. Thanks for the info. I'll do my research!

[Bill H]

Originally Posted by Qball

Sweet. Thanks for the info. I'll do my research!

The original steering gear in the 1964-1974 A-car had a 13/16 inch OD input shaft with splines and a flat. The new fast ratio gear has a ¾ inch OD input shaft. We will need a new flexible coupling to connect to the gear. The following vehicles were produced with flexible couplings that will attach to the new gear:

1977 thru 1982 Chevrolet and GMC C/K (2 wheel and 4 wheel drive) Pickup Trucks
1977 and 1978 Camaro, Firebird, and Nova
1979 Nova
1983 thru 1986 Chevrolet and GMC C (2 wheel drive only) Pickup Trucks

[Region Warrior]

If you have a close ratio P/S box and don't like the "drive'n a boat feel", remove the return hose and loop the pressure hose back to gear.
Had to do that years ago take'n car off trailer 1st day at Norwalk when the pump decided to piss.
Nothing like thrashing at track....
Liked the feel so well, left it that way.

[Qball]

Originally Posted by Bill H

The original steering gear in the 1964-1974 A-car had a 13/16 inch OD input shaft with splines and a flat. The new fast ratio gear has a ¾ inch OD input shaft. We will need a new flexible coupling to connect to the gear. The following vehicles were produced with flexible couplings that will attach to the new gear:

1977 thru 1982 Chevrolet and GMC C/K (2 wheel and 4 wheel drive) Pickup Trucks
1977 and 1978 Camaro, Firebird, and Nova
1979 Nova
1983 thru 1986 Chevrolet and GMC C (2 wheel drive only) Pickup Trucks

Fantastic. Thanks, Bill!

[Qball]

Okay, I ordered and received a flow control valve and the adapter fittings from Lee. This is the valve they sent (see below). I went back and read that Technical Reference #14 from Team Chevelle. http://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref29.html It states, and I quote:"Once you have the pump that you want, you will need to remove the discharge fitting that screws into the back of the pump. Then, you need to probe inside the discharge cavity and using a magnet or just tipping the pump you should be able to remove the flow control plunger (See Figure #3). This is the device that sets the pressure relief and it will interchange right into your original pump. First assemble the spring then the flow control plunger. Note, make sure that you orient the plunger so that the screen side of the plunger goes into the pump first (nest to the spring)."

So Do I need something else to go into the PS pump? Or is what Lee sent all I need?

Sorry if I'm making this more difficult than it needs to be. I just want to do this once.