Just wanted to get some opinions to see if I'm crazy or not.:D I'm in the middle of restoring my '70 and would like to convert to manual steering if possible. This will be a 496/brodix head combo.

My question is, what steering box (custom or factory) is the best to use? Is this a real pain in a weekend driver with a big block? I've done this conversion on my old 71 Nova and it was a pleasure to drive with the right ratio. This car being significantly more heavy and the differences in steering geometry between A bodies and X/F bodies...is it just a waste of time? My main reason is just cleaning up the engine compartment and dropping weight and drag.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Bill

Stick with the power steering, unless this is drag only not worth it. The few #s you save versus the extra effort will have you grunting when moving in tight quarters.

I actually like the manual steering. I don't mind it all in my 72 Monte with a BB. I plan on, soon, switching it over to a manual rack and pinion to save a few more pounds and again for a cleaner look.

Go with the manual box.Power steering is only good for parking in tight quarters and even with a manual box parking aint that bad.Its one less belt,hoses,fluid,and clutter issues you have to deal with.Really cleans up the motor compartment nicely.Dont have to worry about losing steering if your motor gives out when youre in a tight turn doing 80 mph.Its just plain all out better than power steering,IMHO.

I have power steering by "Arm-strong" in my 71, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Going down teh road, it's as easy as power. The only time it gets heavy is while stopped or at a slow roll. I usually don't park in tight spots (unless I'm at a car show) so I very rarely struggle with it. It truly isn't that bad at all. Plus, my forearms look like Pop-eye.

Chris

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm really doing this because of the reason stated above....I just like the clean look of getting rid of the pump, hoses, crappy brackets etc. Are you guys using stock manual gear boxes or is there an aftermarket box I should be looking at? I know on a later G body Malibu I used a Chevy S-10 gear box. Any tips as to which one to get for our cars?

Thanks again,
Bill

Bill,Im using a stock manual box and have zero issues.I dont know about the aftermarket deals.Im sure they are awesome.I picked mine up off of Ebay for $100 and couldnt be more happier.I see them all the time for sale on there or our TC vendors have them.They sure aint hard to get though.You will be much happier with a manual box,IMHO.Good Luck man.

i dont mind manual steering at all on my 66 ..Check jegs.. they have kits to put a manual box in some cars that include the rag joint and pitman arm... cant remember the brand name, maybe borgeson. hope this helps

I currently just have the stock steering box. Doesn't seem bad at all.

Any decent auto parts store could probably sell you a stock rebuilt one if all you are after is the basics. The trouble will then be finding a pitman arm. The rebuilt boxes don't come with a pitman arm and aside from a salvage yard I'm not sure where you would get one unless you already have one.

Thanks again for all the great info guys. I've done a little searching into the Borgeson kit vs. getting the stuff locally from the parts store. Looks like the Borgeson kit is actually a pretty good deal.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks,
Bill

I am getting ready to do the same thing on my 71. Looking on ebay it looks like Tamraz ebay store has reproduction manual pitman arms.
Paul