Hey Guys,

I installed the GW lowers with the Howe tall bj's, and also SC&C's Pro Lite arms with tall Howe bj's, stock spindles. I also installed a Jeep GC box, and now the steering arms hit the lowers. GW said that the stops are the same as stock, can anyone confirm this? I can only get 2 turns lock to lock now. I may be toed out a tad, but that shouldnt affect that so much that I cant get another turn out of the box?

Any thoughts??

Thanks, Brad

the steering arms themselves are hitting the control arms? If thats the case you have to have installed something wrong. I have a similar setup and theres no issues with the steering arms hitting anything at all.

Yes Matt

There is only one way to install the lowers, so I know that this is right. The steering arms are also correct, so dont know what is wrong. When I am in full lock, they hit the lowers.

What pitman arm are you using?

The arm from the original power steering box.

Hmm well i am scratching my head on this one as well then sorry.

Talked to Mark at SC&C, and he said that he doesnt know why they hit, but also they dont have any of those a arms, as they sell theyre own. I totally understand that, but since I was ordering more parts from him, he listened. I will see what happens when I get it "totally aligned" but the sweep of the pitman arm has me kinda thinking that the steering arms are interfering with the smaller radius steering than what I had. I appreciate everyones help here, it is something that I will learn from, and be able to answer questions from other, when it comes up.

Thanks, Brad

is it possible you could take some pics of whats going on? Im trying to visualize how this could happen short of your car jacked up in the air to the point that the tie rod itself was rubbing, but that would be like donked out high. Ill tell you that having some toe out has nothing to do with it.

Matt

When you steer hard left, does the rear of the steering arm hit the rear side of the GW lower? I have my car real low (5-1/2" from crossmember) right now, and it just seems that the radius of the steering is bigger than it was. Did anyone install a GC box and have the steering arms hit the stock lowers? I am talking the rear of the arms, not the front of the arms.

I will try and take some photos today, but it is gonna be tought to get the camera in there and not have the calipers in the way.

Thanks Guys

I have SPC lowers not GW but I have tall upper and lower BJ's, stock spindles and SPC uppers just like you and I cant even begin to visualize where it would hit. What steering arms are on there? Reason I ask is cause thw wheels would hit the frame before the tie rod end would contact the LCA. I suppose you might wanna check your caster, it would take a whole lot but if you got the spindle tipped back enough I suppose this could happen but even then I dont know if you could get that much caster with the SPC uppers anyways. If you jack the car up doesnt it still hit? Like raise the front up a few inches so its still on the ground but the suspension is extended some? Either way get a camera up behind the wheel some how and takes a pic just to give us an idea with what your working with.

There is only one way to install the lowers, so I know that this is right. The steering arms are also correct, so dont know what is wrong. When I am in full lock, they hit the lowers.

I've see worst honest mistakes

Danny, I know that they are correct. Thanks for the concern though:D

is the tie rod end hitting or is it the bolt on the other side of the arm thats hitting? Strange thing is the lower you drop the suspension the more clearance you get between the tie rod end and the LCA. You really need to post a pic, even a crappy one just so we can see WTF is going on cause you have something very wrong going on. Also it is definitely possible to bolt the LCA backwards (as in left for right and vice versa) Easy way to check is the alignment of the sway bar link to the hole in the LCA. They should be close to vertical above one another. I just cant see what would cause this to happen, if it was the steering box it would be an issue of not enough travel or too much travel so that youd either end up with too small a turning radius or the tire would rub into the frame before you go to full lock. Having a tall lower ball joint actually spaces the spindle and steering arm up higher in relation to the LCA so Im assuming that with a stock height lower BJ this problem would be worse. Im just rambling on now, you need to get a pic of the problem or people are just gonna be guessing.

Matt

Okay, let me try and explain this again. Sometimes it is hard to get someone to visualize what is happening. I will try and get photos soon.

The GW arms are installed correctly, and the sway bar is also. The tie rod ends are fine, that is the front of the steering arm. The problem is the back side, or rear side of the steering arm. These are the bolt on steering arms. They have a horse shoe shape to them, and at the end of it, is a rounded portion that acts as a "stop"? They hit the GW lowers when I turn the wheels hard left or right. They hit the back of the lowers, not the front. My stock lowers do not have any marks on them from the stops, but the new lowers have interference when turning lock to lock. It just appears that the turning radius is larger than what it was before. The tires do not hit the frame or anything.

Appreciate your interest to help out. Maybe this is just my paranoia that something is wrong, but dont want to have problems with the powdercoating chipping on my new LCA's

Thanks, Brad

Okay Matt

Here is a photo of the LF, and you can see the interference (look between the banjo bolt and the lower ball joint) where the steering arm hits the lower ca.

thanks for looking!

looks like its the steering box, its giving you a bit more travel than you probably had before. Those ears are there to do what its doing so you dont turn the tire into the frame. Im gonna go out on a limb and figure that you didnt have the cherokee box on there when you had all the stock suspension bolted up. Normally when a ton of parts get changed its hard to identify where the problem is coming from.. I dont know how to do it but I do know that the steering stops inside the box can be adjusted so this doesnt happen. Most retrofit boxes setup for certain applications have all this done to them so you dont run into anything like this, when you grab something for a different application things like this can crop up even though it works fine otherwise. Somebody here may know how to do the stop adjustment in the box and walk you through it but then again it may be something you need to send out to a pro. I read an article about Lee steering boxes doing rebuilds on good boxes in the 200-250 range and he can set up the stops, set the torsion bar up for a more weighted steering feel and otherwise dial the box in.

Yeah, I didnt have the GC box on when the stock lowers were on it, I changed all the front uppers and lowers when I put the box on. I had thought someone here said the stops (in the GC box) were the same as the stock Chevelle ps box. We will have to check it out when it gets back from paint.

Thanks Matt.

well its more of the GC box has enough travel for a chevelle not that the stops are set exactly the same. I say that cause boxes that bolt up to an F body have quite a bit less travel in them them than those for an A body.

If I remember correctly the GC boxes do not have any stops in them.

there you go... mystery solved lol

Thanks Brad and Matt........

I wonder what I should do to keep the arms from hitting the frame? Any suggestions, other than getting a Lee box? Its not like I will be using all this steering anyways.

just be careful in parkinglots or if your doing U turns. As far as gear boxes go, Lee isnt the only guy in town so to speak that can do it, he just happened to be in a Car Craft article last month and hes considered the best. Theres also the Monte Carlo SS box from the 80s that will work perfect.

Does the Monte SS have the same internal stops as the 67 stock Chevelles, power steering box, Matt??

from what I read it does and its a straight bolt in with the 12.7:1 ratio and I think the stiffest torsion bar rating, lemme double check but I think thats correct.

the stock travel of an A body is 87 degrees, the following boxes should work perfectly, and the 85-88 monte ss is has a bit less turning radius but the highest effort in in/lbs for the heavier weighted feel. The boxes that are being sold by most places for $500 are what I believe to be the truck boxes that I copied in as well.

BODY STYLE YEAR CODE RATIO EFFORT T-BAR TOTAL TRAVEL
Monte Carlo SS ’85 to ’88 YA 12.7:1 24-30 0.204 78 degrees 30 minutes
Fullsize Chevy F-41 '88 to '90 WZ 12.7:1 20-26 0.195 87 degrees
Fullsize Chevy F-41 '91 to '94 CP 12.7:1 17-22 0.185 87 degrees
Fullsize Chevy F-41 '95 CT 12.7:1 19-22 0.185 87 degrees

heres the article to what Im refrencing. http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_0901_gm_steering_box_upgrade/power_steering.html it also refrences a tech arcive page by jim shea on this very site, he claims the 92-98 GC box works with no mention to full travel on any of em.

Personally, If I do stay with a steering box (which is likely now that I found out Stainless Works sells NRE style turbo headers for a grand instead of 5) Im going with a used box out of a pickup and send it to Lee to have a rebuild done. I have a lot of personal friends that work at a bunch of yards on recycle road up here in sacramento and they will just hand me one for free, nice having friends in dirty places lol. On a side not I had been considering a R&P swap from Unisteer so I could get enough clearance to run a flipped truck mani turbo setup like the 4th gen F bodys do. Stock steering box messes that up. Now however I found out about SW selling turbo headers that look like the ones on Mali2ude so I wont have to worry about steering box interference or paying out the nose for a rack n pinion.

If its possible Id yank the cherokee box, return it to where you bought it and get a Monte box from napa or whereever if moneys tight. Otherwise you could send the one you have to Lee to be modded OR get the monte box and run it till you want it upgraded then yank it and send it to lee. Best bet though is sending whatever you have to Lee so he can rebuild it lol. I just got through doing on this on my buddies 68 camaro, he wanted help doing the bushings on his car and by the time I was through with it he had a completely new PT front end... shocks, brakes, steering box, heim joint style tie rods with bump steer adjusters, you name it he got it. He just stared at me and said, "dont find anything else worn out on my car ok?"