i was reading in my latest super chevy magazine that a guy swapped his 70' chevelle steering box with one from a 3rd gen camaro. will this make the steering feel "tighter"? i have heard that taking off the power steering belt will make it "tighter", but then there is NO power steering.

Unless the steering stops are removed the turning radius will increase! In other words good buy U-turns. The steering box, pitman arm, & tie rods make up the turning radius. You MUST remove the steering stops. Go to www.globalwest.net (http://www.globalwest.net) for detailed information or call Doug Norrin at Global West 909-349-2090

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Lowered '67 Elcamino
ZZ430 eng / 4L60 trans
"Canyon Carver"


[This message has been edited by Cardiac (edited 12-05-99).]

[This message has been edited by Cardiac (edited 12-05-99).]

[This message has been edited by Cardiac (edited 12-05-99).]

I disagree you will learn to live with the reduced turning radius, if you are using larger tires it also stops tire rub.Can't remember the last time I made a U turn...FRED

I posted some info in this thread http://www.chevelles.com/forum/Forum7/HTML/000927
I am using a box from a 72 Impala which doesn't have the stiffer feel, but does have a quicker ratio. This box caused no problems with turning radius. In my other post I explained how to check for reduced turning radius and feel free to email me.

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Philip Valentine
Lakeside, AZ
Member #42 GOLD
"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
philip@chevelles.com

[This message has been edited by 64elcamino (edited 12-05-99).]

[This message has been edited by 64elcamino (edited 12-05-99).]

Here are three areas of concern when swapping a '70 & up steering box into an 'A' body Chevelle.
First: Depending on what year steering box you locate. You may be faced with metric hoses. Your car has standard hoses and metric hoses will not work without adapting over the pump to metric or making custom power steering lines.
Second: Internally, the steering box has built in steering stops. This is to prevent over travel of the system. When you bolt one of these fast ratio boxes on your a-body, you will loose your turning radius. About 1/4 of a turn both directions. No more U turns for you. Why? Because the pitman arm, idler arm, and steering knuckle arms on Camaros and Firebirds are longer. The length of all these components along with the steering box gear make up the steering ratio.
Third: The steering coupler is different on the input shaft. Fast ratio boxes have a different spool and use a smaller diameter input shaft coupler.
There are two steering stops, one looks like an (inside) snap-ring approx .187 thick and is deep in the box. This thickness is the amount to be milled off of the cap.
I've done this conversion on several Chevelles with great success. You go from a 14:1 ratio to a 12.5:1 ratio.
Personally I like the idea of being able to have a tighter turning radius along with a quicker ratio.
You should also replace the pressure relief valve to a high output valve in the steering pump. This would account for the soft steering that some people incounter in thier conversion.

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Lowered '67 Elcamino
ZZ430 eng / 4L60 trans
"Canyon Carver"




[This message has been edited by Cardiac (edited 12-05-99).]

the way it sounds....i should just let the steering alone. thw swap sounds like it is more trouble than it is worth. thanx
dave

Dave go to this site make up your own mind members.home.net/jimmy4 (http://members.home.net/jimmy4) ...FRED

If all this is too confusing, make it easy on yourself. Send your old box to Harry's Steering Gear and for $150.00 plus tax and shipping you can have what you want. They are cheaper than anyone else doing upgrades like 2.5 turns from stop to stop. I've had five boxes done by them and the cars are just plain cool to drive after the modifications.
810-296-2920 ask for Sam and tell him you heard of them from Team Chevelle, they are listed in our supplier section.

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Team Chevelle Gold #33
ACES Member #02913
Chevelle Club of Michigan
Livonia, Michigan / USA
Rode shotgun in the ONLY Z16 convertible made.

Tom, If that is all he is charging than it is not worth a person doing their own, unless they have the tools and skills. By the time you buy the box and the kit you are close to that price and if anything is worn inside you can easily spend more.

Dave, don't give up it is very worth while upgrade.

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Philip Valentine
Lakeside, AZ
Member #42 GOLD
"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
philip@chevelles.com

i checked out that page and i think that i might give it a try. it seems alot easier than i thought. besides.....what do i have to lose.

Phil, my point exactly..why "practice" on a critical part that a professional will do for the same or less money. Those guys do a great job for the money. All their gearboxes are bench tested wet before they leave the shop.

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Team Chevelle Gold #33
ACES Member #02913
Chevelle Club of Michigan
Livonia, Michigan / USA
Rode shotgun in the ONLY Z16 convertible made.

Tom,

Do you have contact info for Harry's? Where's the shop?

Thanks.

Harry's Steering Gear Repair
33450 Groesbeck
Fraser, MI 48026
Phone (810-296-2920)
Fax (810-296-1077)
ask for Sam Falleti

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Team Chevelle Gold #33
ACES Member #02913
Chevelle Club of Michigan
Livonia, Michigan / USA
Rode shotgun in the ONLY Z16 convertible made.

If you guys with power steering have 4 turns lock to lock, most 70-72 monte carlos I have parted out had power steering boxes with 3 turns lock to lock. Straight bolt in to the chevelle, pitman arm and all. No change in steering radius. I dont know if these are quick ratio boxes or not, but are quicker then the 4 turn boxes.

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70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
55 chevy prostreet

As far as I can tell there are only 2 ratios and three different lock to lock turns. 4 turns = slow ratio. 3 turns = quick ratio, 2 1/2 turns = quick ratio with internal stops. Later models have a different spool valve which tightens the feel, I don't know when it started but some time around the introduction of the metric boxes in the early 80's. Impalas as early as 1970 had the quicker ratio with no stops. I'm using a 72 in my 64.
Philip

I have between 2 1/2 to 3 turns lock to lock, on my '67. The box came out of an '86 F-1 Camaro.

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Lowered '67 Elcamino
ZZ430 eng / 4L60 trans
"Canyon Carver"

My question is do I need to use the pitman arm off of a Camaro/Firebird? and what do you do about the rag coupler? I want to do this swap when I do my disc brake conversion while I'm doing the a-typical small block big block swap... thanks for the info.......

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Gene Callahan
Canoga Park Ca.
66 Conv.
Gold # 55
S.C.C.C.C

Gene, use the pitman arm from your 66, any other may not be right as far as length, offset or taper for the center link joint. You will need to use the rag coupler that fits the box, there are 2 different stub shaft sizes, if a 12 point box end 11/16" wrench fits the shaft it is the small size and if a 3/4" wrench fits it is the large size. I had to drill out one hole in the plate where the coupler bolts to the steering column. They were both 5/16" and the coupler required one to be 3/8".
Cardiac, turns lock to lock may vary around 1/4 turn or so, especially if it is installed in vehicle. The spindle stops can hit before the steering box stops.
Philip

Tnx Phillip the box has a 3/4" shaft I had it in the new late modle stock car I was building for the local track that closed downa few years ago. I guess I'll figure it all out when I get there and all apart. Thanks again Gene.......

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Gene Callahan
Canoga Park Ca.
66 Conv.
Gold # 55
S.C.C.C.C

FWIW. I walked into my local independent parts store and said "give me a steering box for a 1979 Monte Carlo w/ F41 Sport suspension. I was told, "the book shows 3 steering boxes, one with 4 turns lock to lock one with 31/2 turns and one with 3 turns which one do you want. They cost $200". This box will bolt right to the early chevelles without changing anything.

Have A Great Chevelle Day

Mike Crosby

I give up???


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Lowered '67 Elcamino
ZZ430 eng / 4L60 trans
"Canyon Carver"

me too

And along these lines...

We put a '72 power box/pump in our '67 with previous manual setup. Kinda squishy, but better. I've been under the car a couple times and noticed that it looks like the tie rod sleeve is contacting the ....oh, whadya callit...the engine crossmember?.... anyway, that's what it is touching. What is up with that and should I worry? It steers fine. The turning radius is kinda big, but it's no compact car, so how can I gauge that against anything?

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Tom H.
Member #259
Indianapolis,IN www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/ (http://www.iquest.net/~bharold/chevelle/)