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Keeping Steering Gearbox attached

J

jrowell

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bakersfield
So my Steering Gearbox Broke free of the frame on the trail for the second time. Since the first time it happened a few years ago in Moab, I have added a TB brace, a steering box brace that attaches over the sector shaft and have welded a bar across under the radiator area. I have checked the steering bolts before all major trips including this one. on this trip I broke 1 bolt, broke one ear.
Any suggestions to keep this from happening? Should I just plan on replacing the steering gear box every other year and hope that it's just wear and tare that was causing it?

suggestions?
 
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Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
I didn't like that sector shaft brace... It was definitely loose when we took the box out. I think it doesn't do enough to prevent rotational play in it even when it's tight. Perhaps a frame brace would help. It could be that the aluminum spacer is deformed causing the box to be stressed unevenly.

Seeing your problem definitely is making me rethink my box bracing. I've done a lot. I replaced the aluminum spacer with a custom one i built, but I'm thinking of drilling out the frame and running solid sleeves all the way through to the box and welding to the plate enforced frame on both sides.
 
Redxj5150 said:
I didn't like that sector shaft brace... It was definitely loose when we took the box out. I think it doesn't do enough to prevent rotational play in it even when it's tight. Perhaps a frame brace would help.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I have to retighten it after every run. It works loose too easy.
 
Inner plating, outer plating , and a cross brace.

Hydro assist works well if its in your budget. I like PSC but there are tons of options.

If its coming loose after every run, use some lock tight on the bolts.

if you cant do assist, then Go to a 4 bolt box.
 
ditch the sector shaft brace
add hydro assist
double check to make sure there are sleeves added in your frame with your brace
check the sleeves again, it sounds like they aren't there

torque bolts to spec
use blue loctite
 
Yikes, I recall the Moab bolt failure. Steel spacer still allows for movement if the frame is "squishy".

I built my rig with the JKS SBS plates and sleeves from the beginning and turning 33's and even with several low altitude passes in the dunes, I've never has a steering gear bolt loosen on me.
Drill out the holes and weld in sleeves, add a 4th sleeve to run a 4 bolt box.
 
XJEEPER said:
Yikes, I recall the Moab bolt failure. Steel spacer still allows for movement if the frame is "squishy".

I built my rig with the JKS SBS plates and sleeves from the beginning and turning 33's and even with several low altitude passes in the dunes, I've never has a steering gear bolt loosen on me.
Drill out the holes and weld in sleeves, add a 4th sleeve to run a 4 bolt box.
Click to expand...

That my friend is your answer.
Also, over tightening the bolts could crush the sleeves. I think you said you already plated the frame? Now it is time weld in some good quality sleeves.
 
I see so.e folks get away with never pulling their box off but most folks with 35s or larger who wheel...not so much...a cheap tractor supply ram and a stock ported box should be cheap. I had assist a box brace the steel plate and outer frame plate welded into the bumper and cage it never pulled off on 40 boggers no sign of fatigue when I pulled the parts off for sale last weekend , but I really never I spected that well but looked good from the once over ...not Chancing the box on frame with bigger than 42s so mechanical linkage is goooooone .
 
Boostwerks.com said:
It does sound like a sleeve issue. If just one is compromised it will allow it to loosen and take everything else out. Have any pics of the box or inner frame?
Click to expand...

Agreed, I believe this is what ultimately caused my final failure before I rebuilt the steering box area.

I had a custom front bumper that plated the outside of the frame, a JCR (might have also been a Crok?) inner plate. The frame was actually crushed, so I rebuilt it with new sleeves, plated the inner and outer frame and welded 'er on.

While this is mainly a build for the bumper, you can see how I plated the frame.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1041403
 
XJEEPER said:
Yikes, I recall the Moab bolt failure. Steel spacer still allows for movement if the frame is "squishy".

I built my rig with the JKS SBS plates and sleeves from the beginning and turning 33's and even with several low altitude passes in the dunes, I've never has a steering gear bolt loosen on me.
Drill out the holes and weld in sleeves, add a 4th sleeve to run a 4 bolt box.
Click to expand...

That's the one I have... The JKS SBS. I could not remember that name for the life of me. I had that in Moab as well, but I attribute that Moab failure to loose bolts. This time I've been very proactive in checking those bolts. I locktited them and I check the Torque before each big run being careful not to go past the toque setting so I don't break the locktite bond.

I DID catch a bit of air while I was throttling pretty hard in the dunes a couple weeks ago... maybe I broke the ear there and then broke the 2nd bolt on my last trip out?
 
AHA.

I just looked up the JKS SBS. It does not come with sleeves!

Read the install instructions for the C-Rok setup. Figure out what you need and add it.
 
The factory ones are super thin, and are a clamshell instead of a chunk of tube, so the collapse.
 
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