Bones: Any update about the J10/J20 steering box swap?

Did you get that situation figured out? What did ya do? I gotta swap out my box and pump soon.

Did you get that situation figured out?

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Well, yes and no.
What I have found out so far:

A 75 or older box will not work without extensive mods (including a new steering shaft).

A 76 to 79 box will fit but the lines are flare type, not the O-ring type the XJ uses.

A 1980 and later box is supposed to fit and work with the XJ's lines. I say, "Supposed to" because I have not done it yet and do not want to post erroneous info if it does not work "like it should".

A standard XJ (or most other Jeeps including the J10) Saginaw box measures 3" across the end cap and the J20 box measures 3.5".

Every parts house around me tries to sell a 3" box because it will fit.

Parts houses will not confess that their box is not the proper one for the J20 unless you pin them to the wall on it (NAPA finally confessed that their box is not really for the J20, it just fits it).

J20 boxes built after 1980 are hard to find!

The folks at West Texas Off-Road are great to talk to. They are trying to source a J20 box for me as well.

There may be some reason that a J20 box isn't as suited for hydro-assist steering. I'm looking into this.

What did ya do?

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Nothing yet. I have a brand new XJ box bouncing around in the floor of the YJ and my XJ sits without a box until I get this figured out. I did pay one of those online "find-a-part" services to come up with a real J20 box. I have one lead so far. I will be calling them on Monday. I have not decided on a pump but will probably open up a stock pump and run a small cooler to increase fluid volume. I will be going to Hydro assist steering this winter so I'm trying to get everything lined up now. I want the new box drilled now so I don't have to mess with it when I run the ram and hydraulic lines this winter.
I'm waiting on the ram set up because I don't know if I'm going to go to WJ steering or to the Terra high-steer knuckle. It all depends on availability of cheap WJ knuckles.

Bones :skull1:
#6

Bones, get ahold of Chark. I believe his box is out of one of his junked up j20's and he tapped it for hydro assist.

Yes your right Oneton....but bite your tongue....they're not junk!!!

One more thing to watch out for -- although I am not a fan of AGR boxes because I've heard more negative reports about their stuff than positive, I have in the past looked at their web site more than twice. I noticed that if you are buying a "racing" box (as opposed to a box for a particular vehicle by application), they show two different sizes of pitman shaft.

Hmmmm -- if the J20 box is a much bigger piston than the other Jeep boxes, could it be that the J20 box will also have a larger pitman shaft? If that's the case, then you'll be stuck trying to find a pitman arm to work with the new "uber" box.

Eagle said:

One more thing to watch out for -- although I am not a fan of AGR boxes because I've heard more negative reports about their stuff than positive, I have in the past looked at their web site more than twice. I noticed that if you are buying a "racing" box (as opposed to a box for a particular vehicle by application), they show two different sizes of pitman shaft.

Hmmmm -- if the J20 box is a much bigger piston than the other Jeep boxes, could it be that the J20 box will also have a larger pitman shaft? If that's the case, then you'll be stuck trying to find a pitman arm to work with the new "uber" box.

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I too am not a fan of AGR at all. As far as the pitman arms go, any YJ,TJ,ZJ,XJ,MJ and SJ will interchange with each other. I learned this first hand this winter when I was dealing with my hydro steering setup. The only difference between the aforementioned pitman arms is the amount of comparable drop and the size of the TRE they were machined to accept.

Hope that helps.

Bones, get a hold of Chark. I believe his box is out of one of his junked up j20's and he tapped it for hydro assist.

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Ya, I know Chark did it. It is not the install I need help on. It's finding the real J20 box. All anyone wants to supply is the 3" box not the 3.5".

Yes your right Oneton....but bite your tongue....they're not junk!!!

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Chark, don't get too upset with ole 2,000lb. He thinks 'cause his is they all are

Hmmmm -- if the J20 box is a much bigger piston than the other Jeep boxes, could it be that the J20 box will also have a larger pitman shaft? If that's the case, then you'll be stuck trying to find a pitman arm to work with the new "uber" box.

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Eagle, from what I understand the output shaft is the same size on all Jeep Saginaw boxes. Though I do not have this knowledge first hand, I do know that the J10 box they keep giving me because "it fits in a J20" has the same output as my XJ box does. As for AGR, I'll make stock do before I buy their over priced no quality control junk.


Bones :skull1:
#6

I wasn't suggesting that anyone consider buying an AGR box. I was mentioning that there seem to be two sizes of output (sector) shaft, and if the J20 box is physically larger it sort of seemed logical that it might have a larger sector shaft to go along with that larger piston.

We're talking Jeep here, and early Jeep at that. Assume nothing.

We're talking Jeep here, and early Jeep at that. Assume nothing

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I hear you on that!

That is why if you look over this thread I never outright say "IT WILL WORK". I have qualified it all with the fact I do not know for certain. Once I get the modification done I will do a write up on the set up and hope to demystify the procedure (though I'll probably qualify that to ) .

I have it researched out to the point I think it will work strongly enough to drop the coin to try. If what Matt Hodges says is true, it should work.

BTW: Matt is the owner of West Texas Off-Road, makers of the Redneck Ram system, and is a strong adversary of AGR.

Bones :skull1:
#6
POR #21673

Hey Boner, did that shop that I recommended to you help you out at all with any info?

They said they could strengthen the box but I can't get a @#$% J20 box. If I can't get one I'll still go the route you did with the XJ box I have.

Bones :skull1:

a bit of hijack i think but does anyone know if yj steering box will bolt into an xj


mike

Bolt right on... no problem

We ran a YJ box on our NEUROC XJ last year after our XJ box died.

Scwheeeeeett!!!! I have had some slop in my steering and when i grab the shaft there is some play that doesn't appear to come from the shaft, the joints still feel tight. One more question for you are the yj and xj pitman arms the same, i can find out if i go look but it's easier just to type at the moment


Mike

XJ arm had about 1" of drop compared to a YJ arm.

Dimentionally they are identical however (spline count and length).

I'll be sure to put the xj arm on then, can't be too difficult, thanks.


Mike