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Replacing the Power steering Box

TJ_Shunk

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Cheyenne, WY
Replacing the Power steering Box?

Has anybody done this yet? Looking for install sudgestions, things to look out for and if anybody has done a write up I would appeciate a link to it. Thank you.

-Matt
 
Last edited:
TJ_Shunk said:
Has anybody done this yet? Looking for install sudgestions, things to look out for and if anybody has done a write up I would appeciate a link to it. Thank you.

-Matt

Yes here is a write up I did a couple of years ago. Note even after second rebuild box it still is not good. I intend to replace w. a new box from tellicoc 4x4 http://www.tellico4x4.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/459_764?osCsid=d83960b31207a98a6a71c772e2fa2798 for about $250. Autozone gave me lifetime wrrty so back it goes. It suffers from morning sickness - stiff at first few turns especially on cold mornings due to a bad spool valve. Here is my old write up.

XJ Steering Box Replacement – Lessons Learned.
89 XJ w. 154,000 miles w. 3-4 inches of play in the steering wheel. Replaced the power steering gear w. a remanufacutured unit from Autozone.com for $154 + $90 for core. The unit was remanufactured by ATSCO. Local shop wanted $125 to install part I provide. Decided to install myself with help from my FSM. Note I chose to install reman unit instead of trying to adjust play in strng box since FSM says to do so off vehicle and it looks complicated and since I had a small leak at the input shaft anyway.
Install took 3 hrs doing it myself. The new strng box was not good. No play at all in strng wheel - good, but now very poor return to center and steering was way too light (a 1 on a scale of 1-10; my zj is about a 7). Took it to a truck alignment center (does 18 wheelers and small trucks and cars). Caster was at 5.6 instead of 7.5 everything else was ok. Had to order shims for caster adjustment from dealer. Back a week later shims inserted in back of lower control arm and brought caster to 7 (no more room left on slotted bolt hole to add more shims - anyway 7 is w/in spec range. Caster adjustment is supposed to help return to center but no good for me. The alignment guy then discoed the tie rods and rotated the wheel assembles and everything else and no binding was found in ball joints etc. Verdict - bad steering box -- too tightly adjusted.
Back to autozone - local store- who ordered me another reman'd strng box from another local store. Picked it up next day and installed it yesterday in carport w. temps in 25-32F range - yikes! This time install took 2 hrs w. warming breaks. New box is a winner! It was reman'd by FENCO instead of ATSCO. Returns to center great and has super road feel - on scale of 1-10 of light to heavy feel pwr strng it’s a 7-8. The feel on the original box that came in the xj was about a 3-4. Love the heavier feel -- better sense of being connected to the road.
Lessons learned: If using a remanufactured part you obtain (i.e., not through the install shop) best do the install yourself in case you have to do it again. Paying twice for labor is not good! In the future I would only replace the box w. a unit from the dealer (w. a big discount from somewhere like Stephen at Springdale Dodge in Arkansas or buymopar.com) or have my box rebuilt by a custom re-builder. The special feel is generally controlled by the torsion bar and springs inside the pwr strng box. The box looks the same on the outside and bolts up to your vehicle but the similarity may stop there. Based on my experience and what I have researched, many non custom re-builders build a generic box that fits a lot of vehicles but may not have the special steering feel your vehicle had from new. Hope this helps others. Greg


Note although the above is not a install guide it should be helpful. The install is not that hard. Remove air box and electric fan/shroud unit. Use claw foot open end wrench attachment on end of extension from your ratchet wrench to losen and remove hyraudlic lines from steering box. Loosen bolt on input shaft from steering column at steering box. Remove pitman arm from steering box w. puller and pipe and hammer. As you tighten puller after every couple of turns bang a couple of times (to reduce tension) on pitman arm from above near puller and steering box output shaft w. a long pipe and hammer. After pitman arm removed remove three bolts from steering box acess from side near bumper cap from outside w. long extensions on your ratchet wrench. Hope I recall correctly from a couple of yrs ago. Good Luck. Greg
 
Adding to above: factory says you should use new bolts and thread locker when you replace the box. I have done this without new bolts, but would recommend you do what the factory says. You don't want that thing to fall off. If you elect to reuse the bolts, torque them well and recheck them a few times after you've driven it.

Also, if your XJ is a pre-97, you'll find that the telescoping steering column shaft does not telescope unless you crash and break the plastic bushing inside it, and it does not move far enough on its splines to get on or off if the steering box is fully installed. So put the box in place with one bolt, so it can pivot a little, and then install the shaft before you line up the other two bolts.
 
Matt - Why not upgrade to the 4 bolt box [YJ] with the kit that Bob sells... Nothing worse than losing a steering box in the middle of French Creek...

If you decide to just replace the factory box, it's relatively simple... Hit me up if you have any questions...

-Will
 
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