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Steering Gear

greenday9d1

NAXJA Forum User
Location
CA Bay Area
My mechanic informed me recently that the steering gear box on my '92 XJ limited (automatic) is beyond repair and needs replacement. He gave me a quote of over $600. My question is, how difficult is it to replace the steering gear box, and are there any special tools needed? I have some experience working on this car but mostly with the engine, I don't really know anything about the steering mechanics.
 
It's not difficult to replace. For special tools, you'll need a puller to get the pitman arm off of the splined shaft.
 
$600 is extremely expensive. I got a remanned unit for less than $200 with a core charge. The whole swap took me maybe 2 hours. Search on here about it, I believe I posted alot about the process. The biggest PITA was fitting the new gear box in, bashed a few knuckels pretty good getting it by the fan shroud. Buy a $10 pitman arm puller, ,a new can of liquid wrench and start spraying all the bolts and the pitman arm nut NOW! It'll make it easier later. Other than the pitman arm puller, nothing special is req'd. Flare end wrenches probably will help with the hose removal...I'd replace replace the hoses while yer at it.....PM if you have any questions.

There are also quite a few steering boxes that will fit, from other model vehicles and upgrades you can do i.e. durango or J20 gear box.
 
Heck, I would just get one from pull-n-save type yard along with the pitman arm. Around here, that will cost you around $20. Other than leaking, they rarely go out, so look for one that is not leaking.
 
SF Bay Area where? I'm in San Jose, I've got the tools, and I've got a good local parts house that makes sure I get good stuff. I think the steering ox I got for my wife's XJ ran about $160 w/exchange, and I can help you convert to -AN lines instead of the overlength OEMR lines - you'd need to buy fittings, but I've got the hose.

5-90
 
5-90 said:
SF Bay Area where? I'm in San Jose, I've got the tools, and I've got a good local parts house that makes sure I get good stuff. I think the steering ox I got for my wife's XJ ran about $160 w/exchange, and I can help you convert to -AN lines instead of the overlength OEMR lines - you'd need to buy fittings, but I've got the hose.

5-90


I second running custom lines...I eliminated the factory clusterfawk by running my own lines.....but I also have the remote mount fluid reservoir, not the pump mounted reservior.......
 
What's the advantage of new lines? And btw i'm in Walnut Creek but probably won't start this project until may.
 
greenday9d1 said:
What's the advantage of new lines? And btw i'm in Walnut Creek but probably won't start this project until may.


Um, the advantage is that they are NEW! plus there is a good chance you will mangle the old ones getting them off the box, so having new ones ready to go on will casue less headaches when you mangle it and the local NAPA can't get one til the next day.

Plus the return line from the gear box to the reservoir is straight stock rubber tubing (I forget the diameter), but you have to get the fitting that attaches it to the box. My fitting didnt come pre bent, so rather than try to bend it to match the gear box to pump hose, I hacked it and ran a custom line which dropped straight into the gear box from a remote mounted reservoir directly above it.....advantages: less hose used, less hose running thru that part of the engine bay, no screwing around with a brake line bender, no mangling a new line cuz I suck at bending brake lines, etc....
 
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