Durango Steering Mod

[praetorian]

My Durango box is leaking form the pitman arm shaft. I can get a kit with just those seals in it. Does anyone know if I can replace the seals with the shaft still in place? Or will the shaft need to be pulled as if I was to do a whole tear down/rebuild.

 

[cracker]

My Durango box is leaking form the pitman arm shaft. I can get a kit with just those seals in it. Does anyone know if I can replace the seals with the shaft still in place? Or will the shaft need to be pulled as if I was to do a whole tear down/rebuild.

Well, after looking at the Pirate saginaw box thread posted earlier in this thread, it looks like you will have to tear down the whole thing.

The rebuild kit from napa looks as if it has everything except the sector shaft cap gasket.

 

[cracker]

Did the mod.

Worked out pretty easily.

I struggled with the main piston bushing though and damaged it a little but it works fine. I am sourcing two spares this morning and will replace that bushing here in a week or so.

 

[XJLI]

mine is less turns lock to lock than the XJ one but it still touches the steering stops on the knuckles at full lock.

 

[cracker]

mine is less turns lock to lock than the XJ one but it still touches the steering stops on the knuckles at full lock.

Yes but the problem is compounded when the axle is flexed out.

If the passenger side of the axle is dropped down (drivers side up), you will have issues making a right hand turn.

 

[jwtrapper]

I need a part # for the sector shaft bearing. By durango box has some movement side to side in the sector shaft. My best guess is the bearing but I cant find a part # for it. Even NAPA wasn't much help.

 

[cracker]

I need a part # for the sector shaft bearing. By durango box has some movement side to side in the sector shaft. My best guess is the bearing but I cant find a part # for it. Even NAPA wasn't much help.

That sucks.

I don't know if this helps but the part number is on th bearing itself.

 

[jwtrapper]

I wanted to have all of the parts handy before I tore into it. I might just go bite the bullet and get a new one and trade this one in for a core. It might have more issues than I want to mess with.

 

[cracker]

I wanted to have all of the parts handy before I tore into it. I might just go bite the bullet and get a new one and trade this one in for a core. It might have more issues than I want to mess with.

If you trade it in you may get a box that is 3 turns lock to lock and you still may have to rip into it and modify it for the 3.5 turns.

 

[jeeperjohn]

I just installed the Durango box in my rig and after it was in it would run out of power if the wheel is moved anything but very slowly. I gave this some thought and determined that the box was not getting enough flow to function properly. The fix was to remove the pressure line from the pump, remove the adapter it fits into and drill out the orifice a couple drill sizes bigger. I also removed the plunger that fits under that and took it apart. Inside of it there's a pressure bypass valve that allows fluid to bypass back into the pump intake when the flow is not needed. There are shims under the nut on the bottom of the plunger that control what pressure the bypass occurs at. I removed those, thereby putting more tension on the spring which makes it bypass at a higher pressure so more pressure goes to the gearbox. I put it all back together and installed a PSC 4.5" pulley and when I started it I could turn the whell as fast as I could at idle with no resistance. I haven't tried wheeling with it like this but I will soon. I expect it to be very powerful just like a whole PSC setup. I will do a writeup with pix as soon as I can get the spare I have modified and snap some pix.

 

[88 Wagonman]

I just installed the Durango box in my rig and after it was in it would run out of power if the wheel is moved anything but very slowly. I gave this some thought and determined that the box was not getting enough flow to function properly. The fix was to remove the pressure line from the pump, remove the adapter it fits into and drill out the orifice a couple drill sizes bigger. I also removed the plunger that fits under that and took it apart. Inside of it there's a pressure bypass valve that allows fluid to bypass back into the pump intake when the flow is not needed. There are shims under the nut on the bottom of the plunger that control what pressure the bypass occurs at. I removed those, thereby putting more tension on the spring which makes it bypass at a higher pressure so more pressure goes to the gearbox. I put it all back together and installed a PSC 4.5" pulley and when I started it I could turn the whell as fast as I could at idle with no resistance. I haven't tried wheeling with it like this but I will soon. I expect it to be very powerful just like a whole PSC setup. I will do a writeup with pix as soon as I can get the spare I have modified and snap some pix.

The problem with doing multiple mods at once is that you don't know what mod did what. I am sure that they are all complimentary, but for all we know the pulley could have remedied the problem. I would be interested in seeing results without the pulley though.

 

[jeeperjohn]

The problem with doing multiple mods at once is that you don't know what mod did what. I am sure that they are all complimentary, but for all we know the pulley could have remedied the problem. I would be interested in seeing results without the pulley though.

I gave this some thought myself and I don't think the pulley alone would have done much because I tried turning the wheel fast with the RPM at 3K with the stock pulley and it was no different than at idle. I think what made the biggest difference was opening up the orifice, having the smaller pulley compliments that and the higher pressure mod will show up in the rocks when the wheels are bound up against a rock or something.

 

[XJLI]

durango box + V8 WJ pump = sex

 

[88 Wagonman]

I gave this some thought myself and I don't think the pulley alone would have done much because I tried turning the wheel fast with the RPM at 3K with the stock pulley and it was no different than at idle. I think what made the biggest difference was opening up the orifice, having the smaller pulley compliments that and the higher pressure mod will show up in the rocks when the wheels are bound up against a rock or something.

I agree, that effectively rules out the pulley as the main contributor. Cool mod, I wonder how a stock ZJ box would take to this? :shhh:

 

[jwtrapper]

durango box + V8 WJ pump = sex

I will pick up my new box in the morning along with a WJ pump and a cooler too keep everything happy.

I think my issue was the original durango box that I put in. It was out of the yard and I think it had some water in it and was in bad shape. It took out my power steering pump, I replaced it with another junk yard pump while traveling on vacation (lots of fun). Then it just didn't work as well as the one we put on my buddys TJ. So now I am doing it all over again with all new parts. I don't want to mess with it again for a while.

 

[jwtrapper]

Well its all on now but I'm not realy impressed yet. I still had some air bubbles in the steering system. Finished it yesterday and I let it sit all day today, we will see what it does tomorrow. I have done the modifications to some old pumps with varying degrees of success. I'm not sure if I want to do anything to this pump yet but we will see.

 

[jeeperjohn]

Well its all on now but I'm not realy impressed yet. I still had some air bubbles in the steering system. Finished it yesterday and I let it sit all day today, we will see what it does tomorrow. I have done the modifications to some old pumps with varying degrees of success. I'm not sure if I want to do anything to this pump yet but we will see.

Tell us exactly how the new setup is disappointing and maybe we can suggest some good ways to improve it.

 

[jwtrapper]

This morning I was checking things out again and I could see fluid dripping. I found that the back of the pump was leaking. I pulled that off and returned it for a different one.

I had hopes of doing the "upgrades" to this pump to get more power out of it. West Texas Off Road modifications.
Like I posted earlier I have had some success with doing this on an older pump but have also had some issues with it. The regulator in the WJ pump is a little different but the inners are the same. I pulled it apart and put in the washer. Took it for a drive and ended up loosing my power steering.
Got back to the drive way and tore into it again. The regulator was stuck at the bottom of the pump. It took a little bit to remove it. Then I just replaced it with a stock one that I had and put it back together. It seems to be working fine now but was making a little noise on the way into work. I am hoping that it's just some bubles that will work their way out.

I was expecting more power and an easier turning wheel. Its not bad and is better than the way it was but not liked I had hoped. My buddy's TJ that we put the Durnago Box on turns easier then mine, and that just ain't going to cut it.

 

[jeeperjohn]

West Texas Off Road modifications.

This is exactly what I did to mine with the exception of stretching the piston spring. I don't think that would've had any effect in mine. I do notice a good bit of the usual power steering pump noise from mine but I chalk that up to the smaller pulley turning it faster.

 

[JeepCherokeeGuy99]

So, I mainly want to do this mod to decrease the amount of play (reaction time) in my steering. I can turn my wheel a half a turn before noticing any reaction at the wheels. Have all the people that have done this mod noticed an improved response in every case? Also, my wheel is smaller than stock (it's a GT grant)