What is the cheapest "good" steering box you can buy?

[md21722]

I got a used one that is looser than the one I took out. I hate dicking around with power steering fluid and hear the auto parts store rebuilds either are junk out of the box or fail soon. Looking around I've found this PSC for the small sum of over $700:

http://www.pscmotorsports.com/vehic...-01-jeep-cherokee-xj-cylinder-assist-kit.html

Jeep has 30" tires and is unlikely to go any bigger. I have a spare I could send to someone if they rebuilt it good.

Thanks for any suggestions. Have not come up with any good used wins from the Colorado Chapter.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Some use YJ 4-bolt parts store reman box.
I'm planning on doing the same, since I have a 'spare' in my parts MJ.

 

[CarbonXJ]

Lares, Blue top, RedHead, PSC are good brands and a Durango, YJ, or S10 boxes are good junkyard sources.

I have a RedHead that is working well, albeit a bit heavy steering...Did not know about Blue top until after the fact.

 

[ehall]

Cardone and Lares are mass-market, really just rolling the dice on good or bad parts going back together properly. Red Head is a step up, better parts and assembly, but more expensive. PSC is the next step up, pay a real premium for it. FWIW I have Red Head and beat my jeep pretty hard, been very pleased with it.

 

[old_man]

Is your complaint only that the steering is loose, or is it puking fluid everywhere? I have a ton of experience rebuilding these. If it isn't leaking, I can probably adjust it.

Rarely do I see boxes that are so loose as to cause complaints. Normally it is something else in the steering. If you were closer, I would have you bring it by and we could get you a definitive answer. If you aren't in a big hurry, I could rebuild you a box and even tap it for hydro assist while I was at it. I have done over a hundred.

 

[md21722]

Is your complaint only that the steering is loose, or is it puking fluid everywhere? I have a ton of experience rebuilding these. If it isn't leaking, I can probably adjust it.

Rarely do I see boxes that are so loose as to cause complaints. Normally it is something else in the steering. If you were closer, I would have you bring it by and we could get you a definitive answer. If you aren't in a big hurry, I could rebuild you a box and even tap it for hydro assist while I was at it. I have done over a hundred.

The steering is quite loose and acts like manual steering often when going in and out of parking spaces. The one before it acted similar, but was better in both how loose it was and it how it reacted around parking spaces. Not saying there's only one problem. Maybe the pump is wonky and can't make pressure when parking. No fluid puking anywhere.

It's not the linkage, ball joints, TB, or anything like that as I've lived with this problem since I got this Jeep about 3 years ago and everything else has been changed and continues to test just fine.

I changed out a box back in April on another Jeep and a good used box was a night and day difference on that one, even with shot front end parts.

I will be nearby a couple of times in the next few weeks and can drop off the original box if you want to see what's wrong with it and see if its worthy of rebuilding.

 

[old_man]

The steering is quite loose and acts like manual steering often when going in and out of parking spaces. The one before it acted similar, but was better in both how loose it was and it how it reacted around parking spaces. Not saying there's only one problem. Maybe the pump is wonky and can't make pressure when parking. No fluid puking anywhere.

It's not the linkage, ball joints, TB, or anything like that as I've lived with this problem since I got this Jeep about 3 years ago and everything else has been changed and continues to test just fine.

I changed out a box back in April on another Jeep and a good used box was a night and day difference on that one, even with shot front end parts.

I will be nearby a couple of times in the next few weeks and can drop off the original box if you want to see what's wrong with it and see if its worthy of rebuilding.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[iwannadie]

I have had bad luck with Napa rebuilt boxes. One was worse out of the box than the worn out one that I was replacing. I have gone through 4 of them now I think. They always end up very loose. I know that can be adjusted but I never felt comfortable adjusting it after reading you can adjust wrong and cause the box to later fail.

I keep swapping out napa boxs until I want to spend the money on a decent one(one of the above listed but most likely PCS).