steering box upgrade

pyagid

My Steering box on my CJ is leaking like Crazy. I have read some stuff about upgrading to a J20 box. Is this a direct bolt in swap? Are there certain years to use? and certain not to use? Is it even worth the swap? Or should i just stick with a stock replacement CJ-7 power steering box? also if i decided to how hard are the saginaw boxes to rebuild? thanks -Paul

tufcj

Steering boxes in Jeeps are all just standard GM/Saginaw boxes. The box out of any early full or mid size GM car, Wagoneer, or Jeep pickup will bolt in. Some like Camaros and Firebirds were a quicker ratio, these have the number "76" cast into the housing. Some of the housings only had 3 mounting bolts, a CJ has 4. In about 1982, they went from a SAE flanged hose fitting to a metric O-ring fitting, so you need to match the box to the hoses you have. I've tried to rebuild a box 2 times. Both times they leaked worse after the rebuild than before. There are kits to replace the input shaft and pitman shaft seals without rebuilding the entire box. I have an AGR Superbox I and pump. I LOVE it. It took me from pulling the wheel with both hands to being able to palm the wheel around when 'wheeling. It's especially nice with the 37" tires and the Detroit in front. Bob. tufcj

Mudrat

tufcj wrote
I have an AGR Superbox I and pump. I LOVE it. It took me from pulling the wheel with both hands to being able to palm the wheel around when 'wheeling. It's especially nice with the 37" tires and the Detroit in front.

Bob.
tufcj

Glad to hear that - I put the same setup in my CJ. Just waiting to get it on the road now.
One problem I did find, I ordered the Super II for the Jeep and my PS reservoir was shot so I picked up a GM pump at the salvage place and, of course (since I didn't think about it before hand) the difference between the standard and metric sizes. I wound up brazing the holes over in my old reservoir, and rebuilding the GM one for my dads El Camino.

Mudrat

mrtazwrench

there's a post on ifsja about using s-10 boxes.

pyagid

mrtazwrench wrote
there's a post on ifsja about using s-10 boxes.

Thanks....Anti-Chrysler actually lives in the town next to me (town i am moving to next week)

I am going to look into that and try and get in touch with him. Now as far as i could read it is a direct bolt in for FSJ's.

AS far as i kno in order to pu t a FSJ box into a CJ i need to change the coupler on the steering shaft???? So i would assume i need to do the same for the S-10.

-paul

jeepsr4ever

arent the s-10 boxes a quick turn? The FSJ box uses a rag joint and when you have body lift it gets tweaky and can leave you stranded where your wheeling (if you have body roll). If you need a box Pyagid let me know I got one sitting here.

pyagid

HMMMM............According to The guy on IFSJ it is a variable ratio. But i have heard that if it is a quicker ratio that it feels very unstable on a street driven vehicle, Which mine is. ANd since mine is leaking i thought i would look into options of upgrading, on the other end though I dont plan on running bigger than 36" tires so dont know if i really need an upgraded system, as long as My pump and box are in good condition I should be fine, if not in the future I could always add a ram assist to it :-| -paul