NOS steering box or rebuild service

[Buckeye]

13 hours ago, SplitDash said:

What oil goes into the steering box?

 

 

[Waller]

The other thing I havn't done is the idler arm bushings, they feel fine without having removed them; is wear at the idler arm easily observed without removal?

[gwb72tii]

Jay's BMW Parts

WWW.JAYSBMWPARTS.COM

not an endorsement, but a source for someone that can rebuild the steering box.

[Einspritz]

On 10/30/2023 at 7:44 PM, Furry Camel said:

You may have seen this in a previous discussion, but the number one failure point of the box is the bushing in the top cover.

 

Uh, no.

The axial load on the shaft wears the lower bushings which then allow additional wear on the top bushing. By reingeering those shaft bushings, accounting for the proper load specifications, the top bushing becomes deminimus.

 

Leakage occurs because the lower seal dries out over time.

 

18 hours ago, TobyB said:

Firstly, as mac says, if the worm's galled, the steering box is pretty much done.

Yup.

But you can buy replacements from IE but fitment is a time involved process.

 

On 10/31/2023 at 8:03 AM, JohnP_02 said:

I had mine professionally rebuilt, vapor honed case and pitman arm painted for about $350. The rebuild kit I think was only like $50. Nothing super fancy, but fully functional. 

What did that include?

 

RE:JaysParts.com

 

What does that include?

 

My point with all of this is that to do it right, and by that I mean new worm and roller, bearings, bushings with oil channels honed to 0.0005, new shims (because the likelyhood of the old rusty shims leaking is high), proper seals and a LOT of time to blueprint and  assemble with the proper specs) to get a box "better than new", costs more than the above mentioned services.

 

 

 

 

[Waller]

I just checked out my spares, and while the gears all look fine under strong magnification, you can feel the center if the adjustment screw is snugged slightly, so I guess they're toast? In fact you can feel the center point with just the weight of the pinion pressing it down on the worm. 

 

Can anyone tell me if they have performed either of those tests and found no notchiness at the center?

 

I just spoke to Jay, and he says his rebuilds are replacing seals and adjustment. I'm well enough equiped so that isn't worth the postage to me, but thank you.

[TobyB]

Yes, you should tighten the adjuster screw so that there is some drag right at center.

How much?  Enough so that there is no free play, but not so much that you feel it

in the outer rim of the wheel.  It is a fussy adjustment- some boxes just don't like to do it.

I do it with a jack under the front subframe- lift and adjust and feel for lack of drag,

set it down and check for free play.

If the roller has side play, you'll never get this adjustment right- you'll get both drag and 

looseness.

 

t

 

 

[Einspritz]

The best, and proper way is to use the proper torque device, but it really depends on the shimming in all the axis'.

[AceAndrew]

Just realized I was referencing a different bushing.  I was referring to the spot where the threaded rod and guide washer interface.

 

 

[Dave3x72tii]

There are complete component kits with worm and roller available but they require reaming new bushings and hand sizing shims to fit. I have an extra one if they have gone nla.

[Cabbage Fumes]

10 hours ago, Einspritz said:

 

Uh, no.

The axial load on the shaft wears the lower bushings which then allow additional wear on the top bushing. By reingeering those shaft bushings, accounting for the proper load specifications, the top bushing becomes deminimus.

 

 

Uh, yes.

When the bushing/s wear, they all wear. When they all wear, you have replace all of them. The ones in the body are available. the one in the top cover is not. You can't re-engineer the body bushings. They are just bushings. The stress is applied to a point between the bushings in the body and cap, so no, there is nothing you could do to the bushings in the body to make the opposite end (cap) bushing insignificant, or "deminimus" (de minimus, actually).

[Waller]

I think I am all set. I put in a box with no decernable play, leackage or notchiness. I also found that my front tires were toed out, despite having been recently adjusted at the local tire shop. I guess I'll go back to doing that myself.

[TobyB]

...that's how I always do it...

 

Get them pointing in exactly the same direction, and then add toe- in until it's not darty.

Then take just a little bit back out.

 

I usually end up in the 1/16" range, which is to say, almost no toe- in.

 

t