steering box

[ExploderHOKIE]

anyone ever replaced a steering box? i have a 93 X and i have to replace it, but the book shows it being an ungodly complicated process...thanks

 

[DeRocha]

anyone ever replaced a steering box? i have a 93 X and i have to replace it, but the book shows it being an ungodly complicated process...thanks

I replaced my steering gear a few years ago... It really wasn't that bad at all. What book are you using? You will need to flush the power steering to get out any old fluid and to prevent contaminating the new gear.. When I picked up my rebuilt steering gear it came with instructions on priming the power steering system. Failure to do so could leave air pockets in the power steering pump and cause premature wear (and a whinny pump). The steering gear is fairly heavy, as such I recruited a buddy to hold the gear during the removal and installation.

 

[ExploderHOKIE]

i ahve a haynes manual, did you pull yours out from the top of the bottom?

 

[DeRocha]

i ahve a haynes manual, did you pull yours out from the top of the bottom?

The bottom... I removed the left tire for better accessibility...

 

[ExploderHOKIE]

so i can just unbold it and drop it out of the bottom, thats much better, the manual says it come out of the top, so i would have to take everything out of the left side of the engine bay

 

[DeRocha]

Just some other info I dug up with the search feature:

From thread http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141850

Yes... I don't believe you can buy a rebuild kit for the steering gear. My remanufactured steering gear was around $200... If you plan on re-using your PS hoses then start soaking the hose fittings with penetrating oil (PB Blaster) a few times/day to help loosen up the rust. I have the Haynes manual which detailed the removal/installation process. My new unit came with instructions on flushing the PS pump and bleeding the new gear which I followed exactly. Flushing the pump is necessary to get ride of any contaminants that could hasten the wear on the new unit. The flushing & bleeding procedures basically have you crank the engine while turning the wheel slightly. To prevent the engine from starting pull the wires off the fuel pump inertia switch.

 

[Maniak]

I pulled a steering box out of my parts van (91 van) and put it into our '92 explorer.. It was hard.. The hardest part was removing the pitman arm.. the pitman arm puller I had didn't really fit around the pitman arm (I had a superlift drop pitman arm on the explorer already)..

Other than the steering box being heavy, and having to hold it up (truck is lifted) until I got a bolt in, it wasn't hard.. I just undid the lines and steering shaft and disconnected the pitman from the tie rod, and dropped the box.. I took the pitman arm off on the ground (didn't really have enough room to do that on the truck).



~Mark