# 68 power steering upgrade



## frankrp (Jan 19, 2015)

looking to upgrade my steering box to a fast ratio on the cheap for right now until i get this 2 year project on the road. I can find used boxes all over the country for as low as $40 on CAR-PART.COM from a Camaro and change the pitman arm... as i've read would need to be done but not sure about the different suspension options of these cars and which would have the quickest steering also read i may have to change the end cap so that the turning radius is correct,also Rock Auto shows images of 3 and 4 bolt boxes...would either fit I'm removing a 3 bolt box. Any help to narrow this down to a donor car box would would be appreciated.


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

2nd Gen F body boxes don't have the correct stops in the box and you will end up with a much larger turning radius. the best constant ratio box one could get for a long time were the first WS6 boxes. I've had dozens of late 70's -81 WS6 boxes off WS6 T/A parts cars, and in the early 90's swapped pinion arms and installed several on '68 & 69 GTO's. It's not a good swap due to the turning radius issue, and is only a relatively easy deal with the 78 WS6 boxes. Starting w the '79 boxes, the style of attachment changed going into the box, then eventually went to a metric threads for '80. Once one gets to the metric fitting box, one can make a pressure hose off an '84-87 Olds 307 engine work, or buy the threaded inserts from Lee Manufacturing and use the original style pressure hose for the vehicle. Will also need an "adaptor" rag joint to mate the later style splines on steering box to your earlier intermediate shaft. GM actually used the adaptor style rag joint during '77 model to adapt earlier style intermediate shafts on '77 F body's with the "new style" input shaft. 

For the last 15 years, the cheap yard box to pull is one from a 90's Jeep Grand Cherokee. I've pulled several of these when our local pick-n-pulls have had sales and swapped them in a lazy ratio box as a core. Chrysler/Jeep used a very similar quick ratio similar valving Saginaw PS box on the GC's. The trick is finding one that's off a lower mile GC, not one that has 300k miles. The GC's have digital speedo/odometers, so have to be careful in selecting one used in the u pull it yards. Once you have this box, will need to remove the pitman arm and install your A body PS pitman arm, then get with Lee Mfg, order the inserts (under $20 shipped) and source the correct rag joint. The "adaptor style" rag joint was also used on early 80's Chevy and GMC pickups, so can source used or buy a new one. Have fun.


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## frankrp (Jan 19, 2015)

*power steering uprade*

Thanks for the info......... sounds complicated my time is too valuable to chase all those parts around, think I will just order a box on Rock Auto and eat the core for $50 NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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