Suggestion for steering gear box other than PSC?

L

Loopback

New Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2018
Messages
18
Location
Maine
I'm looking for a suggestion, for a steering gear box other than PSC? I have 32" tires and 2" OME lift. I see MOPAR part numbers below I, but it looks the Mopar part is either sold out or discontinued. I appreciate any help!


I.
52088993AD
RL088993AD
52088993AC
 
Loopback said:
I'm looking for a suggestion, for a steering gear box other than PSC? I have 32" tires and 2" OME lift. I see MOPAR part numbers below I, but it looks the Mopar part is either sold out or discontinued. I appreciate any help!


I.
52088993AD
RL088993AD
52088993AC
Click to expand...
Same boat many of us have been or are in. There are not any companies that reman gears of consistent quality. It is a swap lottery until you get a good box. There are a couple “performance” reman boxes out there, redhead, agr and a couple others. Have read mixed reviews on those too. I have been through 3 gears on my Tj in as many years. Last weekend I toasted my gear again. Looks like a PSC box is next. Maybe hydro assist in the future to help take some of the load off the steering gear.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Irun, DougyintheBushies, L J and 1 other person
Gollywomper said:
I agree. However what if it is worn out and sloppy?
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's part of the game. If it's good, keep it lol. I had 5 or 6 lying around the shop that I pulled from the junkyards. 3 of them were worth keeping. I just rebuilt and tapped one before I rolled my Jeep. Going to rebuild another and do a video on it soon.

I felt bad for @tworley because my orginal box was leaking, so I borrowed back one I gave him...then rolled. Not sure what condition that box is in yet. I'll build him another instead.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gollywomper
My friend has not had any problems with his Red Head. I would’ve got one but the last time my stocker broke(BAD) the price difference was only $1 in favor of the PSC ( sale price)so I went with that
 
  • Like
Reactions: Allstar424 and JMT
If you don’t need anything more than stock I have had good luck with Detroit Axle reman boxes. I’ve had two now. Two different Jeeps. No problems in 6 years…
 
No complaints with my redhead unit… I’ve heard good things with lares as well. If it’s just leaking/not sloppy then just replace the seals. I don’t suggest trying to fully rebuild it because you will more than likely lose one of the bearing balls and be boned. Though redhead will still give you 100% core charge refund still (because they replace them with new anyway) just ship it still disassembled to them.
 
Mumblewood said:
My friend has not had any problems with his Red Head. I would’ve got one but the last time my stocker broke(BAD) the price difference was only $1 in favor of the PSC ( sale price)so I went with that
Click to expand...
We tried them to find anything that worked to avoid new PSC. About 60-70% of them are bad. PSC started doing remans again. We tried them, about the same attrition rate. We won't use anything but new now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gollywomper and Noreaster1967
mrblaine said:
I confused you somehow. PSC does new and reman boxes, we use the crap out of the new ones and avoid the reman versions.
Click to expand...
I know you have touched on this before. Is the trouble with reman boxes worn out cores? And a hodgepodge of manufacturing tolerances and parts thrown together during a rebuild that can’t replicate a new tight gear?
 
Gollywomper said:
I know you have touched on this before. Is the trouble with reman boxes worn out cores? And a hodgepodge of manufacturing tolerances and parts thrown together during a rebuild that can’t replicate a new tight gear?
Click to expand...
More to do with how a steering gear is used. In the pic below, the red line shows where the piston spends most of its time since that is where the tires are straight ahead. So, that section of the piston bore is what wears. The sector shaft lash is set by moving it up and down to engage the gear on the main piston. What happens is the box is loose on center if the lash is set for when the piston moves off-center in the bore, or the lash is correct for the centered piston and then gets too tight when it moves off-center and then you lose return to center. Fairly hard to stop the wear since the sector shaft is pushing the piston sideways every time you turn.

1653570601108.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: freedom_in_4low, psrivats, Jerry Bransford and 1 other person
The problem I have with the new lares box is it’s getting close to $550-600. The PSC is really not much more if you can catch it on sale.
A ported redhead gear will cost around $500 by the time you ship your core back.

Perception is another issue. Not everyone expects or demands the same performance in their steering.
Hell my wife drove the Jeep the other day. It has a few inches of free play in the gear. I asked her how it drove? She said fine. Lol
 
Gollywomper said:
The problem I have with the new lares box is it’s getting close to $550-600. The PSC is really not much more if you can catch it on sale.
A ported redhead gear will cost around $500 by the time you ship your core back.

Perception is another issue. Not everyone expects or demands the same performance in their steering.
Hell my wife drive the Jeep the other day. It has a few inches of free play in the gear. I asked her how it drove? She said fine. Lol
Click to expand...
If that is all in the gear, you can adjust it out temporarily knowing it is a band-aid but it will be more pleasant to drive. Plus it gives you some education as to how that all works.
 
mrblaine said:
If that is all in the gear, you can adjust it out temporarily knowing it is a band-aid but it will be more pleasant to drive. Plus it gives you some education as to how that all works.
Click to expand...
It is and I did when I put that gear in. That’s part of why it is now in the condition it’s in. Lol.
 
Top Bottom
Back