Another power steering question

Ok im sure this has been discussed a thousand times ,but here goes.
im putting power steering on my 75 cj5 and i bought another jeep,(80 cj7)for parts ,but instead of using that,ipulled the manual box off and used a 76 monte carlo box,appears to be direct bolt on.i fabbed a temporary steering shaft using the saginaw joint from the monty and my existing shaft(ive got ujoints coming from speedway motors)im using the pump andthe brackets off of a 84 wagoneer,my jeep already has the motor from one.so i guess my question is is this a good setup?or would i be better off using the cj box ?any info would be greatly appreciated ,thanks

 

Should work good last a long time. The monte carlo box, depending on model, may be less turns lock to lock than the jeep.

 

:iagree: You need to make sure the box ratio is not to quick. Would make driving a real adventure.

 

from what ive read the monty box,is 3.75 turns lock to lock,not sure about the jeep box.got everything hooked up tonite but couldnt drive it .torrential downpour /lightning,im going to test it out 1st thing in the am

 

the steering wheel turns with one finger now. That is a good sign.

 

Mine steers soooooo easy I am thinking of toning it down somehow.
Does anyone know how to reduce the pump pressure.

 

You could reduce the PS pump pulley size. This would reduce the speed that the pump spins and thus reduce the pressure. I don't know if this would be "good" for the pump though. Also, I've had a heck of a time finding replacement pulleys, but one place I did find some is Tractor Supply. www.mytscstore.com, they have lots of pulleys that should work, they are meant for tractors, but I don't know why they wouldn't work.

Edit: I've also found that tearing a line of the pump with roots while is mudding is an effective means to lower the PS pressure. But I don't recomend it.

 

Josh, I've got factory power steering on the 75. It also steers very very easily. Almost twitchy. No feedback like we have gotten used to on more modern PS setups. This is the way PS used to be in the early days. I don't think you're gonna get that "modern feel", unless maybe you put some giant tires on it, which always opens an even bigger can of worms, it seems. On the street, mine buggs me, on the trail, not so much.

 

Yes, the steering from this era is very light - you can easily palm the wheel even if you are not moving. The large diameter of the bus wheel makes the feel even lighter.

If you really hate it, you can replace the steering gear with a gear from a more modern car. I know that the PS gear from a '90s 4x4 S-10 or Blazer will bolt in, and it will be a variable ratio box. The feel will be heavier, with more road feel. The ratio will get faster off center, making manuevering easy while not being twitchy down the road. The downside is that the modern boxes use o-ring seals instead of flare fittings, so you'll have to use different steering hoses. The S-10 boxes will also have only 3 mounting bolts instead of Jeep's 4 bolts, so the mounting will not be as strong.

However, there are quite a few Wagoneer owners using them, and they like them. These boxes have improved durability over the old boxes, and tend to be tight even after a lot of use. The Jeep boxes will get sloppy after 30 years, and usually need replacement or adjustment.

 

To go along with that the 4x4 s-10 box is a bit slower as well.

I have driven a willys 2a with a fast box and it was SCARRY.

 

My 75 CJ5 has factory Power steering. its is very light. I thought something was wrong with it for a while.

 

I put a 2003? S10 box on my last TJ. As Tim said, very heavy feel, about halfway between stock TJ and manual steering. I really didn't like it, but would be good I would think on an older Jeep. On my Jeepster I have a 90's 4.3 and an 80's steering box, took an end from each different hose and had a hydraulic shop put a rubber hose between the two. O-ring on one end, flare on the other.

Paul