1973 Cj5 To Power Steering Or Not To Power Steering That Is The Question.

Yes. 1992 Cherokee 4.0 liter. My existing manual steering bell coupler was a direct fit to the Cherokee box.

 

That's a handy piece of information right there. Thanks. That is also the best donor for swinging pedals these days.

 

Yeah that is amazing info once i go thru my brake booster upgrade and power steering i will make a very detailed write up maybe make it a sticky

 

ok guys just ordered all the parts and im about to go to my local auto parts to order the steering box these are the candidates i have so far

1. 1973 CJ5 Steering box with Steering Gear Box Turns 3 - 3 1/4
2. 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport with Steering Gear Box Turns 3 1/16 - 3 3/8
3. 1973 Jeep Wagoneer with Steering Gear Box Turns 3 1/2 - 4 1/4

i need help deciding on one of those three my 73 CJ5 will be used solely for onroad use it currently has 31's on it and manual steering i want the most stable ride possible with less chance of rollover but i also want responsive steering which is one of the main reasons im upgrading from manual what differences am i looking at between boxes?

 

Well, any of the 70s era steering gears are going to be one-finger light and absent any road feel. That's just the way they are. I don't see much difference between the CJ steering gear and the Wagoneer gear. They are the same size housing and are different enough to have different Jeep PNs, but the only really different Jeep gear is the one from the J20 (or in '73 the J4700 or J4800) - the 8-lug trucks. It has a larger diameter housing and is stronger, but they can be hard to find. The '92 Cherokee gear may be the same as the S10 or Blazer or Bravada 4x4 gear. As mentioned, they are variable ratio and much more durable than the 70s era gears. Wagoneer owners pick them from the junkyard with no service or adjustment, and they are fine. The 4WD version has a slower ratio than the 2WD version. Search ifsja.org or fsjnetwork.com for more about these gears.

 

Ok awesome so the cherokee and wagoneer have variable steering?

 

Not that I know of. The XJ Cherokee, possibly. Variable rate gears did not exist in 1973, AFAIK.

 

so, I have a fairly stock setup on my CJ and it works like a charm...
why reinvent the wheel?

 

Are variable rates on most of the cars nowadays so a xj box is a safe bet even in highway driving?

 

Does anyone have a part number or what kind of belt i would need to drive the power steering pulley?

 

Hi all, sorry to resurrect the dead here but this is the most complete/recent thread that I could find. Mazinger, I'm looking to install PS as I move forward in my restoration build. Just curious if you ended up going with the XJ steering gear and how that worked out. If not, what steering box did you end up using? Overall, how did your setup turn out?

I'm a little different than your swap as I have a 304. I've already sourced the engine bracket and pulley from a '74 Matador, once I've identified the correct steering gear I'm hoping that I'm in the home stretch.

 

All Saginaw series 800 power 4-bolt HD 13/16" 36 spline input shaft gear boxes can be converted to Variable ratio by any competent rebuilder.........or you can source one through PSC or other suppliers & rebuilders.............................ratio: 16:1 in the middle and 12:1 out at the edges........which equals slow steering straight ahead / middle and faster as you turn either L/R.............Sourcing used steering gear boxes or pumps for immediate use from a junk yard is a risky business except for rebuilding or core charges.........most will leak and no telling how they will react until driven.

 

Thanks for they reply, I guess I hoped a ping on his thread would get him active again. My plan is to buy a new steering box. There appear to be tons of saginaw boxes out there that should bolt up to my bracket, the question is just whether there are any that have an input shaft that will mat with my existing steering shaft. I'm not opposed to getting a new steering shaft made, but if i can just buy the right steering box and have it bolt up, i'd prefer to go that route.

Can anyone reinforce the statement above that a manual steering bell coupler will fit a newer, XJ steering gear?

 

You could go to a wrecking yard, find an XJ and measure the shaft. Or, if you are friendly with your local old-time parts store, they could order in a gear for you with the proviso that it matches your bell coupler. If you are a good customer, they likely will do this for you without any restocking charges etc. It actually does not cost them anything to send the part back to the warehouse if it's wrong for you.

 

When I converted my 75 over to power steering 27 years ago I grabbed the pump and mount from a wagoneer ( I have a 304) and was surprised to learn there was a factory high pressure hose available. You might check and see if there is one for the 258. For the steering box just about any GM saginaw 3 bolt will bolt right up to the original mount. I got mine off an old Monte Carlo for $25 back then. I did the entire conversion for $100.

FWIW,
Mike

 

I believe that only the hoses for the AMC sixes, 1974 or older, are problematic. The pressure hose for these will require being made custom. These Jeeps have very long power steering hoses that go from the right side of the engine to the steering gear. In 1975, AMC moved the power steering on the sixes to the driver's side. Pretty sure that hoses for any subsequent year will work for these. IIRC the V8s have always had the pump on the driver's side, so no problem there either. Note that the fitting style changed from flares to o-rings some time in the 80s. O-rings need a fitting that goes in the back of the pump, but it just screws in and you can get one at the wrecking yard.

 

Not knowing anything about your build or where your build potentially is going......in things like lift , larger tires Etc..........The power steering gear and it's correct mounting position in relationship to the tie rod are critically important.........to get the Pittman arm of choice and drag link at there proper angles and positioning both fore & aft..........If you have a manual gear box in there now the input shaft length is different as well as the spline count manual vs power..........so at the very minimum the attachment point.......be it a rag joint or universal either would have to be changed and if had a collapsible double D steering shaft that may also need some mods...........but the key is getting the box in it's correct location first with the correct Pittman arm that will complement your steering.......Manual Pittman arms will not fit the power steering gear box as the sector shaft dimensions are different...........in both length and bore size..........sounds confusing but it's really not as parts can be mixed and matched to get the correct geometry for the steering to act correctly.

 

1. My plan for this rig is a 2.5 inch lift, probably 32s or 33s, and to run light trails with it and do some fun family camping. It won't see huge tires or hard abuse on rocks, just trying to make things a bit more comfortable around town an in and out of parking spaces.

2. regarding steering gear position, i'm planning to retain my stock 3 hole cast iron bracket. XJ boxes are three hole as well, sounds like any GM 3 hole should bolt right in.

3. On pitman arm selection, further suggestions would be appreciated, I know i can't use the old manual one, but any input on what works well with mating stock CJ steering to a newer saginaw power box would be appreciated.

4. I'm not worried about hoses, we have a great hydraulic stop here in town that has made things for me in the past. They are always happy to do small, custom work.

 

Here are some pitman arms for your consideration, I obtained all three of these while figuring out what I needed for my project. I ended up using the WJ with the 4" lift on my Jeepster/Commando.