Steering
- Thread starter Kmerry2
- Start date
@Kmerry2 I must respectfully disagree with Larry. 90wt gear oil will leak profusely from the sector shaft seal and won't lubricate properly.
Original lubricant was a pudding. Some people combine gear oil with grease. I have no recipe for that. Other people use the same lube that they use in the knuckles like 00 grease, corn head grease, etc.
Personally, I chose to spend the money for a dedicated lubricant from a dedicated Willys advocate.
He can be contacted at metalshaper@comcast.net
Original lubricant was a pudding. Some people combine gear oil with grease. I have no recipe for that. Other people use the same lube that they use in the knuckles like 00 grease, corn head grease, etc.
Personally, I chose to spend the money for a dedicated lubricant from a dedicated Willys advocate.
I have to respectfully disagree. A well-maintained steering box shouldn't leak, certainly not profusely, and 90wt would be fine. Personally, I choose to use 140wt gear oil.
The seal for the 1" sector shaft is SKF 9837
If the 1" shaft is grooved, it can be repaired with repair sleeve Timken KWK99101 or SKF 99814
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Watch Brian's video and hear what he has to say about hypoid gear oil in knuckles and steering boxes.
I respectfully disagree with your disagreements.
@Kmerry2 your takeaway here is that not all of us agree upon certain products and procedures.
cwdtmmrs
Well Oiled
- Jul 19, 2012
- 6,011
- First Name
- Tim
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Willys Year:
- 1952
If your steering is loose, it has nothing to do with the lubricant. Your sector shaft pins are probably shot as are the bushings. The drag link could need new parts. Your king pin could be loose that connects the drag link. Tie rod ends, upper steering column bearing, everything has to be addressed. You MUST isolate the movement staring at the steering wheel down. If everything is rebuilt and adjusted PROPERLY, the stock steering system works surprisingly well.
cwdtmmrs
Well Oiled
- Jul 19, 2012
- 6,011
- First Name
- Tim
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Willys Year:
- 1952
Well Kurt, "Well-maintained" is the key. Most folks think if they check the fluids in their (insert: year, make, model) vehicle it is well maintained. I see it in the Rolls Royce crowd as well.
Andy FitzGibbon
Precision Fit
Original lubricant was SAE 90 GL-4 gear oil. All the grease or pudding formulations are user retrofits.
Andy FitzGibbon
Precision Fit
I second this. If the steering is loose, box lubrication is at the bottom of the list of things to worry about.
cwdtmmrs
Well Oiled
- Jul 19, 2012
- 6,011
- First Name
- Tim
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Willys Year:
- 1952
Here is a rebuild video from Moses Ludel. Moses is an expert on Ross steering boxes. Rebuilding a Ross is more than new bushings and a seal.
Also a lengthy exchange on his forum:
Also a lengthy exchange on his forum:
Rebuilding the Jeep Ross TL Cam and Lever Steering Gear
I have two Jeep 4x4s, a 1942 GPW and a 1967 CJ-5. As I've worked on them over the years, I've purchased several of your books, which I consistently find to be thorough and fascinating. The Ross steering box on my V6 CJ5 is in need of rebuilding, and I'm currently in the process of collecting the ...
forums.4wdmechanix.com
John Deere corn head grease buy on line or Kaiser willys.
cwdtmmrs
Well Oiled
- Jul 19, 2012
- 6,011
- First Name
- Tim
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Willys Year:
- 1952
You will never get a consensus on lubricants. It is a mix of hearsay, myth, anecdotal evidence and science.
I personally don't think it really matters what you use in the steering box (within reason). It doesn't do anything. It doesn't spin, it doesn't reciprocate and when it turns the 1 revolution from time to time, it does so very slowly. You just need some lubricant to stay between the pins and the worm. The bushings need some but not a lot. How long does a pilot bushing in a flywheel or crank shaft last without any additional lubrication, and look what it does. I wouldn't think the upper bearings would get any/much additional lube either considering where the fill plug is. I have used red synthetic grease in mine for 250,000 miles (don't know how many people can say that) and have been and only recently rebuilt the box. I did switch to the "proper" lube after the rebuild, but cannot tell the difference except now I have some weeping from the cover gasket.
He also has a video on how to adjust tension on the steering box.
Andy FitzGibbon
Precision Fit
To the OP, just keep in mind that the entire steering system on wagons and pickups was antiquated when it was new. The primary application of the Ross box, other than Jeeps, was garden tractors, and the push-pull, spring loaded drag link is a flawed design in several ways (which was improved in the Tornado trucks). A true rebuild of the whole system makes a big difference, but it's still a rebuild of a system that had been outdated by twenty years when it was being installed. Managing expectations is important.
Kelsey,
Bring in a garage mate who can wiggle the steering wheel for you, and check each and every steering component (starting with the steering box) to see if the magnitude of input makes sense with the magnitude of the output.
If you've got to turn the wheel quite a bit before the pitman arm starts moving, then the box needs repair.
There's a fair to midland chance that your looseness is somewhere else. Mine was in the bell crank assembly (a component not found in a '57 Pickup.)
That's not to say that you shouldn't verify that the steering box has lubricant in it!
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cwdtmmrs
Well Oiled
- Jul 19, 2012
- 6,011
- First Name
- Tim
- Willys Model
- Wagon
- Willys Year:
- 1952
Joe, I am not at all familiar with a FC. Do they all have bell crank linkage? My 30 wagon does, but that only started in 62 1/2. I said to start with the steering wheel because I have seen them loose on the splines.
Tim,
The FC-170s -- and I'm pretty sure all of the FCs -- have a bell crank in the steering system.
Mine was extremely wobbly. I got a replacement that has tapered roller bearings from Roy Wallace/1st Gear Off-Road, a Forward Control specialty supplier:
https://1stgearoffroad.com
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