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CJ2A steering

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TerryB View Drop Down
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    Posted: 06 July 2022 at 7:40pm
I rebuilt my steering box many years ago, but have not driven it that much and only on streets.  I had a problem keeping all the ball bearings in place when I rebuilt it and it might be missing one . I also bought the Walcks spring loaded adjustment fitting. Recently, it has developed a lot of slack (1/4 steering wheel). I'm wondering if I should try to remove some shims to adjust or go ahead and purchase a rebuilt steering box.  Suggestions would be appreciated.

Terry Burnett
Little Rock, AR
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Oldpappy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Oldpappy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 July 2022 at 8:19pm
With that much slack I suspect it is more than just the Ross box. There are lots of wear points in that steering system besides the Ross steering box. Need to check all of it. Check the king pins by jacking up the front wheels and rocking the wheel to feel for slack. These are very often a main source of sloppy steering. 

If the box is worn out it will likely take more than removing some shims to tighten it up. A lot of the reproduction sector shafts sold in the last few years don't have hardened followers and they wear out pretty quick. I try to find NOS, but they are getting very hard to find.

As to buying a rebuilt steering box the ones I have seen are pretty pricey. Rebuilding one is fairly simple and cheap. The only difficult part is replacing the sector shaft bushing and honing them to fit the shaft. 


Edited by Oldpappy - 06 July 2022 at 8:20pm
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jeepsterjim View Drop Down
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be different, install a Hudson steering box.
Jim
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rocnroll Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 July 2022 at 11:07pm
You got a good stock of those laying around out there Jim?..... I'd probably go for that if I had one, have always been intrigued with how one would feel. Wink

That said, its hard to beat the on road 'feel' of a manual Saginaw in my opinion.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jeepsterjim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 July 2022 at 12:02am
Originally posted by rocnroll rocnroll wrote:

You got a good stock of those laying around out there Jim?..... I'd probably go for that if I had one, have always been intrigued with how one would feel. Wink

That said, its hard to beat the on road 'feel' of a manual Saginaw in my opinion.



Dad put one in years ago and swore it was like P.S. compared to the stock Ross steering. I remember driving it but I could not really give a fair report on the swap. If one "wanted" to upgrade without a different box sticking out in plain sight, maybe the Hudson box might be fun to attempt. With that said, YES, the Saginaw box is the way to go hands down. It's my next move on my 2A build.
Jim
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TerryB View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TerryB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 July 2022 at 4:15pm
OK - Hudson or Saginaw?  Which is easiest to convert? I have only deal with the ross box.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote cpt logger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 July 2022 at 5:51pm
Saginaw is much easier to find.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote jeepsterjim Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 July 2022 at 6:18pm
 Sag is easier to find these days but the hudson looks similar to the ross box.
Jim
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Bruce W View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bruce W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 July 2022 at 7:08pm
  I believe the Hudson steering gear IS a Ross box. That’s why it’s such an easy conversion. 
BW 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldpappy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 July 2022 at 7:34pm
Yes, the Hudson steering box was a Ross, but a bit bigger than used on Jeeps and has better leverage, but one of those would be hard to find. The last time I saw a Hudson in a junk yard was at Leon Richie's junk yard and that all got hauled for scrap 40 years ago when they built a freeway through there. 

Was a shame, he had all kinds of old cars in there from the 30s to early 60s. When we were youngsters we would talk him out of an old car every now and then to build a hot rod.  
If you can't get there in a Jeep you don't need to be there!
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