[crewcab rabbit]

So you can't hit your steering stops with you current Pittman are after your sas. So what are your options different pitman arm , longest you can get is 7" , so then your looking at a custom arm. But there's another option and it won't cost you any thing but a little time/ and some power steering fluid maby a gasket set if your box is leaking.
Step 1 remove you power steering box from your truck
Step 2 remove the snap ring from the end cap, there is a hole at the end where the cap is drive a punch in the hole then work the snap ring out with a flat screw driver.
Step 3 turn the input shaft tell it forces the cap out. Stop
Step 4 make sure you have your box a catch pan becuse there's 24 ball bearing you don't want to lose.
Step 5 remove the 4 9/16 bolts from the top cap center the steering box and tap the steering shaft out from the bottom of the box.
Step 6 now you can turn the input and remove the piston.
Step 7 mark the housing, lock nut and input, loosen the lock nut and then tap the input out with and punch using the 2 holes in the threaded input ( make sure you mark every thing well it need to go back exactly where it was factory)
Step 8 now you should have a empty hosing. ( good time to drill and tap your box for hydro assist ) but if you look inside your box you will find a spacer
Remove it and measure it. Mine was .110 .. now the end cap on the box take it and remove .110 from it.

 

[crewcab rabbit]

Now with the spacer removed and the end cap missing .110 you will have more travel out of your steering piston = tighter turning , now re install in revers order , the ball bearing can be a little bit of a pita to get back together and there 2 different sizes 12 of one size and 12 of a smaller size. Only .001-.002 diffrences and they go in alternating in order I will get more pics and explain more on that later

 

[TokoDragon]

Sweet

 

[Doofuss]

Thank you Rabbit that's some good tech. I bet it will help a lot of people.

 

[_stucky]

Very nice!

Anyone needing more detail inside the box, click this:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/570869-saginaw-box-rebuild-how.html

 

[bravadabr]

Cool mod. I added some toe and it gave me a better turning radius but still lacking. I'm now back to rubbing the sway bar. If I ever get around to fixing that I'll definitely give this kid a try.

 

[_stucky]

Found another good article about rebuilding the box, hopefully this link works:

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/transmission-drivetrain/129-0801-saginaw-steering-box-rebuild/

Also, billavista tech article on drilling and tapping the box:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/HydroAssistTap/index.html

Edit: I believe this is the correct napa part number for a rebuild kit: NPS 7181

 

[crewcab rabbit]

Maby we should change the thread title to steering box mods/ rebuild info /links or somthing like that

 

[_stucky]

I found some YouTube videos. This guys method of putting the balls in works much better than the guy from the pirate link.

http://youtu.be/UJ-89YhvAXU

http://youtu.be/WX119EtadWM

http://youtu.be/iqqqdQMljm0

http://youtu.be/l3GAggBjHJU

http://youtu.be/0F2eHlRnZfk

Couple things I've learned here....

If it pops when you get it back together, you probably messed up the balls and they are in the bottom of the power piston.

If it has a hard spot, the pitman shaft is probably binding on the piston and needs adjusted.

Get a magnet! For the balls.

Also, I found a more complete rebuild kit as well, it had all the bearings but I didn't write down the part number. I'll get it in the near future.

Me and my extra Astro box have been fist fighting since rabbit posted this. I took that box on and off the frame, took apart and reassembled at least 4 times yesterday dealing with the balls. Well, I finally got it, it works wonderfully, I can jam the tires into the leaf springs now! But..... It looks like I boogered up the oring on the cap so it's going to have to off yet again. Sad face

 

[crewcab rabbit]

Iam glad I could help at least 1 person out getting more turning out of there steering box

 

[_stucky]

Here is the most complete rebuild kit I have been able to find. It does have the bearings for the pitman shaft and one of them for the input shaft. It does not have the ones with needle bearings, I suppose just clean and re use. Anywho, this kit came from car quest, was 39.95 tax included, and had them look it up for an 89 and 94 2wd Astro box and they came up with the same part number.

Car quest part # 8522



Here are the results I got:





Thanks again rabbit! This was one of the things that I was really bummed about after getting my truck drivable. No more 3 point turns in the mall parking lot for this guy.

 

[crewcab rabbit]

Big diffrences when there side by side like that

 

[TokoDragon]

wow I didn't think it would give it that much extra swing, that would get the tires into the leafs for sure- No need to build a custom pitman arm.

 

[_stucky]

Guy on pirate started a thread on steering boxes. I added this info. Some good info is starting to show up. Here's the link:

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/gene...ring-box-tech-thread-size-power-strength.html

 

[rbranham607]

Glad you posted that, I've never seen this thread but I'm running into sucky turning radius on mine right now that we were trying to figure out! I'll probably do this after the shake down ride if I don't have time before.

 

[sasanoma]

So I went to do this to my astro box and my box doesn't have the spacer in it? :dunno:

 

[mixedupZr2]

This pretty much applies to all the Saginaw boxes of this style? s10 astro monte Carlos Camaro jeep etc?

 

[Sonomanclature]

New sticky

 

[slyckery]

Thanks a ton for this write up. I've been searching for a solution to my poor turn radius after my SAS.

 

[Gozuki]

Remove the spacer thickness from the cap step that fits in the bore?