My old steering box had a lot of play in it, so I decided to buy a 1969 Chevelle box from NAPA. It's supposed to have a 12.7:1 ratio and 2.5 to 3.0 turns lock-to-lock. When I removed my old box I noticed both boxes have the same casting number (5691616) but the old box has a 10 cast below this number and the new box has an 11 cast below this number. I have a couple of questions: 1) The new box moves smoothly from lock-to-lock, except when it passed through the midpoint of the range where it becomes some what more difficult to rotate. This was done on the bench with no fluid in the box (to my knowledge). Is this normal? 2) The old box is approximately 3.5 turns lock-to-lock while the new box is approximately 2.75 turns. However, the output shaft of the old box rotates approximately 1.25 times more than the new box. In other words, the old box has about 25% more travel than the new box. Coincidentally, 3.5/2.75 is approximately 1.25. Do the boxes have the same ratio, but whomever remanufactured the box achieved the 2.75 turns lock-to-lock by changing the internal stops of the box? If so, is this something I should be concerned about? The car won't be road raced. Mostly street driven with the occasional 1/4 mile pass. Thanks, Jim
I noticed when I put my napa steering box in I lost some turning radius. Definitely a closer ratio, also takes a bit more effort than the stock loosey goosey Skylark box. Going out on a limb, here, but without fluid and circulation, I think it's gonna be hard to tell if what you feel on the bench is what it will feel like once installed.
You'll notice a distinct reduction in turning radius if there is a problem. That shouldn't be the case as a 69 Chevelle is an A body. I have a box from Year One in my car for probably 15 + years. Advertised as a fast ratio box, it is about 2.75 turns lock to lock, but my turning radius is as stock. It's the kind of thing you'll notice when making a U turn.
