Steering Box rebuild

mjbrox

Well-known member
Jun 30, 2008
1,812
48
Golden CO
My steering box just started leaking and there is a bunch of play in my steering.

Can I rebuild the steering box, or is best to just buy a used one from Paul Grant?
 

Vegas99D1

Well-known member
May 5, 2009
187
9
Plano, TX
I just had mine replaced...was leaking fluid all over the place. I ordered mine from Will Tillery...he sold me a new steering box..not used or rebuilt and at a good price. It was actually only about $50 diff between the new from Will and a rebuilt from Meridian (which is the one that ended up leaking after 1.5yrs).
 

Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,754
562
Seattle
d1driver said:
Don't waste your money on a used one.

+1. When I owned my RRC (same steering box as D1, I believe) I had to replace my steering box. At the time I was suffering from CHOP, a well documented condition affecting Rover owners known as CHeapskate Objectivity Paralysis, and I decided to go with a rebuilt box to save a couple hundred dollars.

The rebuilt replacement was no better than the leaky original. By the time I finally sorted the whole situation out it would have been less expensive to simply have bought a new replacement instead of dicking around with a rebuilt one.

There are some parts where replacement with used makes sense. Unfortunately this is not one of them.
 

p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,617
838
58
La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
One of my steering boxes started to leak from sector shaft - don't know if it's a reason to replace it, or I can simply swap the seal; how ugly of a job is it?
 

The Fourth Amigo

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2009
641
2
I bought an output shaft seal kit for mine. I haven't taken it apart yet because the leakage is "under control". However, I can't find a part number for the o-ring to seal the top cover with the bleeder in it.
 
d1driver said:
Don't waste your money on a used one.

LOL-I bought a used steering box from Mike Slade back in '01.

Still going strong! It's at least worth a try.

Note-if you've swapped to a GM pump, don't let your vendor know as Meridian may use it as grounds to refuse warranty service. This is much of the reason I do not make this mod any longer.
 

pdxrovermech

Well-known member
Jul 3, 2009
1,807
57
Portland, OR
The Fourth Amigo said:
I bought an output shaft seal kit for mine. I haven't taken it apart yet because the leakage is "under control". However, I can't find a part number for the o-ring to seal the top cover with the bleeder in it.

just take it to a seal place and replace it with an O-ring and a backing seal. many of the rebuilt ones that hit the market would leak from there in a matter of weeks. i make it a point to replace that seal even before i put them in now.
 

p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,617
838
58
La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
Funny you should mention that. The box that's leaking is a Meridian rebuild, with a GM pump - but it only started leaking after some beating it took in Colorado, after about five years.

On the other hand... Meridian's four miles away...
 

RoyLuke

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2007
261
11
There was a page on the internet that had the procedures for the rebuild but I can't find it.
Does anybody know where there are instructions?
 

mjbrox

Well-known member
Jun 30, 2008
1,812
48
Golden CO
so, big old bump.

I got a used one and all was well......

Since then I have driving maybe 2500 miles.

Its not leaking but I have a bunch of play in again. I guess I could rebuild the one laying in my shed from a few years back...
 

p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,617
838
58
La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
Splines come loose, only the bolt holding it on. Or U-joint wear.
Happened to my 95 SWB. PO had loose pitman arm nut for so long that it wore out the splines in the pitman arm. I had to tighten the snot out of it, and double-nut it because the sideways motion of the pitman arm would make a single nut loose quickly.

Speaking of the play in the steering box - remember to only adjust it when the wheels are dead straight. Better yet, there's a slot in the pitman arm and a threaded hole in the steering box that have to be lined up before the play is adjusted.
 

fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,927
201
Lake Villa, IL
Happened to my 95 SWB. PO had loose pitman arm nut for so long that it wore out the splines in the pitman arm. I had to tighten the snot out of it, and double-nut it because the sideways motion of the pitman arm would make a single nut loose quickly.

Speaking of the play in the steering box - remember to only adjust it when the wheels are dead straight. Better yet, there's a slot in the pitman arm and a threaded hole in the steering box that have to be lined up before the play is adjusted.

I had to do the EXACT same thing. I swapped boxes and pitman arm and could not get that nut tight. I ended up getting a 6pt socket specifically for it and reefing on it with a breaker and cheater bar, then double nutting it.
 

robertf

Well-known member
Jan 22, 2006
4,781
356
-
I just replaced my steering box for the 2nd time this weekend. I put the arm in an oven for a few hours while swapping the box on the frame. Seemed to go on much easier this time.