Steering rack and pinion

[SeasToSwamps]

I’ve looked everywhere, anyone know where I can get a direct fit new/remanufactured steering rack and pinion for a 90 Comanche 2wd  

[Dzimm]

Rock Auto has them.  It's not a rack and pinion, it's a pump up top that feeds the steering gear which is bolted to the frame (I'm assuming you are looking for this part).  The pitman arm bolts to this and attaches to the tie rods.

[SeasToSwamps]

Thanks, restoring from the ground up and steering is loosey goosey thanks again man.

[Eagle]

6 hours ago, SeasToSwamps said:

I’ve looked everywhere, anyone know where I can get a direct fit new/remanufactured steering rack and pinion for a 90 Comanche 2wd  

 

The Comanche doesn't use rack and pinion steering, it uses recirculating ball steering. So you won't find a new or remanufactured rack and pinion for a Comanche. Are you looking for a kit to replace the factory steering with rack and pinion, or do you have a steering problem you're trying to fix? If the issue is just the "loosey goosey" aspect -- have you confirmed that the looseness is in the steering box rather than the tie rod ends, drag link, ball joints, and/or pitman arm?

[Pete M]

9 hours ago, SeasToSwamps said:

Thanks, restoring from the ground up and steering is loosey goosey thanks again man.

 

make sure that the box is indeed bad before you replace it.  the tie-rods are far more likely to give out than the box.  plus this could be slop in the track bar or even a crack in the frame between the track bar bracket and the steering box.

[Eagle]

The Jeep steering box is a GM Saginaw unit. There are also two adjustments to take slop out of those boxes, but be sure to read up on the process and to it carefully, because if you do it wrong it can trash the box.

 

[omega_rugal]

2 hours ago, Eagle said:

if you do it wrong it can trash the box.

 

if you get too happy with the hex wrench  

[Eagle]

Just now, omega_rugal said:

 

if you get too happy with the hex wrench  

 

Or if you don't have the box centered when you adjust the over-center lash.

[Minuit]

DO NOT blindly adjust the steering box with it in the vehicle. It must be adjusted to the FSM's specifications. You need a beam style inch-pound torque wrench to do this correctly. Any other method is unacceptable. The adjustments are very, very sensitive and the difference between "too loose" and "binding up the box" is small.

 

If the box has a lot of miles on it, adjusting it to the tightest safe limit (if I remember correctly, that's 18 inch lb of drag over center) might still not get it perfect. I bought an unknown mileage ZJ steering box for my 91 for its faster steering ratio, adjusted it per the FSM, and the original box in my 89 is honestly a little tighter after following the same adjustment procedure - another clue in my mind that that truck doesn't have as many miles on it as I thought.

 

I've heard bad things about the parts store reman boxes, and I've recently heard some REALLY BAD things about a fellow Jeeper's experience with AGR, a "boutique" steering box shop. You may just want to try adjusting yours per the FSM procedure and see if that gets you what you want. Keep in mind that you are never going to have the responsiveness and feedback of a modern car with rack-and-pinion steering. The technology in your steering box dates back to the 60s and will show its age if you're used to modern cars with their extremely tight steering. There will be a small amount of play in the steering no matter what you do. That, and thanks to the complicated steering linkage on one of these, a small amount of play in a tie rod end can cause a lot of play in the wheel.

[Eagle]

Some of the guys I used to wheel with had bad experiences with AGR, too. There's another source, that's supposed to be pretty good, if I can remember the name.

 

[Don't hold your breath -- I'm a senior citizen, after all.]

 

Got it: https://www.borgeson.com/xcart/home.php

 

They also make steering input shafts, if you need one of those.

 

[derf]

I don't know if I've ever heard anything good about AGR over the last 20 years.  Some of their stuff will work fine for a while.  They're not all bad.  But I've never heard a single person rave about them ever.

 

My go-to on steering is PSC.  They have a pretty good reputation.  They're not cheap but their stuff works and they have good customer service.  Their stuff is overkill for a stock Jeep and I wouldn't spend the money on their upgrade parts to restore a Jeep back to mostly stock specs.  Though I will be using their stuff in my build as soon as I can get it started.

 

For stock replacement, I've had good luck with ACDelco parts.

[Eagle]

Years ago I used to hear good things about a company called (IIRC) West Texas Offroad for steering gear. Haven't heard anything of or about them for quite awhile, though. Their web site is active, but it seems to suggest that they specialize in hydraulic assisted steering -- which is massive overkill for 97% of our MJs. But you could call and ask about a plain vanilla steering box.

 

https://www.westtexasoffroad.com/

 

When I needed a box for the 2001 XJ, I went to a salvage yard and bought a low-mileage ZJ box. That was cheaper than a rebuilt, and probably better.

 

[ghetdjc320]

AGR is under new ownership and it seems they are really trying to turn things around over there. Heard nothing but good since the new owners took over. That being said, I run PSC and have for years. They’ve never let me down even when running hydroboost brakes and hydro assist off of the same pump. Their steering boxes have been awesome and never developed any slack. West Texas off-road will build a box for you if you ask them to. Redhead steering gears are also great from other reviews. There are a few companies making racing versions of these boxes and they make some Jeepspeed versions as well but are very expensive (1200+ as of a few years ago). Although I’d love to make a jeepspeed ready MJ but that’s another story

[AZJeff]

I learned my lesson when I went through multiple reman’d steering boxes from AutoZone for my old F150.  They tended to be short lived.  I got lots of practice changing boxes in that truck.

 

When my MJ needed a box (the PO had adjusted the box in a manner that trashed the box), I bought a reman’d unit from AC Delco via Rock Auto.  I figured that Delco ought to know how to reman a Saginaw box, since they are/were both divisions of General Motors.

 

Thus far, I have been happy with it.

[BeatCJ]

On 4/18/2020 at 9:14 PM, SeasToSwamps said:

Thanks, restoring from the ground up and steering is loosey goosey thanks again man.

Before I advised to change anything, I would ask what "LooseyGoosey" means. To me, Comanche Power Steering is really light, too light for my taste, but I have thought that on every power steering Jeep I have driven, FullSize, CJs and Cherokees. Is it just that, or too much free play? Or wandering, or hunting?

[Eagle]

5 hours ago, BeatCJ said:

Before I advised to change anything, I would ask what "LooseyGoosey" means. To me, Comanche Power Steering is really light, too light for my taste, but I have thought that on every power steering Jeep I have driven, FullSize, CJs and Cherokees. Is it just that, or too much free play? Or wandering, or hunting?

 

AMC was notorious for engineering in too much boost in their power steering systems. The late-model (97+) XJs have less boost and much better road feel.

[cruiser54]

As mentioned, VERIFY!!

Most rebuilt boxes are absolute junk.

ZJ boxes from the JY, if in good shape, are the way to go. 

[BeatCJ]

6 hours ago, Eagle said:

 

AMC was notorious for engineering in too much boost in their power steering systems. The late-model (97+) XJs have less boost and much better road feel.

Is that in the steering box, or the pump? I wonder if an underdrive (larger diameter) pulley would help? Of course, then you need a longer serpentine belt, too.

[Eagle]

1 hour ago, BeatCJ said:

Is that in the steering box, or the pump? I wonder if an underdrive (larger diameter) pulley would help? Of course, then you need a longer serpentine belt, too.

 

It's in the box. If you ever looked at the custom steering box part of AGR's web site, they offer (or used to) an option to select which spool valve you want, to give you more assist and less road feel, or less assist and more road feel. I think they had three or four different valvings to choose from.

[cruiser54]

ZJ box has a better feel and fewer turns lock to lock.

[Minuit]

To be more specific, the ZJ box makes the steering a lot firmer and will make the truck more responsive thanks to the faster ratio.

[Minuit]

For what it's worth, there are oodles of boutique steering box rebuilders out there that will promise the world and may or may not deliver on those promises. You hear about all of the parts these guys will replace, but as far as I know nobody replaces the thing that really wears out with age - the gearset.

 

If I was going to spend $500 on a steering box, I'd go to Borgeson - they own the original Saginaw tooling and as far as I know are the only ones that can produce new Saginaw steering boxes. They come with the ZJ's 12.7:1 steering ratio already and presumably the valving to give a nice tight feel. I've heard good things, and that might be one of my projects in the future, honestly.

[AZJeff]

23 hours ago, Minuit said:

They come with the ZJ's 12.7:1 steering ratio already and presumably the valving to give a nice tight feel. I've heard good things, and that might be one of my projects in the future, honestly.

 

23 hours ago, Minuit said:

 

Now that I have heard the ZJ is superior to the original MJ/XJ box, this interests me too.   I would be interested to hear more of the sucess of those who dropped in a ZJ box in their machine.

[Minuit]

I have a ZJ box in my 91. The 12.7 steering ratio and lower assist valving are big winners and are a 100% improvement for street use. No more 1-finger steering. I hate the overboosted AMC power steering so much, so that was a major upgrade. Maneuverability is also helped in a noticeable way thanks to the faster gear ratio.

 

I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out - I bought a junkyard box with unknown miles on it and adjusted it to the top end of the factory spec. It's still got just enough looseness over center to bother me. The box probably has well over 200k miles on it like almost every junkyard Jeep around here, and the sector shaft seal leaks. I see absolutely no point in buying a rebuilt one or having it rebuilt - no rebuilder I know of replaces the actual important part, the gearset. So since I hate money I've been thinking harder and harder about buying one of those new production Borgeson boxes. They're the same box as every GM muscle car uses (and Borgeson essentially makes them to the Jeep spec, with metric line fittings and 3/4" input shaft) so there's a big customer base, and I've heard almost nothing but good things about them. They're the one source of Saginaw boxes that I actually believe when they claim to provide a "modern rack-and-pinion" style of steering feel.

[dasbulliwagen]

I have a Junkyard ZJ box in mine. it was a big improvement like everyone has said.