Steering: Ross steering boxes, Dismantle the same?

[bensherb]

Does anyone out there have any experiance removing the steering column shaft from a Ross SL-54 steering box while the box is installed in the car?

Does it pull out like the shaft of a Ross TL-12 box? I just pulled and re-installed the shaft of the TL-12 I have loose and it's a piece of cake.

I need to remove the shaft from the SL-54 in my Hawk but I don't want to dissmantle half the car to remove the entire steering box, any tips will help. Thanks

[bensherb]

SERIOUSLY? Nobody has ever tried to remove and replace the steering shaft while the box is still mounted in the car?

[tsenecal]

Sorry that you havn't had any replies. I couldn't figure it out, so ended up pulling the steering box up through the floor board. I guess that is why the hole is that size, with rubber cover. I know that's not the answer you're looking for, and hopefully somebody else has figured it out, and will chime in today. Good luck with it!

[64V-K7]

You didn't mention what car it's in. Only experience I have R&Ring a Ross box was in a 57 K and you had to replace it by (as tsenecal says) by pulling it through the firewall inside the car. Removing the entire assembly would be easier than just the shaft/worm gear.

[doofus]

Bensherb, think about it, if you manage to get the worm shaft out past the cross shaft how will you clean and inspect the box insides? just to pull the shaft you need to dismantle that steering column and maybe the box side cover and cross shaft. your biggest headache will probably be the pitman arm removal.and watch that headliner! also on some hard to find parts find a fork lift shop, they used ross boxes also. seems the way to go in this case is take a little more time. Luck Doofus

[Mrs K Corbin]

I've done it both ways.... easier to just pull the whole assy and rebuild. Also, there's a method for turning the "Snake Teeth" 90 degrees that helps when rebuilding.

[bensherb]

You didn't mention what car it's in. Only experience I have R&Ring a Ross box was in a 57 K and you had to replace it by (as tsenecal says) by pulling it through the firewall inside the car. Removing the entire assembly would be easier than just the shaft/worm gear.

If I remember correctly, Studebaker only used the Ross SL-54 box on '59-'64 Hawks (probably '63-'64 avanti too). It's roughly 1" larger in all outside dimentions than the Ross boxes they used earlier.

Sorry that you havn't had any replies. I couldn't figure it out, so ended up pulling the steering box up through the floor board. I guess that is why the hole is that size, with rubber cover. I know that's not the answer you're looking for, and hopefully somebody else has figured it out, and will chime in today. Good luck with it!

Even to pull it up through the hole in the firewall, I'd have to remove the exhaust manifold and hopefully the pitman arm (requiring a special puller, my standard one won't fit between sector shaft and oil pan) or pull the power steering valve with it. Thats a lot of stuff to drag through the car, trying not to hack up paint and interior.

[RadioRoy]

Can you jack the car high enough to pull the box out the bottom?

[mbstude]

The box has to be disassembled (side cover and sector shaft removed, etc) before the worm gear post will come out. It would be a whole lot easier to remove the whole assembly and do the repair on the workbench. Like others have said, that's why there's a giant hole in the firewall.

[bensherb]

Can you jack the car high enough to pull the box out the bottom?

I have three lifts so high enough is not a problem, but I'd still need to remove the exhaust and a bunch of other stuff, and I still don't think it would fit between the frame and oil pan. I guess I should have messed with it when I had the engine out last summer.

If I go to all the trouble to pull the entire box out, I will not put it back in. I plan to install a rack-n-pinion but wanted to wait a while on that.

[leaurent]

I removed last summer the steering column through the engine compartment, and with the pitman arm on (commander starliner 54).
To reassemble, same procedure by the engine compartment.

[bensherb]

I removed last summer the steering column through the engine compartment, and with the pitman arm on (commander starliner 54).
To reassemble, same procedure by the engine compartment.
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Thank you; yours is the smaller Ross box, the SL-54 is a fair bit larger. They function in similer fashion and I know the shaft and worm can be removed and reinstalled from the small box while mounted in the car. The larger box is a little different internally, the worm follower (tooth?) is configured a bit differently which is why I asked if anyone had tried it since I haven't had one of the large boxes apart.