LUVTruck.com

Any body know where to get a rebuild kit for a stock 79 manual steering box?I've looked everywhere for a box and can't find one.Will anything else fit?It's a 4wd

This is a problem. I have a steering box thats bleeding to death and i cant find replacement parts either. The only hope that i can see for me is to find a used box and tear it down and take the parts to a bearing supply store that deals with NSK bearings. My 75 2WD truck has an NSK steering box (it's stamped on the side of the housing) and they dont list anything before 1980 but the bearing supply guys said that it's still possible to get each part individually. In my case, i just want new bearings and seals. I dont want to remove the steering box from my truck and find out it's a lost cause and disable the truck. It still functions correctly, it just bleeds fluid all over the place. There's also a company called Meridian that sells rebuilt steering boxes but they want alot of money for them and im not certian that they actually sell a genuine Luv steering box.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

I went to the Meridian website and they no longer list a box for the Luv. It's possible that they never did and they assumed that the standard chevy P.U. steering box was the correct one. I dont know for sure.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

I was looking around on the internet and found the web page of Scott Eckrich. He has a very slick 33 Willy's for the strip. One of the modifications he made was installing a Chevy Luv steering box (rebuilt). I e-mailed him and asked about it. He told me that he also couldn't find a kit so he sent it to:
Power Brake X-change
336 Lamont Place
Pittsburgh Pa, 15232
412-441-5729
He didn't state a price for the rebuild. It's not known how muck work was put into it but it's an option to check it out

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

Has anybody tried converting a box off of an s-10 or toyota or something similar?I'm thinking of trying that since I can't find one.

Your best shot is to look at Isuzu trucks and SUV's. It could be a direct swap if you find the right one.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

Ya might find what your looking for in here. http://www.chevypartstore.com/Chevy_Luv_Pickup_19.html Good luck!

well if anybody needs a steering box for parts refrence i have a spare that i can sell

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

Any ideas on what years would interchange from Isuzu?2 or 4wd different?

Im not sure myself. The reason for suggesting Isuzu is because many other components seem to fit Luv trucks. There's evidence of the trooper 5 speed trannys that will fit and motor replacements. A steering box swap doesn't sound too out of line. If need be, there's also a power steering swap that's doable, so if you must you can go with power steering on your truck. That is if the 4WD setup is compatable.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

Thanks for all the info guys.I'll let you know what I come up with.

For leaky boxes go to the lawn mower shop and get some "snapper 00 grease".It comes in a bottle but it has a thick consistency between bearing grease and gear dope. Its for differentials but it should slow down the leaks.Tim.
bugman65@bellsouth.net[/url]

Thanks for the tip but mine's not leaking it's worn slap out.Like almost a half turn in the steering wheel before the front tires move.Really exciting to drive.

My 79 4x4 was sloppy like that when I got it. My brother borrowed for a day when his truck was down. He never borrowed it again. He said driving it was like "pushing a cow on a rope". Most of the slop in mine was the idler arm bushing though. The steering box was (still is) only a minor part of it. Greasing the idler arm on these trucks is a challenge so they often get neglected. From my experience it seems to be a common problem. I've rebushed the ilder arm on all four of the LUVs I've had as drivers.

If you have not already, get under the truck with a friend in the cab turning the wheel back and forth while you look. Make sure your problem is all in the box and not elsewhere. If you get your helper to turn the wheel slowly back and forth just far enough to move the tires a nudge, then you can feel each joint as it moves and see how bad each one is. The ilder arm should just pivot with the shaft, but when it is worn out the shaft will wiggle back and forth before the arm moves much.

You can also take a crack at adjusting the lash on the box itself. I've never done it myself, as I usually found more to fix elsewhere (like idler arms) but it looks pretty straighforward. Loosen the nut on the box, turn the screw. The Haynes shop manual describes the process pretty well and is well worth the $12-15 if you don't have a shop manual already.

As far as swaps go, you might find that an Isuzu PUP or early (84-85) trooper manual box will work, though I don't know how many of them came without a power steering setup. The 83 PUP I used to have was, but it was 2WD, and probably different (at least the arm) from the 4WD setup.

I've already had it up on the rack and checked and greased every piece under there.Everything is tight except the box.The guy that had it before me replaced everything under there except the box cause he couldn't find one either, so I'm now hunting for something to interchange.

I have a steering bow from a 78 in the bed of my truck right now..... but unfortunatley unless you want to wait until I get back from this friggin hellhole desert called Kuwait You can have it if you need it? I'm not sure if it will help you or not it was from a 78 2wd. The guy I got it from was for my disc brake swap he just took a sawzall to the frame and lopped the whole front end off and gave it to me! But anyway if your still in need of it let me know It aint going nowhere anytime soon
Later
Husker

well as far as interchanging the things that wont from 2wd to 4wd are the sway bars and strut bars. Thats from my experience, and comparing my 78 to my 80.

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...