[tanshi]

Im looking into the ins and outs of different steering boxes.
I will be running 35-37s and from what i have found the main options are,

Jimny: Easy to fit but expensive and under powered
Vitara: not quite so easy to fit but still Underpowered
IFS Toyota: big and need to get a right hand drive one if i want to use it in stock position inside the chassis
Cressida/celica: A good middle ground but can be hard to find, havent found much about hydro assist if i go down that path in the future.

Any one else seen a good option around the place?

[31zook]

I have a cressida box, and a celica pump, with 36's at 4psi, it will go lock to lock on concrete without reving the motor. I believe that cressida box's share parts with 60series cruiser, and is the same size as a stock sierra steering box. I drove a vit once, the power steering was terrible.

[tanshi]

Yeah i have had Vit power steer before and it wasnt much chop.

Wouldnt happen to have any pics of the cressida? what was needed to fit it?

[tanshi]

my bad, linky http://www.auszookers.com/index.php?nam ... ic&t=15532

[mcwilly]

Is there any difference between Lwb and Swb vit power steer setups?

[tanshi]

im pretty sure they are all the same

[mcwilly]

I can get all the stuff for about 250 then need a kit from bent. Is it worth it

[Gwagensteve]

I think the biggest problem with the vitara box is the pitman arm/steering knuckle arm ratio, and the shape of the pitman arm.

I have fitted a bunch of Vitara power steer boxes and I'm not that wrapped with them either. The biggest problems I've found are bump steer from the flat pitman and slow gearing.

I've helped build car using a Lowrange sourced drop pitman arm, but it has/had other complications that mean it's not a good example of how much help the longer (17mm) dropped arm is.

I have no experience with the cressida box.

I was looking at IFS hilux as an option for my next build, but they are expensive once shipped.

Another option I stumbled on was using the box from a Jackeroo (1992 onwards) It's a Koyo inside-the-rail box. I have no idea about ratio, pitman spline or ball joint taper, although I can say that the ball joint connects to the [i]top[/] of the pitman not underneath, although the arm has quite a lot of drop, so on first pass it might be useable.

Steve.

[Highway-Star]

Gwagensteve wrote:

I think the biggest problem with the vitara box is the pitman arm/steering knuckle arm ratio, and the shape of the pitman arm.

I have fitted a bunch of Vitara power steer boxes and I'm not that wrapped with them either. The biggest problems I've found are bump steer from the flat pitman and slow gearing.

I've helped build car using a Lowrange sourced drop pitman arm, but it has/had other complications that mean it's not a good example of how much help the longer (17mm) dropped arm is.

I have no experience with the cressida box.

I was looking at IFS hilux as an option for my next build, but they are expensive once shipped.

Another option I stumbled on was using the box from a Jackeroo (1992 onwards) It's a Koyo inside-the-rail box. I have no idea about ratio, pitman spline or ball joint taper, although I can say that the ball joint connects to the [i]top[/] of the pitman not underneath, although the arm has quite a lot of drop, so on first pass it might be useable.

Steve.

I was looking at a 2000ish model Rodeo one also. I'm keen to see one out of vehicle, as it did look quite promising (especially the close together bolt spacing being suitable for an LJ rail). I'm guessing the Jackaroo would be the same as a Rodeo?

[Gwagensteve]

Probably I think. Maybe even a 2WD one?

Happened to see a Jackeroo at a pull-it-yourself wrecker with the front end apart.

Steve.

[Highway-Star]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Probably I think. Maybe even a 2WD one?

Happened to see a Jackeroo at a pull-it-yourself wrecker with the front end apart.

Steve.

Yeah, there are Rodeos and Jackaroos everywhere in wreckers around here, I might be going for a look one arvo this week

[canberramav]

Ive used Jimny, Vitara and 60 series steering boxes on sierra's.

The obviously better box is the 60 series one. Its pretty easy to fit up as well.

If your not doing comp work or hard driving then either of the suzuki boxes are not too bad.

With the 60 box i can turn 37's with one finger. Ive used this box with the falcon pump which is good but always seem to leak and currently i have a TG pump.

A mate had the 60 box with baleno pump and it struggled in the hard stuff.

[Red89]

Ive used a 79 series box with forward facing arm ( possibly very similar to the 60 series ), it sits on the outside of the chassis rail, and a Falcon pump. On both 33's and 38's I have never had any real dramas with it even with a lockright front end both times.

[BlueSuzy]

Only problem with 60' forward pitman box is that it covers the chassis number on sierra's.
Unsure what your chassis is that your using...
Unsure what setup your using. Leafs it will be ok. Coils and you will be getting into clearance issues. panhard etc..


Im using a older surf ifs rhd box. Will see how it copes soonish with a falcoon pump.

[31zook]

tanshi wrote:

Yeah i have had Vit power steer before and it wasnt much chop.

Wouldnt happen to have any pics of the cressida? what was needed to fit it?

my bad, linky http://www.auszookers.com/index.php?nam ... ic&t=15532

yeah that just about explains it, the only thing ill add is i can still fit a vit radiator between my rails and box. The celica pump is the same as a cressida pump, just the celica pump is used to run a rack and pinion. I paid $100 plus postage for my box from a champ on AZ

[mcwilly]

So with a vit box u have to use the vit pit man? Hustler kit should bolt straight in shouldn't it? So I can use any vitara long or short wheel base as long as its off a efi model?

[daisy]

I run a cressida box in mine with a vitara pump

pretty awesome steering with my 34's

bent both my tie rod and drag link into a big banana... - presto no steering

no way of gettin home... so decided to find two trees close together.... wedged my LHS side in between them and gave it 2000 rpm and turned right...

drag link and tie rod straightened almost to the point where it was just okay to drive 15kms home on the motorway

[tanshi]

now to find a cressida box.

[31zook]

yeah it's freaking strong.

[neofitou]

I also ran the Cressida box. there were several of them in the pick a part I went to to get it, but 2 of them had metal shavings in the fluid res, so watch for this, I ran a Vitara pump.

here is the complete pulled unit.


Drop pitman from a tarago (needed to be relsleaved as the taper goes the wrong way)


Vitara pump, I welded a 6mm plate to the standard mount to bolt it to the G13.


Mounting the Box. I moved mine forward 30mm, I did a full engineer spec RUF at the same time. the Powersteering section was double plated on the box side of the outside of the chasiss and new crush tubes etc in..

[tanshi]

any other options for pitman arms other than the tarago one?

[31zook]

jimny, vitara will bolt straight on and the tapers are the right direction. the jimny pitman i got was the same lenght as a vitara and there both flat. If your building a low truck, my pitman was almost parallel with the chassis and about 15mm off of it.

[Damo]

Tanshi i've got a Tarago pitman if you want to have a squiz at it. It's been sleeved in the taper to accept a standard Sierra TRE.

Here's a pic of it mounted up to my old LWB ute

[tanshi]

Oh nice.

I have 35s and im looking at about 1 inch lift when im done.

Will check out the vit one and the tarago ones and see what my best option is.

[94BAZOOKA]

I am currently running 75 series power steering box with a Vitara pump and still have to swing of the wheel to steer

What would be a good pump upgrade to make steering abit lighter?

[jimbo_jones]

I used to run a 80 series box with a el falcon pump turned 37's real easy on the spot

[tanshi]

i meaured up one of the IFS boxes yesterday. in most dimentions it is smaller than the vitara box.

30 mm shorter in height.
30mm shorter in length along the chassis rail.

its about 20mm bigger in girth diameter which i dont see as a big issue.

looks like i might be trying RHD one

[daisy]

94BAZOOKA wrote:

I am currently running 75 series power steering box with a Vitara pump and still have to swing of the wheel to steer

What would be a good pump upgrade to make steering abit lighter?

theres a thread on pirate about boosting the vitara pump which sounds easy - I havent done it yet, but plan on doin it soon.

[94BAZOOKA]

daisy wrote:

94BAZOOKA wrote:

I am currently running 75 series power steering box with a Vitara pump and still have to swing of the wheel to steer

What would be a good pump upgrade to make steering abit lighter?

theres a thread on pirate about boosting the vitara pump which sounds easy - I havent done it yet, but plan on doin it soon.

Do you have a link I'm interested in trying it

[94BAZOOKA]

For anyone else that Is interested I found the link

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108963