Reversing a steering box, in this case from an HQ holden but others would be similar

Reversing a HQ steering box is a very easy job, the hardest part is getting the pitman arm off to enable you to strip it.

Starting point - one dirty unloved HQ Box


Cleaned & stripped



Find a suitable seal and bore the new input to suit



Find something to plug the old input shaft hole



A frost plug would probably have done but i turned up somethig to fit



Finished box, nothing overly hard about it, with the right tools probably only and hour or so of work.



Thats it!!

 

Re: Reversing a steering box, in this case from an HQ holden but others would be simi

That looks alot like our vega steering box.

 

Re: Reversing a steering box, in this case from an HQ holden but others would be simi

Would not be surprised, GM 1971-1979(ish)
Good box as it's quite compact, but strong with it.

 

Re: Reversing a steering box, in this case from an HQ holden but others would be simi

Only thing to watch out for is that the gears and balls are now up out of the oil, so, drill and tap for a zerk and keep it greased with a good graphite type high heat, so it will not melt and run out the seal... I might be temped to just turn over the pitman arm to reverse the action. Looks like good box to use... very nice clean job you did...

 

Re: Reversing a steering box, in this case from an HQ holden but others would be simi

How did this get into frame & chassis?? I'm sure i posted it under steering articles???

 

Re: Reversing a steering box, in this case from an HQ holden but others would be simi

How much are one of these boxes? Also to get it to the US? I have always thought about a right hand drive car.

 

Re: Reversing a steering box, in this case from an HQ holden but others would be simi

They are pretty cheap, about $15-$20US would get an OK one, and all parts to rebuild them are readily available. Not sure on freight costs.

 

I have a question regarding the bearing on the end of the input shaft. This bearing runs in a machined race in the cap. So, when you swap the input shaft assembly 180 degrees in the housing , where does this bearing seat on the seal end?

 

The original poster hasn't been on this forum since 2009, so maybe someone else can answer.

 

I recently reversed a Saginaw manual steering box from a Taylor-Dunn electric truck. There are bearing races on each end of the steering shaft. I'm not sure if anyone else has run into this, but I discovered a slight pitch cut into the worm gears and had to reverse it on the shaft to keep things from binding.

 

Ted, the same logic pertains to a reversed Corvair?

 

I saw a right hand vega style steering box on a us mail deliver jeep. Maybe the same box from down under

 

Is a Corvair van box the same as one in a car ?

 

I kind of thought so. I was just at an old junk yard with about 30 Corvairs. Every box was going from the cars, but the vans still had there boxes. Icould not get a good look at one without takeing one out. Thanks ron.