I have a 73 k10 that I put a dana 60 in and have everything for the crossover steering except the steering box. Was just wondering if i had to get a 2 wheel drive box out of a certain year truck or if any from this era (73-87) would work? Any help is appreciated and i have a guy wanting to sell me one aout of a 76 c10 was wondering if it would work? Would like to buy a used one for budget perposes.

2wd box out of a truck will work, the only 'snag' would be the years that had an 'O' ring lines or the double flare.

The 76 c10 box will work fine.
The metric 0 ring came out in 83?

The 76 c10 box will work fine.
The metric 0 ring came out in 83?

I believe the metric o-ring came out in 1980.The 76 should work fine.

The '76 box oughta work fine. Just for general knowledge, if you can't find an old box and want to keep the old style flared fittings, you can just swap sector shafts. That's what I did on my '76 3/4-ton. I got a box out of an '83 or '84 (??) 2WD 1-ton for cheap and just swapped shafts and kept my old box and fittings. Works great.

BTW, I remember the parts man saying they changed over to the O-ring fittings in '80 or '81. Whether he knows what he's talking about is another matter...

You can also just get new fittings and adapt your lines.

You can also just get new fittings and adapt your lines.

Which fittings? You can't change the fittings in the gear box as they are machined into the case. You can get new O-ring compatible PS lines (which is what my original plan was) but the pressure hose fitting on the PS pump is different too on the newer style lines (flare style vs. O-ring), so then you have to either swap pumps or the pump fitting. The parts store doesn't sell just the fittings, and I don't know of anybody (around here anyway) who makes conversion fittings so off to the JY you must go. I suppose you could get a custom pressure line made but who wants all that hassle/expense everytime you have to change the pressure hose?

I had fairly new lines on it before the swap, and I did not feel like going back to the JY, pulling the PS pump off the junker to get at the fitting, pulling the PS pump off my truck to install the new fitting, then putting it all back together while hoping it doesn't leak, and then swapping the box and buying new lines. Plus then you are stuck w/ the O-ring style seal which will eventually disintegrate and leak. The old flare style is a metal on metal seal which will never disintegrate with age and will only leak if the tube is cracked or if you tighten it with a 3/4" breaker bar.

Simply swapping the sector shaft is far easier than going through all that trouble. Plus, that way I could keep my old style flare fittings. It added probably 15 min. to the total job, and that was with me taking my time and inspecting the internals of the box. If your box is shot, that makes the situation a little different but mine was in good shape so I just swapped shafts and threw it all back together.

Of course the easiest way is to just get the correct box to start with, but the JYs around here are terrible and anything over 15-20 years old is real slim pickin's. This is why I ended up w/ the metric box in the first place.

I think he was talking about cutting the end of the O-ring line and flaring it to couple with the end of the flare fitting line.

Here is a temp repair that lasted longer than expected. My girlfriends son arced a hole in his power steering line. We cut the bad spot out of the line then fixed it with a compression fitting type union. Didnt leak a drop for over a year when he finally got a new line.

just find a oring pump at a yard off any gm car and swap the fitting into the back of your pump and keep oring lines.

I think he was talking about cutting the end of the O-ring line and flaring it to couple with the end of the flare fitting line.

Yeah, I see. That makes a little more sense. I wasn't sure exactly what he was talking about. That would work I suppose, and I actually thought about doing that w/ mine but I wanted a solid, no trouble swap that used easily obtainable stock replacement parts that would not cause any complication when the time came to replace the hose. I see where he's coming from though, and it would be pretty simple repair.

just find a oring pump at a yard off any gm car and swap the fitting into the back of your pump and keep oring lines.

I thought about that at the time too, but I didn't find out that the pump fitting was different from mine until I went to the parts store to get new lines, and I didn't feel like driving all the way back to the JY (about 1/2 hr. away) just for the fitting, pull the PS off the junker, drive back to my shop, pull the PS off mine, swap fittings (and hope it doesn't leak), and then swap all the steering crap. Plus, like I said, I didn't particularly want the O-ring fittings if I had a choice since they will disintegrate eventually. I don't know if that's actually a common problem or not, but I DO know the flare style won't rot with age and start to leak b/c it's a metal on metal seal instead of rubber. My box was in perfect shape, and swapping shafts made the most sense for me. I can use unmodified factory hoses w/ no extra joints, rubber seals, or other hookey-hookey when it's time to replace this one, and I didn't have to touch the PS pump. Of course, like I said, if I had just found an early style box to start with, none of this would have been an issue, but ya' gotta work w/ what's available to you I guess. Oh well, I'm just happy I can now steer the truck w/ the axles articulated and it no longer goes hell-bent for the ditch when I hit the brakes!

The '76 box oughta work fine. Just for general knowledge, if you can't find an old box and want to keep the old style flared fittings, you can just swap sector shafts. That's what I did on my '76 3/4-ton. I got a box out of an '83 or '84 (??) 2WD 1-ton for cheap and just swapped shafts and kept my old box and fittings. Works great.

Do you have or know of a write up for taking apart a steering box? I want to drill and tap one for hydro assist but I thought this was a difficult/complicated procedure where ball bearings flew everywhere if you did it wrong. I do not want to mess up a perfectly good steering box because I don't know what I'm doing.

use the search function, its covered many times

Sure, I can tell you how to tear it apart, that's easy. It's getting it all back together that's the bitch!
:flipoff2:

use the search function, its covered many times

x2

I honestly couldn't really give you any advice on tapping for hydro. I've never done it, just read a little about it on here so I really don't know crap about that other than theory. I just went plain old X-over on mine. From what I've read, it really doesn't sound that complicated but like I said, I've never done it. Like s1037s said, search and ye shall find...

knock and it shall be opened......or is that tap and it shall be steered?

This link helped me do mine. http://www.peakempire.com/new/tech/saginaw_box_tech.htm
West Texas Offroad 1.75 x 8 ram, fittings and hoses just arrived so I'll soon find out if it was as easy as it seemed when I put my D60 in with the crossover setup i got from Sky Mfg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/maximus9000/Picture012.jpg
.

This link helped me do mine. http://www.peakempire.com/new/tech/saginaw_box_tech.htm
West Texas Offroad 1.75 x 8 ram, fittings and hoses just arrived so I'll soon find out if it was as easy as it seemed when I put my D60 in with the crossover setup i got from Sky Mfg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/maximus9000/Picture012.jpg
.
Thanks alot. This was a very helpfull reply.