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Saginaw Steering Conversion Questions.

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by EmilyMcDangerous89, Jan 27, 2010.

  1. Jan 27, 2010
    EmilyMcDangerous89

    EmilyMcDangerous89 New Member

    Lakeland, Florida
    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2009
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    my jeep is a disaster. If it isnt one thing it is another. But i love it to death so I wont complain. I have a few questions about the Saginaw Steering conversion. I don't want to repair the bellcrank and steering box already there, and don't want to buy a new one. I want an upgrade and just need these few questions answered:
    Does the conversion completely eliminate the bellcrank and sterring box?
    What parts does the conversion consist of?
    What modifications need to be done to install it?
    How Durable is it?
    And (if you have one) do you feel it was worth your money and time?

    Thanks for all the info!
    Emily.
     
  2. Jan 27, 2010
    kaiser_willys

    kaiser_willys Well-Known Member

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    this should be over in the tech section. as for the bellcrank & steering box. yes it does eliminate the orignal box, and the bell crank all together. parts consist of (roughly) a saginaw box which replaces the orignal ross box. it will however mount in a different location. I do not think the orignal drag link will work so if i am right you will need to come up with that, not a problem herm makes them. the steering colum will need to be modified. do a serch in the tech section, there is a writeup on it as well. durable? no question there as many vehicles use the saginaw box today. my 2000 dodge has it. i do not have one yet. do i think its worth the time & money? you bet!!
     
  3. Jan 27, 2010
    dnb71R2

    dnb71R2 SuperDave 2023 Sponsor

    Grand Mesa, CO
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    The conversion will eliminate the bellcrank and steering box. Generally speaking, it will resemble a '72 or newer CJ.
    The steering column will have to modified to attach a new steering shaft for the new gear box. This shaft generally has a slip joint and a pair of u-joints. Operating clearance will have to be considered when laying out the parts. The steering box will need to have a suitable mount to the frame rail. There are commercially available kits for this installation. Successful homegrown brackets can be made, but be confident of your abilities and design considerations. Large tires and power steering can quickly overload inadequate brackets. It's best to convert to a one piece tie-rod with the drag link fastened near the passenger side. A suitable steering pump and bracket will have to fabricated or obtained for the engine. This is fairly easy with the modern V6, because factory parts are available. I'm not sure how the typical arrangement works on the F-head engine.
    This can be a very durable and worthwhile modification.
     
  4. Jan 27, 2010
    kaiser_willys

    kaiser_willys Well-Known Member

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  5. Jan 27, 2010
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    It can be done, but there's no easy way to attach the pump to the engine. Also, the PS pump is a parasitic load on the engine, and has a proportionally larger effect on an engine with lower output, such as the F134. A power conversion is probably not worthwhile unless you really have to have PS and the F134.

    However, a manual Saginaw swap would be a fine upgrade. How big are your tires? I gather that the Ross steering (what you have) is fine if in good condition and if you are running moderate sized tires. The Saginaw steering will reduce steering effort with fat tires, and be more durable, and have a more precise feel. I would say the feel part is mostly about fewer moving parts between the driver and the tires, and a more modern design for the steering gear.

    Have you seen the sticky thread on the Saginaw conversion? http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17911
     
  6. Jan 27, 2010
    birddog56

    birddog56 Member

    Pennsylvania
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    Feb 14, 2009
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    Converting to saginaw is fairly time consuming and requires some fab work, as you can see by the above paots. Is it worth it? Depends on what you use your jeep for. I did mine because the new engine is in the way of the Ross steering. Original steering works fine if you have good parts and it is adjusted correctly. For road driving at moderate speeds, and light off road, it isn't worth converting. For higher speeds and more serious off road it is. Maybe you should consider the bump steer eliminater type tie rod set-up, as shown in the tech section. My 2 cents , and that's about all it's worth.....
     
  7. Jan 28, 2010
    EmilyMcDangerous89

    EmilyMcDangerous89 New Member

    Lakeland, Florida
    Joined:
    Nov 18, 2009
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    The Problem i am having right now with steering on my jeep is its WAY loose, i feel like im spinning the wheel in a full circle before getting any response. when im cruisin on a straight flat road, the wheel feels weebly wobbly. And when i am off road or taking a tight turn a cracking/popping noise happens. Now...you guys say this conversion is time consuming... about how long does it take? take into consideration i can weld, torch, grind etc.
     
  8. Jan 28, 2010
    dnb71R2

    dnb71R2 SuperDave 2023 Sponsor

    Grand Mesa, CO
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  9. Jan 28, 2010
    jayhawkclint

    jayhawkclint ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    Oklahoma City, USA
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    I still see in the junkyard quite a few S10 pickups that had the 2.5 4cyl and manual Saginaw steering.
     
  10. Jan 28, 2010
    jpflat2a

    jpflat2a what's that noise?

    Hermosa, SD
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    I believe it can be done easily in one weekend
    if you have all the steering components on hand
    you might have to cut and reweld your steering shaft and or tie rods
    depends on what you plan on using or re-using
    some folks opt to make their own gear box mounting plate to the frame
    others will purchase parts from AA or some other supplier
    just remember to measure twice and cut once
     
  11. Jan 28, 2010
    kaiser_willys

    kaiser_willys Well-Known Member

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    this does not sound like a steering problem. it could be though, that said it sounds like a worn out axel. either of the bendix or rezeppa style. this is easy enough to figure out if you have locking hubs. unlock the hubs, shift to 2 high and try again, if it goes away then its the axel, if not could be a steering issue. most bang for the buck is swap in a set of spicer axels. i have scavenged 3 set of these so they arent that hard to find:) if by chance you dont have locking hubs, just remove the drive flange. and see if it goes away, you can do this in a very small space, just need enough room to make a tight turn
     
  12. Jan 28, 2010
    EmilyMcDangerous89

    EmilyMcDangerous89 New Member

    Lakeland, Florida
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    Thanks guys! Ive got a design in mind...my dad had to some simialr stuff to a suzuki samurai he had to to make the steering work...think im gonna go w/ the same general design... ill post pics when its finished. hopefully you scholarly gentlemen will approve of the modification :)
     
  13. Jan 28, 2010
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    One point- you need to check your king pin bearings, if they're shot all the saggy boxes in the world won't fix you up. Do a search on "death wobble".

    Just my $.02- As others have mentioned the Ross box system is fine as long as you're in a near-stock condition and it's properly maintained & adjusted.

    H.
     
  14. Jan 28, 2010
    Daryl

    Daryl Sponsor

    Bonney Lake, WA
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    Dana 30 & Saginaw steering- pretty much sums up how to fix it.
     
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