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WD21 dual steering box - replace IA


helix66
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I figured I'd post this as a new topic since I replied a bit too late to be of any use in another post and this is one of the best and cheapest mods you can do with some results that any IA brace doesn't even come close to. I have a 3" body lift that helps this fit in pretty easy,and some minor modification to the bumper mounting bracket is needed (all visible in the pix).

 

 

 

Thanks to theKing & bodyman909 for this mod and helping my junk to be road worthy yet again!

 

I have the now defunct L&P stage 2 steering setup (beefed up center link and double shear IA), the IA has bronze bushings that ride on the IA shaft and outlast the stock nylon version. The problem is that that they eventually wear out and no one seems to make them except for a handful of guys who have had local machine shops make limited runs, that translates to $50 plush S&H to you. For less than that you can go to your favorite local JY and spend $40 on a manual steering box, and a power steering pitman arm and be done with it forever...until you sas it! you will not need the IA brace and can sell your aftermarket junk to cover your costs.

 

We went to a JY and got a manual box from a hard body, then we pulled a pitman arm off of a power steering box that was on a WD21 80s pathfinder (and keep the bolts too!). Before you install it you can take the box apart and remove what I believe is called the sector shaft (the part the steering shaft attaches to) as it isn't needed. TheKing welded up the hole left from removing the shaft but I'm sure you could silicone the thing closed to keep crud out. The manual box will bolt in place of your idler arm and the power steering pitman arm will replace the one on the manual box. The two holes at the bottom line up perfectly, the two upper holes need to be slotted, one at the top the other at the bottom. It's easy enough to do with a hack saw as the metal is soft. We used the bolts from the JY pitman arm, the original idler arm ones are too short. On the slotted holes we used washers, lock washers and nylocks to hold it on. Also you will have to unbolt the p/s line mount so that they can be laid flat on the frame rail away from the steering box you are installing.

 

I had thought that my new ni$$an ball joints were quitting, but it was the IA slop, now it's all good!

You will want to bring a pitman arm puller with you to make things easier, and don't forget to keep the bolts from the manual steering box!

 

The final result:

IMG_0052.jpg

 

Top view (you can see the slotted hole on the right side):

IMG_0053.jpg

 

Top view of the driver's side power steering box just for comparison (why you want the manual steering box):

IMG_0054.jpg

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Very interesting!!

 

Some one mentioned bronze replacement bushings for the IA and my response was that I should make some up out of oil-lite bronze (self lubricating). The price you quoted ($50+S&H) is insane for something like that!! I can get material for $6-8 per bushing and the machining work is quick and simple, even on a hand lathe. The price should be $15-20 max!!

 

Sorry, didn't mean to thread jack. I should start another one somewhere...

 

B

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Well the funny part is that it will cost you less than any aftermarket IA & brace and is about 1000x stronger. A bunch of us out here have done it, the two guys I mentioned have long since sas'd, I'm hoping to do that when I can.

 

I was looking for the bronze bushings for my L&P stage 2 steering set up (new CL with beefed up ends with bearings & double shear IA & brace), there was an engineer with an xterra who was making them for the price you said. This cost $40 from the pick a part, and an hour or so of modding it and I'll never have an idler arm/IA shaft issue again. If you don't get out and wheel your truck at all beyond a dirt road you'll probably never have a problem staying with the oem setup, put on 33s and wheel a bit and you'll see!

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So does this mod fix the weak stock CL issues too?

 

No, the stock CL has not been changed. Go to hoohaa to solve that problem. combine the 2 mods and your IFS steering problems should be @ a minimum.

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If you get hooohass CL and do this mod you'll be pretty well set, as solid as you can be with ifs. I have one of the original stage2 steering setups from L&P performance, and it came with a double shear IA & brace.....I no longer need the IA. I'm hoping when I can sas that I can sell the steering setup.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

biggrin.gifALL DONE!biggrin.gif

Heres some additional info and Ideas:

 

You see that little vented plug on top of the box in picture #2 up top(original post)? I repaced that with a tread in barb fitting and hooked up some hose to tie it in with the nearby vent line (for t-case,tranny and front diff vent) this will ensure water stays outa the box.

th_beforeafer.jpg th_shaftcompare.jpg

BOTH PS and manual steering boxes contain 3 sets of needle bearings for the large diameter steering shaft to pivot on. the saft is nearly 2x the diamere of the OE and MOOG pitmans and features aprox 10X the load bearing surface so it is not likely to wear out on the pivot end making it superior to in this aspect to all other idler arms (calmini, L&P, braced OE styles etc)

th_framescratch.jpg

If your idler arm is worn out enough it may allow the dogbone end your CL to strike the fram and leave gouges like the ones above.

 

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would this truly be superior to the Calmini HD kit?

 

they modify and lengthen the tie-rods also which helps retain acceptable dimensions for suspension lifts?

 

and features aprox 10X the load bearing surface so it is not likely to wear out on the pivot end making it superior to in this aspect to all other idler arms (calmini, L&P, braced OE styles etc)

In the aspect of wearing out the idler arm pivot; absolutely which is really the onlything this mod adresses.

 

In other aspects of MY WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM? My opinon is possibly yes but that is up for debate;

_oe tirerods have done fine in many lifted aplications and I have not found the need for longer ones in my own lift.

_the calmini CL sitll has an ball joint on each end but My HooHaa has 5/8 spherical bushings which again features a much larger bearing surface

_Calmini CL is ajustable. This can allow you to ajust how much more or less the inside wheel turns I dono if thats what they inteded, its not really needed but its the only thing my steering doesn't do.

_ calmini machined pitman... has anybody ever broke a stock pitman?

_calimini HD steering $629.95 vs HooHaa+DualBox $300 or less (depending on JY pricing)

Edited by MY1PATH
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did this yesterday and i see why you need the power steering pitman arm now... the taper for the ball joint is backwards, but if your cheap like me you will drill a 9/16 hole half way through the pitman arm and the ball joint will seat where it should. also if you dont want to drill slots through the holes that dont line up on the gear box you can drill smaller ones and the spare bolts from the body lift will work.

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did this yesterday and i see why you need the power steering pitman arm now... the taper for the ball joint is backwards, but if your cheap like me you will drill a 9/16 hole half way through the pitman arm and the ball joint will seat where it should. also if you dont want to drill slots through the holes that dont line up on the gear box you can drill smaller ones and the spare bolts from the body lift will work.

 

 

More than just that! the center to center (spline to taper) is about .2" shorter on the manual pitman. This will cause you passenger wheel to turn less than your driver wheel!!!

Running the HooHaa I have no need for tapers(drilled out to 5/8") but having a .2" shorter pitman was not gonna fly with me.

 

also I'd rather bolt to slotte holes and run my bolts thru the original frame location because the original fram holes are sleeved for added strenght. The casting is soft enought to cut thru quite quickly. Really the best of both worlds would be to get a Right Hand drive manual steering box from overseas. No drilling no cutting just swap the pitman.

Edited by MY1PATH
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did this yesterday and i see why you need the power steering pitman arm now... the taper for the ball joint is backwards, but if your cheap like me you will drill a 9/16 hole half way through the pitman arm and the ball joint will seat where it should. also if you dont want to drill slots through the holes that dont line up on the gear box you can drill smaller ones and the spare bolts from the body lift will work.

You can buy a taper bit to ream it so that it seats properly.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok guys,

I got a manual box off of a 89 hard body. Then I went to a 93 pathfinder to pull the pitman arm and noticed the pitman arm shaft was way bigger than the shaft on the manual box. What year pathfinder has the same size pitman arm shaft as the manual gear box? The nut on the pitman arm shaft was alot bigger than the nut on my 87 pathfinder. I had checked mine to determine the socket size I would need.

James

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close, Most the manual and power boxes have the same spline diamter.(87-92 for sure)

the manual box steps down more to threads for the nut where as the Power box threads are almost the same diamer as the splines.

 

I think In 93 or 94 a differant box casting was introduced and a monster sized nut was used(60mm wrench?) but I would not be surprised if the pitman was still the same spine & diameter.

Edited by MY1PATH
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The shaft above the pitman arm looked visibly bigger. If I get a chance I will go back with a pipe wrench to take the nut off and yank the pitman arm to see. I have snap-on sockets all the way up to I think 40 mm, its a special set for front axles, and the nut was alot bigger than that. So I guess they went that big because all the previous years were falling off! :wtf:

James

 

Oh and one more question;

Why cant we use the steering system from the 2wd? It has almost the exact setup as the old late 70s to early 80s Chevrolet pickups. Has anyone tried? Without the dog bone center link it probably wouldn't have the problem with twisting. I've already collected most of the parts to build my own hoohaa style center link so I'm not going to try it but it looks like it should work. I think the tie rod ends go in from under the spindles instead of on top but we could just use 4wd outer tie rods. I don't remember if the old chevys had the same steering links on the 4wd as on the 2wds though.

Edited by JamesRich
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