Steering box mystery solved

[quilbilly]

This is kind of long, but I thought I would tell my story in case anybody has had a similar problem or if it comes up in the future. Almost a year ago my daughter totaled my truck. Left front quarter and front end smashed up. Because I had more time than money I rebuilt it and had the frame straightened and replaced all the front end, new bushings, control arms, ball joints etc and a rebuilt steering box. In February I got it together, aligned and it drove straight but it seemed to steer slow. I checked for slop in everything, asked you guys questions and mostly wondered if I was imagining it or what. Both my kids mentioned the same thing about it needing lots of turns of the steering wheel to turn, so I wondered some more. Finally I went to see my brother's identical truck and carefully counted the number of turns lock to lock. His was 3 and a third and mine was 3 and 7/8's. I wasn't imagining it. But the new rebuilt steering box bolted right in and everything fit. So finally last month I decided they must have given me the wrong box, duh. I went in and explained it to the autoparts expecting them to say it was too late to do anything but they were totally open to fixing the problem. They called the supplier and the number was correct and they were not sure what to do. Finally I called www.powersteering.com/ ( I have no connection to this fellow, just gratefulness). He specializes in GM but was extremely helpful and immediately knew the problem. It turns out there are two boxes for Dodges up to 1993. A 16:1 and a 24:1. The slow ratio is only used on some one tons so they are less likely to roll over because of a quick move. When the big rebuilders get them in, they apparently make no distinction between the two and ship them out with the same number. Go figure. So the autoparts ordered me a new one and sure enough it was the right one. So the moral of this story, sorry it took so long, is to take a pair of vice grips and check the lock to lock of your old box against the the rebuilt one while it is sitting on the parts counter. I installed it and it has made a world of difference. I was looking to sell the truck but I may keep it-Todd