Technical 1952 Chevy steering box

Need some advice. I have a 52 Chevy with stock steering box and column . There is a good 4"-5"of slop in the steering . Can you help with a good "how to" on rebuilding one? Any good HAMBERS that are rebuilding them?

 

I don´t know exactly about 52, but I once rebuilt a 57 Chevy box and I have done a 34 Ford box too. I´d suggest getting a shop manual for 49 to 54 Chevy and see what it says. First off it´s always good to check if the slack is indeed coming from the box itself or from a worn idler arm, the tie rod ends or an addition of several worn ball joints and bushings.The steering boxes can also be adjusted, maybe that will tighten it up enough to remove the slack. There should be a locking nut on top of your steering box, back it up a little, and screw the bolt into the box, an see if the slack goes away or increases. Don´t overtighten the adjusting screw.
A worn sector shaft bushing can cause a lot of steering play, but you can really see it, just lay under the car and have a helper move the steering wheel. If the sector shaft ( along with the pitman arm) is moving inside the housing, you´ll have to tear it apart...
When I got my 55 Chevy it had some serious slack in the box and I bet it had never been adjusted in the past 60 years. A simple adjustment later it was absolutely playfree, and still is, after 11k miles since the last adjustment.

 

Check for play where the shaft that the arm connects to comes out of the box. '49-.'52 has a bushing there, '53 & '54 has a bearing; if the bushing is bad you will see the shaft move front/back with front wheels on the ground. If the bushing is bad it is easier to swap the complete box/mast assembly plus you get built-in turn signals

 

Dave downs, who do you recommend calling for a new box should it come to that?

 

I rebuilt mine using a kit I bought online. Not difficult, hardest part is getting box in and out of the car itself.

Mines a lot better now but my pitman shaft is worn so still has some play, so it's not perfect.

Really good how to guide here...

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/225413/

 

'49 -'53 shop manual, section 9, http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1949_53/09steering/9_01.HTM

Don not use gun grease in the box. You need a #00 or #000 grade self leveling grease. John Deere corn head grease works very good, is cheap, and most any John Deere dealer will have it, also available on line. You can also make your own liquid grease with 50/50 gear oil and standard gun grease. The box will hold about 1 tube of grease. New seals are available from Napa, #11055
https://www.napaonline.com/napa/en/p/NOS11055/NOS11055_0439393417

Normal grease will get pushed out to the side never to return to the gears, self leveling greases flows back on itself so the gears are always lubricated.

 

It was a complete used box with steering colum, I don't thnk you can get the box without the column; they are a pressed fit if I remember right. I was just concerned about the bushing, the used set-up was nice and tight. I put a want ad in 'ChevyTalk' - that was before I found the HAMB.

If you want new/rebuilt I guess you could try a Corvette place since the same box (don't know about the steering column) was used in Corvettes from '53 - '62 but it would probably be horribly expensive........