Power Steering Gear Box--Options?

[SilverTBM]

Hey I need to order a new power steering gear box. I was just looking for some input on what is best to run.
I want a firmer feel and a quickened ratio. My thoughts are...

1- Firm Feel level 2 box with a quickened pitman/idler arm set 16:1. Better price, but don't know what headers I will run yet, clearance issues

2-Borgenson box has firmer feel and is 14:1. More expensive, no header clearance issues.

3-? I thought I remembered seeing a smaller jeep or vega box that has been retrofitted to work on B-bodies but haven't came across it online. I like is option if it exists for weight savings.

I appreciate the input. Ill probably run a 13" or 14" steering wheel and 15" front wheels
Thanks

 

[Dennis H]

Firm Feel Stage 2. Have a FF1 w/ smaller dia Momo wheel. Nice feel. No interference with the TTI's.

 

[Jim Bob The Dancing Bear]

The Borgenson is the Jeep steering box I believe.

 

[aldal]

The Borgenson is the Jeep steering box I believe.

x2.

 

[MarPar]

My GTXer...stock manifolds, a FF stage 2 box and 15 inchers on the front...it's like a whole new car.

 

[SilverTBM]

Thanks guys, I think I am going to run the borgenson and a flaming river steering column. They have a 1-1/4 and 1-1/8 steering boxes and they are listed as conversion boxes. Modification to the stock manual steering shaft is needed. So I need to fig out if I need to order a power or manual steering column. Ill place a call to both manufactures, but has any one dealt with one or both of these components?
Thanks again.

 

[Malicious]

Any details on what Jeep box the Borgson is? The borgson unit is pretty XC so if you can get a Jeep on thats the same for cheaper....

 

[SilverTBM]

The borgenson box is a Delphi 600 but looks modified to bolt to stock location and accept the stock pitman arm.

 

[Kern Dog]

The Borgeson chuck is not a junkyard type swap. The case is cut and has Mopar style mounts welded to it. The company has had a few glitches with their products though. Some complain about the improper fit. The rumor is that Borgeson instructs buyers to shim and tweek the box to get the correct fit. This may be due to a bent or poorly built K member OR the Borgeson guys welded the case a little crooked. Dan from Hotchkis suspension has been having a bear of a time with his Borgeson installation and has NOT been shy about his opinions over on Moparts.com.
The Mopar steering boxes were all 15.7 to one. The Fast Ratio steering arms tighten that up to a smidge tighter than 12.0 to one. I have the Firm Feel stage 3 chuck, the FR arms and TTI 2" headers and everything fits with clearance to spare. Mine feels great though there is a slight dead spot between 11 to 1. It will never feel like a rack-and-pinion steering setup, but it does feel far greater than any stock type build. The hype attached with the Borgeson gear is that they have great "feel". That may be true, but it may be because the cores that they use have far fewer miles on them as compared to the Mopar boxes we send in to rebuild. Some have said that once a few miles are put on these Borgeson boxes, they will loosen up a bit and feel no better than what Firm Feel sells.
I was tempted to make the switch to Borgeson but the price is too much if the car ends up feeling the same in a few thousand miles.

 

[Malicious]

To the people that have done the firm feel swap, was it worth $500 more in road feel?

That's what it's going to cost me to go firm feel over a stock rebuilt a1 cardone unit plus anything I get for selling the old one. Australia sucks for parts on heavy items.

 

[Dennis H]

That's a lot of $$$ but, the high speed control was worth it. No more worry about ending up in the guardrail or triple digit concerns. Just straight.

 

[MarPar]

To the people that have done the firm feel swap, was it worth $500 more in road feel?

That's what it's going to cost me to go firm feel over a stock rebuilt a1 cardone unit plus anything I get for selling the old one. Australia sucks for parts on heavy items.

in a word: yes

 

[GITEX]

Borgenson on my 65, not one issue.