Swapping a Borgeson steering box in a 1970 Charger

[BergmanAutoCraft]

BAC STEERING BOX UPGRADE MASTER KIT - Bergman Auto Craft Free shipping on this one (over 1,000) and no tax since we're a small volume business.

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

if we already have a new re-pop Saginaw pump/reservoir housing/pulley and hoses that we're running with our stock steering box, I think you also offer a kit like that minus the pump/pulley for a few hundred less from what I recall? Any special mods on the Saginaw pump in that kit vs what I have stock in my car?

BAC STEERING BOX UPGRADE MASTER KIT - Bergman Auto Craft Free shipping on this one (over 1,000) and no tax since we're a small volume business.

 

[kiwigtx]

Yes, here goes!

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This car is getting a Borgeson steering box. I ordered it last week and it arrived yesterday.
I expected a bigger box.

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Well packed.

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The shipper would have to be a real monkey to damage this.


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Jeez, this thing is tiny.

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Cool. A friend of mine has installed a few of those now....much lighter weight and more compact than the standard power steering units.

The latest has gone into a big-block A-Body.

 

[BergmanAutoCraft]

Yes. this is the basic kit and bolts in for guys with power steering already BAC STEERING BOX CONVERSION KIT - SMALL SECTOR 62-72 - Bergman Auto Craft

 

[Kern Dog]

I can attest that the Saginaw steering pump works well with the Borgeson unit. No unusual noises, no bad habits.

 

[Wietse]

I can attest that the Saginaw steering pump works well with the Borgeson unit. No unusual noises, no bad habits.

Yep, i am also using the Saginaw pump and all is good, make sure you use the right power steering oil as recommended.

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

Yep, i am also using the Saginaw pump and all is good, make sure you use the right power steering oil as recommended.

which ps fluid are you using? i read that Redline synthetic doesn't match up well with this due to foaming.

 

[BergmanAutoCraft]

Usually any synthetic fluid works well. We sell Joe Gibbs driven fluid

 

[Wietse]

I am using a Dexron II type oil, Borgeson mentioned it can be uses also.
I believe it is mainly the GM style power steering oils that is best for this setup.

 

[BergmanAutoCraft]

I am using a Dexron II type oil, Borgeson mentioned it can be uses also.
I believe it is mainly the GM style power steering oils that is best for this setup.

I prefer to stay away from any transmission fluid.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

Yes. this is the basic kit and bolts in for guys with power steering already BAC STEERING BOX CONVERSION KIT - SMALL SECTOR 62-72 - Bergman Auto Craft

Any chance of a discount code for Jan on this? Im thinking of jumping on a steering box.

 

[Kern Dog]

If the price is anywhere near where it was in May when I bought mine, I'd say that inflation has probably already eaten away too much of the profit margin already.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

@Kern Dog
Didnt you say that you had a box that you had to adjust the slop in several times?

Im just thinking out loud here and I am no expert in oils...though this happened to me:
I got a st3 FF box and when I got it it had absolutely zero slop, it was rock solid and handled like on rails.
I drove with this box spring/summer using a synthetic PS oil.
Then my federal pump gave up, changed to a saginaw and also flushed the system and put in a DexIII ATF type-F oil.
And now my box has developed a large slop.

 

[Kern Dog]

That is an interesting thought.
I have ran ATF and ATF+4 in the car when I had the Firm Feel in the car but have since adhered to the recommendation to use the GM 5073 fluid in the Borgeson setup.

I still have the same style pump....the Saginaw.
I'm not going to swap the Firm Feel chuck back in but I might swap it into another car. It would be nice to be able to still use it.
Wait....were you suggesting that thinner fluid would cause slop temporarily or that once the slop starts, it was there to stay?

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

There to stay.

But Im just out on a theoretical limb here.
Just thought it was strange.

As the synthetic oil killed my federal Im not keen to put synthetic in my saginaw.
Though a Borgeson box is on the way so will go with the oil recommended.

 

[Kern Dog]

I wouldn't want to bash a home grown company but I was disappointed with how my Firm Feel chuck got sloppier over time.
It has less than 15,000 miles on it and none of that was racing or autocross, just street driving. The adjustments did close up the slop for the most part but the screw is at the end of it's travel now. To reduce the slop at this point may be impossible without a rebuild.
I do wonder if the higher steering effort of the Stage 3 resulted in faster wear of the components....you know, like how more aggressive driving wears out the tires faster?

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

Yeah, FF have great service and their parts are awesome. Im very satisfied with the st3 box. I only do street driving but last summer I was driving hard and the car was super fun to drive.

But wear or oil, I just cant take that slop when I know how solid it used to be.

 

[ckessel]

One thing to remember about FF, S&G and others is that they are combining the best of old components to put a unit together. As the supplies and selections dwindle, we are left with not so great options. Like looking for parts at the shows. Stuff we wouldn't touch 10 years ago from being heinous are now the best stuff around. Not sure if anyone is actually making the main shaft units with fresh, new teeth or not but I suspect not as the cost for tools outweighs profits from a dwindling market. I think the last time Mopar used that box was in the mid 90's on the B-Van's. Going by memory from looking at the factory reman book we used at the dealers.

 

[JR_Charger]

Kern Dog, do you have any problems with the feel of your Bergman steering coupler? I made a post a few moments ago about a YouTuber who claims the Borgeson supplied coupler has a more "solid" feel. I can't imagine there would be a difference.

 

[JR_Charger]

Well, that makes sense. I will heed that advice. Thank you Mike!

As I mentioned, I've had the column out of the car a few times. In doing so, I must have lost the foam seal that goes here:

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Reproductions are available but going into a 4 day weekend means that I wouldn't get it for well over a week or more. I made one out of some 3/16" foam sheet I had in the attic. I suspect that this will in some small way aid in the reduction of road noise and such. Last month I went on a 900 mile car show road trip and although there were no breakdowns, the road noise at freeway speeds was something I've wanted to reduce.

How does the factory coupler come off?