Ross Steering Box Failure

I installed new races and bearing in my V6 Ross Steering Box. I set the bearing load using shims and seemed ok. I was doing a shake down cruise and felt a snap and the Jeep tried to cross the center line on me yikes.

I started taking it apart and the steering shaft had about 1/4" in of in and out play. I thought I was nuts until I took off the side cover and saw the bearing race had split. I head that the newer style were not the best and now I know why.

Funny, I have been looking for a spare for 2 years and there was one posted on Craigslist this weekend for $20. It was a takeoff from the 70's and looked fantastic on the inside. Must have been doing something right.

 

This very thing happened to me years ago in Groton, CT.. I would up in someone's front yard. Turns out the shaft had been welded just above the box sometime in the past and it decided to give up that day.

 

Yeah, was this all OEM, US-made name brand, or import aftermarket parts???

"Newer style?"

 

My original ross box had the worm welded to the shaft. It's hard to see until you cut it with a lathe at the bearing race.

I like my steering boxes from Saginaw Michigan

 

That's how mine was and where it broke.. Was this a common thing?

 

The original races are thick where the bearing ride. The rebuilt kits off of ebay are not so thick.
This is the internals of the original box that I bought.

 

And after all these years I thought it was some numb-nuts that did that as a half arse repair.. That was back in 94 (ish) and I replaced it with a repop from who knows where (probably omix or crown) until I went reverse saggy mounted back behind the cross member.

 

Yeah, but you can buy a reman Saginaw box from most any auto parts supplier, and odds are it will work just fine (and have a warranty). I've read numerous threads about suspect quality replacement parts for Ross boxes, this would be one more reason to consider a Saginaw swap. Even a manual Saggy swap is miles ahead of the Ross setup, unless someone is doing a 100% true resto I wouldn't waste the time & effort on the Ross.

 

Everyone knows about the crappy reproduction sector shafts on the market 10 or 12 years ago that were prone to break under stress, and the more recent reproduction sector shafts with followers that wear out quickly, now we have to worry about crappy bearing kits.

The imported worm gear/shafts are crap too.

I have always rebuilt and kept the Ross boxes in my Jeeps, but quality components are getting scarce for these old steering boxes.

For the first time I am going to use a Saginaw steering box in the "MB Clone" project I am currently building, and may go that route with others in the future.