Cuda 440 Power Steering Box Removal

[greatscot333]

I have a 1974 Cuda 440 clone with stock exhaust manifolds and I have to pull my power steering box out to have it rebuilt and I had a question about the method of removal.

I have seen a Youtube video of a guy with a '70 440 six pack Challenger with headers having to remove his driver's side header and pull that side torsion bar to the rear to drop the stock power steering box out the bottom.

I'm trying to find out if I can avoid having to do all that because I have a 440 in a Cuda with stock exhaust manifolds. I'm hoping to be able to just remove the power steering pump and pull the stock power steering box out towards the radiator.

Does anyone happen to know if that is the best approach?

[Cuda Cody]

Welcome to the forum @greatscot333    

Yes, with a stock exhaust manifold I think there's room to get the power steering box out.  Maybe @Chryco Psycho  will chime in and put his 2 cents in.  Have you already separated the power steering box from the steering column shaft?

[greatscot333]

Hey Cody

Yes, the steering column has been removed so I could put a bearing block in the lower portion where the stock nightmare of the unknown used to be. 340Challconvert found that fix for me in another forum and I can't thank him enough.

There is one thing I read that made me wonder what the P.O. might have put in the car for a steering column. They mentioned "flats" ground into either side of the lower shaft and mine is without those. This used to be a 1974 318 automatic car and it is now going to be a 440 clone with a Tremec 5 spd. and a Firm Feel stage two power steering box.
Can you give this column a look and see if I have what I think I have and if it will work?

[Chryco Psycho]

there are flats where the steering shaft [2 pieces] are slid together , nowhere else
In my experience there is not enough room to remove the steering box out the top at all , , down is the only way out & the manifold will have to come off , possibly you can leave the T bar in place tho ,
Welcome to the site too 

[1 Wild R/T]

I've done it a few times on a 440 Challenger I use to own... I made the mistake of putting a Chrysler reman box it the car before I put a Firm Feel box in it...  I left the exhaust manifold & headpipe completely alone... I did remove the torsion bar.. The box comes out the bottom easily as it rolls down off the K member...

[Cuda Cody]

@greatscot333  Looks like you might need to take the box out the bottom.  As for the steering column, can you post a photo of the complete column?  Does your steering shaft slide in and out (it shouldn't, but if the plastic pins are broke it might).  If you have the shaft all the way out, how long is it?  You can look for date codes too if you want to know what year the column is.

[greatscot333]

Cody

Thanks for getting back to me. I will get that column shaft measurement later this morning. I don't think the collapsible pins are broken in the column.
I'll send pics of the column. I'm going to clean it up and paint it but here it is as taken out of the car.

[Cuda Cody]

Looks like a nice 71 to 74 column.   

[greatscot333]

Hey ChrycoPsycho
Thank you for the welcome and the information. Same to everyone else trying to help.

I have been trying multiple sources of possible information to try to figure out the easiest, least invasive plan of attack for removing my steering box and the answers have been interesting if not all in agreement on the subject.

I emailed Steer and Gear and some others because I figured they might know about this procedure and this is what Carmen at S&G had to say.
I want to say in advance that there might be more than one way to skin this cat and I am posting Carmen's reply only for the sake of discussion. I asked Carmen if I could just remove the power steering pump and take it out that way. This is what he said.

Hi Jon
Yes you may also have raise the motor in that side. carmen
It will come strait up out of the car if you raise the engine, no need to remove pump. carmen

Having said that and having looked at the car carefully I think Carmen might be right also but when he says "raise the engine" I wonder how far he is talking about raising the engine. I have stuff on my firewall that would interfere with raising the engine more than an inch or two and (I don't think) that would be nearly enough. Some of the pictures look like it might come out that way.

If all I had to do was slide a torsion bar back to get it out the bottom, that would be awesome.

I've adopted the consensus method of learning from the forums and outside information and so far I have three different procedures and little consensus. I am not inclined in the least to make this post into a complaint. The information I get here is invaluable and I appreciate the hell out of all of it.

If you are wondering "why doesn't he just shut up and do it?" I'm a disabled senior and I'm going to be paying for lift time and having an alignment done and reinstalling the steering column all at the same time.
I really don't expect a modern, younger mechanic to know any of this stuff (I sure didn't). I'd rather reduce the fumbling and dumbling while the clock is ticking.
I'm trying to be prepared with all the right parts and a plan and you guys have already been a huge help. Please don't stop.

Thank you very sincerely, Jon S.

[greatscot333]

Cody

Thanks as always. Your info is really good stuff.

My steering shaft end to end is close to 40.5" as measured over the flange and bowls.

[Chryco Psycho]

I would take it out the bottom , pull the column & loosen the lower control & the T bar adjuster , remove the snap ring behind the bar &  arm & pry both the arm & T bar back then you can slide the lower control arm back into place & drop the steering box out , you need to disconnect the hoses & center link also of course

[greatscot333]

ChrycoPsycho

Can't thank you enough. I'm going to read what you said again very carefully because I'm not sure I got it on the first read.

Again, thank you. This is exactly what I needed.

[Chryco Psycho]

 

[greatscot333]

I would take it out the bottom , pull the column & loosen the lower control & the T bar adjuster , remove the snap ring behind the bar &  arm & pry both the arm & T bar back then you can slide the lower control arm back into place & drop the steering box out , you need to disconnect the hoses & center link also of course

ChrycoPsycho

I've been examining the front end parts and figuring out what needs to be moved out of the way to drop the power steering box out of the car. I read what you said in your post and I'm not quite getting it. The lower section of the quote mentions moving the control arm after removing the rear end clip on the T-bar, loosening the T-bar adjuster and sliding the T-bar to the rear. At this point, the lower control arm is moved either forwards or backwards to make room to drop the steering box out? Am I understanding what you said below correctly? Is there any more disassembly besides the pitman arm?

remove the snap ring behind the bar &  arm & pry both the arm & T bar back then you can slide the lower control arm back into place

Thanks for all your help, Jon S.

[Chryco Psycho]

Once you loosen the torsion bar adjuster nut inside the lower control arm , the lower control arm pivot pivot nut & the nut in the lower control arm for the caster strut  & remove the snap ring behind the torsion bar  both the lower control arm & T bar can be pryed backward to release the torsion bar from the rear socket & then remove the bar from the torsion bar socket & slide the T bar out of the way , separate the pitman arm from the center link & the tie rod from the center link & swing the link out of the way , assuming the PS hoses are disconnected & the steering column raised up from the steering box the steering box should just roll down & out once you remove the bolts .
I hope this makes it clearer for you