shimming PS box

Burdar · May 06, 2021, 10:30:48 AM

My steering coupler retainer is hitting one header tube. Just the 4 edges/corners of the retainer are making contact when the steering wheels is turned. I can still turn the wheel so contact isn't much. It's hitting a "valley" in the header tube so raising or lowering the engine will make the issue worse...not better. My first thought was to just trim off the corners slightly. Then I thought about shimming the power steering box to move the coupler away from the header tube. It wouldn't take much. Anyone ever done this? Is this an acceptable thing to do?

Adding a piece of 20gauge steel to the inside mounts(between the K and the box) might be enough since the amount of movement at the coupler will be more then the movement at the box mount.

I mentioned this idea so someone locally and they suggested replacing the stock coupler retainer with one of those 1 piece rubber/poly ones. Does anyone have one of that style that can measure its size for me? It seems like it might be larger then the stock stamped steel retainer.

Maybe trying to push the tail shaft of the trans over a little bit would give me more clearance as well?

Scooter · May 06, 2021, 10:54:48 AM

Is dimpling the header tube a possibility?

Burdar · May 06, 2021, 11:17:07 AM

It's polished ceramic coated from TTI. That's a last resort.

Scooter · May 06, 2021, 11:26:16 AM

Quote from: Burdar on May 06, 2021, 11:17:07 AM
It's polished ceramic coated from TTI. That's a last resort.

I have ceramic coated and polished headers on both my older rides. If done right you hardly notice.. but I totally understand your aversion to putting a hammer and block of wood to new shiny parts... expensive shiny parts at that.

HP2 · May 06, 2021, 12:47:29 PM

DC Performance manuals suggest shimming the box to create best case alignment for steering components. If it were mine, I'd do it without hesitation.

GoodysGotaCuda · May 06, 2021, 06:59:46 PM

I shimmed my borgeson box to get a decent coupler/u-joint angle about 10,000 miles ago. Seems fine.

Burdar · May 07, 2021, 05:31:47 AM

@GoodysGotaCuda what kind of shim did you use? I don't want to get crazy with it. Too much and I think it would put stress on the single outside box mount. I don't want to crack the box. Do I need to try and taper the shim at all or will just a thin piece of steel work...added to the inside mounts where the two bolts are?

dodj · May 07, 2021, 05:47:49 AM

Quote from: Burdar on May 06, 2021, 11:17:07 AM
It's polished ceramic coated from TTI. That's a last resort.

I'll bet. Wouldn't want to 'ding' expensive headers like that either.
How much shim material do you think you need to add?

GoodysGotaCuda · May 07, 2021, 06:01:36 AM

Quote from: Burdar on May 07, 2021, 05:31:47 AM
@GoodysGotaCuda what kind of shim did you use? I don't want to get crazy with it. Too much and I think it would put stress on the single outside box mount. I don't want to crack the box. Do I need to try and taper the shim at all or will just a thin piece of steel work...added to the inside mounts where the two bolts are?

I don't recall exactly, but I believe I made a shim out of 1/4" steel plate.

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Burdar · May 07, 2021, 06:19:35 AM

QuoteI don't recall exactly, but I believe I made a shim out of 1/4" steel plate.

So the Borgeson box still uses the three stock mounting points right? You added the shim to the inside where the two bolts are located? Did you taper the shim or is it just a block?

QuoteHow much shim material do you think you need to add?

The steering wheel can still be turned but you can feel it rubbing the header on the four corners. It would be nice to have about 1/8" clearance. Since the box mount is on one end and the coupler is on the opposite end, a small shim at the mount SHOULD move the coupler a farther distance.

chargerdon · May 07, 2021, 07:19:17 AM

On my 74 Challenger i have Patriot full length headers...

on drivers side one of the tubes has the steering LINK bar running thru the header, and i had a clearance problem also.. the grease fittings were hitting the header tube when turning the wheel.

So, i put about an 1/8 inch plate between the top of the steering box and the Frame and it changed the angle enough to have the grease fittings clear the LINK bar. If i remember right i used two pieces of 18 gauge sheet metal i had in the garage. It doesn't take a lot to change the angle enough.

JonH · May 07, 2021, 08:27:10 AM

I used GM front end alignment shims I had. They come in different thicknesses...

shawge · May 07, 2021, 09:29:42 AM

I modified a tapered rear spring shim that was at the correct angle I needed. Trimmed to fit the pad and added slots to slip the shim in between the bolts