steering box R&R: do i care about the locks and versions? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

bricktron · #1 09-22-2016, 03:52 PM

thanks rich, those pictures are very helpful. it sounds like the first gen box needs those different pitman and idler arms with stop lugs at the end. the fact that the replacement box's pitman arm does not have the lug (it is identical to the installed one) tells me that it does not depend on external stops. great, done! now to continue with the swap job.

FWIW, on my workbench, the arm rotates about 75 degrees from stop to stop.

DeliveryValve · #2 09-22-2016, 04:23 PM

Being curious, I dug out a couple of boxes out of storage. On further review the box I thought without an A, A* or AK is actually an A*. The ID was not stamped straight.
I removed it from a car with pitman arm 2350 (no steering stop lug tab) installed (left on pic below).

It's interesting AK box (right in pic below) came with a pitman arm 2355 (with steering stop lug tab) and that is original to the box.

Aaron, I would imagine you are correct with the assumption on the pitman arm if it's original. But that would be easy to find out once you start using it. I've read if you did a sharp turn on an early box with no external stop, it would cause the tires to rub on the wheel well.

DeliveryValve · #3 09-22-2016, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

I've always wondered, but have not a chance to research, does anybody know what pitch means? i.e. 9mm pitch and 10.5mm pitch. I found in the FSM the pitch of the first gen and 2nd Gen Boxes are 10.5.
....
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What I gathered is pitch in a steering box is just like a screw pitch. So in a recirculating ball steering box, the pitch of 9mm or 10.5mm is how much the ball travels around from one crest of the thread to the other. My assumption is the 9mm pitch would be faster steering.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bricktron

...
FWIW, on my workbench, the arm rotates about 75 degrees from stop to stop.

Good info. I put everything back in storage, I'll need to check the boxes next time.

.

bricktron · #4 09-23-2016, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

What I gathered is pitch in a steering box is just like a screw pitch. So in a recirculating ball steering box, the pitch of 9mm or 10.5mm is how much the ball travels around from one crest of the thread to the other. My assumption is the 9mm pitch would be faster steering.

it's a "more indirect ratio" (46-412:13d), whatever that means. the "ratio in center position" and "total ratio in center position" also differ, but don't ask me to explain what they are.

it would be nice to know if they included the years or chassis number when these changes occurred. both my boxes's part numbers start with 116 -- not even mentioned in the article. oh well!