Steering box questions

["Minette, Mike" <mminette@noclant.navy.mil>]

Reply to the message of Saturday January 31, 1998 20:44 -0500
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I bought a couple of sets of spare front-end components for the Ghia,
and found a steering box I think is in better shape than my original. It
seems to be from a later year, however, with an "A" appended to its part
number. What disturbs me is that instead of a square-drive screw plug
for lubrication it has two plastic friction plugs, and on disassembly
it I find it full of heavy grease. I always put 90wt gear oil in mine
before. Have I been doing the wrong thing, or did they change specs
along the way somewhere? What's best for lubrication? And for you real
technoids, how do I conclusively determine which box is in better shape?

Steven Ayres, Prescott AZ
'66 KGhia 1600


Steve, it is Mike from VA, hey.  The lube should be grease.  You can bench
check them, but in car is best.  Bench test by, tightening adjuster until
you feel binding, by turning the steering tube spindle, then back of until
no binding is felt.  Then turning the spindle back and forth, at mid
travel(which would be wheels straight), there should be no backlask.
That's about the best you can do.

          Mike

P.S.  Did you tell your kin about the place I have in the So. East
Mountains?