Redhead steering box.

[WVRigrat05]

yeah, the 2011+ front diff actually looks like a "differential"!

Im sure its stronger, but on the other hand, its not like a lot of guys are blowing up the factory 2001-2010 front diffs...

I don't know of anyone trashing them either. But the fact you don't have to split the housing is what I like. I can't get my axles out for nothin, and I'm not splitting the case to do it, I was afraid to bust something, I used a slide hammer, come-a-long with a slide hammer, they can leak.

 

[05LLY duramax]

I just seen that Dmaxstore sell a KRYPTONITE reman steering box. Anyone know anything about them?

 

[giest]

I just seen that Dmaxstore sell a KRYPTONITE reman steering box. Anyone know anything about them?

I would like to know this as well.

 

[scottshack]

Its a Redhead

I just got my steering box from the dmax store, and it is a redhead. They want a few buck more than redhead but there shipping was significantly cheaper. I'm really happy with it so far but time will tell.

 

[WVRigrat05]

I read a thread the other day that a guy bought one and his was sliggish like the factory one, he called redhead and they sent him one with larger pistons and seems to be awesome, but that's just one guy and his opinion. I've never been totally happy with the steering on my truck.

 

[Ridin'GMC]

I adjusted my steering box after I installed the kryptonite setup. 30k miles so far and still perfect. No slops at all. It takes patience and several test driving to get the adjustment right. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, just to those who have experience with adjusting and rebuilt a steering box.

 

[WolfLMM]

and also...we put a Redhead steering box on Schulte's truck and the POS was trashed after 30k miles. I still say that the best replacement for your money is a used low-mile factory steering box from a junkyard.

IMO no "remanufactured" steering box to date has proven that it lasts as long as a "factory new" unit.

Its pretty hard to find actual "NEW" factory steering boxes. If you go to the dealer or any parts store, they will give you a remanufactured box.

What would be the ultimate badass setup would be to retrofit a 2011+ HD steering box. They have a quicker ratio (I think its 16:1, the 2010 and older HD boxes are like 20:1 or something???), much bigger/stronger. Unfortunately it wont bolt on to the 2010 and older frames...so you would need an adapter plate and some custom fab stuff.

Supposedly PSC was working on a 2011+ steering box retrofit kit, but they kinda shelved it due to the fact that they felt no customers would want to pay as much as it would cost for the kit.

Ben

Bumping an old thread here, so all you need is an adapter? Seems too simple. What about the pitman arm? Is it the same 3 spline unit 01-10 trucks use? Same length? Keeps center link in the same location? I'm not nitpicking here, I'm interested in doing the swap. But that seems to easy to be true.

Waid

 

[duratothemax]

Bumping an old thread here, so all you need is an adapter? Seems too simple. What about the pitman arm? Is it the same 3 spline unit 01-10 trucks use? Same length? Keeps center link in the same location? I'm not nitpicking here, I'm interested in doing the swap. But that seems to easy to be true.

Waid

Ive never looked at the two boxes side by side, so I cant say how much they are different. Ive never looked at any of the other steering parts side by side either.

What we need is someone who knows fabbing/suspension/steering systems, to set the two trucks side by side, and take measurements and look at the exact differences and see what would have to be done.

It would be an awesome setup, if the LML box could be retrofitted. I think PSC gave up on it because they knew that the kit would be expensive due to R&D involved...and they probably guessed they would never get their ROI, because unsuspecting customers would see an "expensive retrofit kit", sold side by side an "UPGRADED" (I use that term loosely, we know all rebuilt/upgraded boxes are shit) rebuilt 2001-2010 steering box for half the price......9 out of 10 customers who call PSC for a replacement steering box dont know that any rebuilt box is shit...and they're much much more likely to buy a $400 upgraded steering box than a $1000 (just guessing) 2011+ retrofit kit. (because the customers dont know any better, they hear "upgraded fully rebuilt steering box" and we all know anything thats labeled "upgraded" is automatically better than factory )

If that makes sense?

I have a couple friends who are incredibly talented fabricators and have built countless 4x4 buggies and offroad rigs from scratch, and designed custom steering systems (they are both mech engineers)...I would love to get them access to both trucks side-by-side, and get their input on what would be feasible, and what custom parts would be needed.

Ben

 

[OregonDMAX]

I wonder if the steering box mounting plate on the frame for gmt800 is similar to older platforms, yeah why would you want to go older most would say but then again some of the older boxes like say from the 73-87(91) platform were pretty stout. Just a thought

 

[Gil714]

If you're looking to retrofit a 2011 power steering system to you truck, you would probably be better suited to contact Jeff Howe at Howe Performance Power Steering. http://www.howeperformance.com/

He could probably give you any feedback that would be best suited to your application.

 

[c20elephant]

I wonder if the steering box mounting plate on the frame for gmt800 is similar to older platforms, yeah why would you want to go older most would say but then again some of the older boxes like say from the 73-87(91) platform were pretty stout. Just a thought

My 82 C20 has the same steering gear as my Dmax, GM used this bolt pattern and steering box dating back to the late 60's, 1968 for sure. Starting about 2007 GM went to a 670 and a 680 steering gear box up to 2010 maintaining the same bolt pattern and depth of the mounting ears for the trucks. The 670 box was part of the TSB regarding difficult slow parking lot maneuvers, part of the fix was installing a 680 box which had 4 bolts at the snout as opposed to the 3 on the 670.(and in some cases a flow valve in the P/S pump)

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

My 82 C20 has the same steering gear as my Dmax, GM used this bolt pattern and steering box dating back to the late 60's, 1968 for sure. Starting about 2007 GM went to a 670 and a 680 steering gear box up to 2010 maintaining the same bolt pattern and depth of the mounting ears for the trucks. The 670 box was part of the TSB regarding difficult slow parking lot maneuvers, part of the fix was installing a 680 box which had 4 bolts at the snout as opposed to the 3 on the 670.(and in some cases a flow valve in the P/S pump)

Well I can assure you that boxes used on GMT-400's ARE different as I tried to put a new style off my 01 donor onto my BURB and it was a no go. I'm on the lookout now for another box as my AGR with 50K miles is done.

 

[c20elephant]

Well I can assure you that boxes used on GMT-400's ARE different as I tried to put a new style off my 01 donor onto my BURB and it was a no go. I'm on the lookout now for another box as my AGR with 50K miles is done.

Were the mounting ears different or the input shaft.? Essentially the same box. I picked up a 80,000 mile core for mine to have rebuilt locally when mine quits/leaks so I hopefully have little downtime...

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Were the mounting ears different or the input shaft.? Essentially the same box. I picked up a 80,000 mile core for mine to have rebuilt locally when mine quits/leaks so I hopefully have little downtime...

Everything was different. The box on the GMT-400 may match up to the early GMT-800 4X4 1500's, but defiantely not the 2500HD and bigger.

 

[c20elephant]

Oops, the steering gear was on the outside of the frame rail on the 1989 trucks and earlier, the steering gear was essentially the same.

 

[schulte]

The first Red Head gear I got didn't last (as Ben said). They replaced it and I don't have too many miles on the new one but so far it's still OK.

PSC actually sold and upgraded gear for the GMT800's for a while, but were having reliability issues so they discontinued them.

IIRC the issue is with a bushing for the output end of the sector shaft.

Right now there is NO aftermarket/upgraded gear I've heard of that's got a 100% positive reputation.

Reman gears, regardless of whether they're cheap parts store (Advance auto, autozone, etc) or "GM Reman" are hit and miss. I've tried many of them. I have never found a source for a "new" 0 mile gear, but if I did I'm sure it would be $700+.

Low mile, unmolested, un-adjusted factory gears from junkyards or eBay are the way to go.

 

[bml2200]

Swapped in a Redhead steering box into my LBZ about 3 weeks ago. After 500 or so miles, I don't have any complaints.

 

[PSConvert]

My first Redhead lasted just over a year before springing a leak. Redhead redesigned the pitman seal to further prevent the leaks.
I have one of the new ones sitting in the garage now thanks to RH. Just need to get the ambition to put it on now..... lol

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Mine just came in from them today. Hope to get it put in after Christmas. I will say I pulled it out of the box and rotated it with a crescent wrench, and it iss nice and tight. Hope it holds up better than my pos agr did.

 

[Ridin'GMC]

I have about 30k miles on my redhead. It's holding up very well after some hard off roading and I take corners like a race car. With all the previous gearbox I've had in the past, I had to keep readjusting them until the output shaft got loose from the bushing being worn out. Redhead corrected thus issue by replacing the bushing into needle bearings which is much stronger and retains a solid steering feedback. The only issue I have now is the idler support and arm taking a crap. Time to upgrade the last steering piece.