I sprung another leak in the hose that runs from the steering stabilizer to the steering box on my 76 highboy. I plan to do the power steering conversion soon but I need to drive it everyday until the kit arrives. I tried to plug both holes in the box going to the steering stabilizer and back but it didn't help. Then I got new fittings and created a by-pass. The steering stabilizer is still on the truck it just doesn't have the lines running power steering fluid to it any more. Still really hard to steer but not as bad as before. Do I need to remove the stock steering stabilizer or am I way off in thinking I can re-route the fluid to skip the steering stabilizer. I may just get the section of hose that leaks replaced with a high pressure hose if I can't figure out this mess.

 

It may just be me, but I don't know what your'e talking about, a steering stabilizer is nothing but a modified shock absorber.

 

If you have a Haynes book look at the chapter that covers steering. There is a picture that shows the stabilizer with two hard lines attached to it. They really don't show you were they go in the book but those two lines run to the box that has the two power steering lines attached also. There are four lines total at this box. I keep blowing the high pressure line that runs to the stabilizer. I tried to bypass the two lines to the stabilizer by running a high pressure line from the return side to the outgoing side but still no power assist. Then I replaced the peice of rubber in the original line with a high pressure line and it blew. I'm out of ideas. Anyone else know any tricks I can try or what may cause this.

 

> I keep blowing the high pressure line that runs to the stabilizer.

I would go to NAPA, find something that fits length wise in the hydraulic catalog, with attaching ends closest to mine, and use that.

Are the hoses giving way at the ends or bursting whereever?

If you have a hose coming out of the fitting just looping around, out of the box or stabilizer, then you will have problems. You want a fitting that comes out at 90 degrees and the hose attaches to that. You want to avoid hose bends, especially near the fittings.

 

The hose blows at different spots every time. I had Napa create a custom hose that closely resemble the stock hose. The rubber section starts about 2 inches after the metal line leaves the box. It does go strait up and uses the rubber section for the bend over the frame. Maybe that has something to do with it? The only thing else I could think of was the possibility that the stabilizer is not allowing the fluid through it causing the pressure to build up beyond what the hose is rated. Is that possible though? Does the stabilizer allow fluid to only flow one way? Maybe I have the return line attached where the incomming line should be?

 

i would quit wasting you time on the stock crappy hydro asssit and put a good ps box on, and run a crossover setup

 

That's not a steering stabalizer... That's the power assist ram, without it, you are running manual steering.
The steering box on your truck has no power assist mechanism in it, just a spool valve to control the ram.

I'm with HO, trash it for a proper P/S box and run x-over steering.

 

Ok. I've decided to go with the power steering conversion. I've read about the kits that sell on ebay but this computer won't allow me to view ebay. It's my work computer so a lot of sites are blocked. Anybody want to tell me how much the kit goes for? If I do the conversion I want to use all new parts since the selection in the junk yards suck and rough looking at best. Any web sites that have the kit other than ebay? I've been driving my truck around with manual steering since I first posted and this is really starting to suck. I'm just glad I only have 33's on it and not the 38's. My arms are getting very sore.

 

i dont know about new, but your gonna have to find a 2wd box, or a 78-79 f-250 box...then a crossover arm and make a draglink with some tube and tie rod ends.

for my crossover im using chevy tre's, and 1.5 inch 3/8 wall dom tube with a shakerbuilt arm i bought off of sumone for cheap