Cadillac & LaSalle Club Discussion Forum

Cadillac & LaSalle Club Forums => Technical / Authenticity => Topic started by: TomB on December 04, 2021, 03:36:46 AM

Title: deville 67 which steering rack?
Post by: TomB on December 04, 2021, 03:36:46 AM
My steering rack is oozing fluid, so will purchase a fresh one, but on the internet I find 2 different racks that both supposed to fit my vehicle, but there is a difference. See pictures attached. One has a shaft with an extra stub on the tip, the other one doesn't. Which one is for a deville 67? Or are they interchangeable despite this difference? I cannot get the old one out to verify as I need steering capability until I do the swap to a new or refurbished one.

Which brand has the best price/quality ratio? and is refurbished usually a safe bet?

Looking forward to your feedback.

Title: Re: deville 67 which steering rack?
Post by: Big Fins on December 04, 2021, 11:44:30 AM
Look into the brand Rock Auto sells.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/cadillac,1967,deville,7.0l+429cid+v8,1320185,steering,steering+gear,7416

The Lares name is the name I hear come up all of the time in association with a quality rebuild. I have never replaced a steering box so I have no experience with the seller.

Yours just may need to be resealed. Not hard to do with the right kit. The hardest part is getting the box out and the Pitman arm off. Try it on an Eldorado and you know what a PITA really is
Title: Re: deville 67 which steering rack?
Post by: "Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364 on December 04, 2021, 12:35:34 PM
Tom,
as your first picture notes, the same box was used from 1962-1976, and it was used for many applications of many vehicles, so the ratios were multiple.  What I found is the rebuilders don't seem to pay a lot of attention to the origin of the boxes that come in so the ratios you get might be a crap shoot.  I went through 3 boxes from Rock Auto without getting one that was any good, so inspite of having good luck with most of their products, I have mine rebuilt by a local alignment shop that specializes in large trucks. They seem to have the expertise to do the job right and I have my original ratio.
Greg Surfas
Title: Re: deville 67 which steering rack?
Post by: Dave Shepherd on December 04, 2021, 01:25:23 PM
For what is worth, I had trouble with a rebuilt gear box from Lares on another brand car, very poor service and excuses over the phone.
Title: Re: deville 67 which steering rack?
Post by: savemy67 on December 04, 2021, 02:49:41 PM
Hello Tom,

The attached photo shows the steering box out of my 1967 Sedan DeVille, which I rebuilt myself.  It looks like the one in your top photo.

The rebuild kit was, at the time, less than $30.  A DIY steering box rebuild requires patience.  PM me if you want advice on whether or not you should attempt a rebuild yourself.  Or you can go to the Restoration Corner section of this forum and look for my thread - High School Reunion with '67 Sedan DeVille - and scroll down for the steering rebuild posts.

Respectfully submitted,

Christopher Winter
Title: Re: deville 67 which steering rack?
Post by: 79 Eldorado on December 04, 2021, 04:27:14 PM
I thought the change to metric included the 1976 model year. So I thought the steering gears/boxes were English including up to 1975 model year only and not to 1976 as indicated above.

Long story but while working on a 1968 I discovered that the PS pumps were converted to metric by simply swapping out a thread-able fitting on the back of the pump. If you have an English version and need a metric version all you need to do is remove the English version and thread in the metric version. The fitting holds the pressure relief inside the PS pump and so when they made the change to metric they kept the OD threads for the metric fittings the same as the OD threads for English (fitting ID is specific to English or metric). That meant the pump itself didn't need to change. Again long story as to why but I needed to make a change and I was able to buy the fitting only from PSC Motorsports in Texas.
https://www.pscmotorsports.com/

I don't know if PSC rebuilds assemblies but I can say that a few times when I've contacted them their techs have been very helpful regarding parts and recommendations including the proper pressure relief I needed when I converted one car to hydro-boost brakes. One reason you may want to change is if you want to take the opportunity to alter effort or turns lock-to-lock while you are repairing the leak.

Scott

Title: Re: deville 67 which steering rack?
Post by: The Tassie Devil(le) on December 06, 2021, 07:49:49 PM
Don't forget that the Cadillac Steering Box should be a Variable Ratio one, unlike the lesser GM brands that use the same box, but not Variable Ratio.

Bruce. >:D