splodge

Doug · October 23, 2005, 7:35pm

Hi, can any one help I need a new worm for inside of the steering box, canyou tell me if a left hand one would fit a right hand drive, some say yes and others say no. the car is desoto diplomat deluxe rhd 2 dr sports coupe.
cheers Doug

sportfury1959 · October 23, 2005, 10:28pm

Doug, if you post a picture here, I can compare it with the worm that I have. But, I’m convinced that it is the same, otherwise the car would turn to the left when you pull the steering wheel to the right and vice-versa.

Stefan

system · October 24, 2005, 6:38am

Hi Stefan, heres pic of desoto the lads over here all say different things, and to get a worm made up new its going to cost around £600. cheers Doug

system · October 24, 2005, 7:15am

sorry Stefan, early morning here I thought you meant a pic of car I haven’t taken the worm out yet, the show season has just finished I didn’t want to take it apart if I couldn’t get another one. Doug.

sportfury1959 · October 25, 2005, 8:16am

Dough,
Here are two pictures for you. One from the housing, that might be different to the one you have. The other one is of the worm. What makes you think you need a new worm shaft?

Stefan

Doug · October 26, 2005, 6:18pm

Hi Stefan, Thanks for the pics, I will take photo’s tomorrow (thurs) and post them, showing steering box outer casing. I think I need the worm because I don’t know if its the same as yours, but mine has a nut with grub screw in the middle of it and this is wound right in.
When I was restoring it the chap in the garage who done the brake system said it needed a new box and there is a least 6 inches of play on the steering wheel back and forth without the wheels moving, it drives like that other famous chrysler The Sherman Tank.
Thanks Doug.

Faulkner · October 26, 2005, 8:44pm

I just sent this email to Doug:

Dan:

Doug – I wrote to Octie Ham, a fellow who was an engineer for Chrysler many years (he’s in the showcase, under sport fury). I hadn’t heard from him in a while, so I “googled” him. Amazingly, I found this!

Re: Slack in steering box

Here’s the text of the posting:

From: Octie Ham
Email: jhham@aol.com
Remote Name: 205.188.208.139
Date: January 19, 2004

Earlier this month, I asked a similar question on my '59 Plymouth P/S gear. NAPA has a kit for seals, gaskets, etc. but no bearings or hard parts. When I talked with several people, I learned that one question to ask the rebuilder is: what will the final cost be for rebuilding my gear. Several shops will charge $250-300 to rebuild it, but add in extra cost for “parts”. I’m from Michigan and I located a local shop who specializes in antique steering gears. It’s called Harrys, located in Fraser, Mi. 586-296-2920. I visited them and talked about what “normal” problems they found inside the Mopar gear. The steering (output) shaft tends to wear under the seal and bushings. Fot this they spray weld and regrind the shaft to size - this is included in my $250 rebuild cost. I’ll pick the gear up in a week and see in the spring what he car drives like.

On a lark, I called Harry’s; he confirms, the worms are different, one’s left hand thread, the other is right. But he has the parts! In fact, he says whatever parts you need, he has. And if you want him to rebuild the box, he’ll do that too. BTW – if you do need a worm (and he says you may not), there’s a piston that needs to be replaced too; they come as a matched set.

Good luck, let me know if I can help further!

Dan

Doug · November 2, 2005, 7:38pm

Hi Dan, just to say thanks a lot for your help, I phoned Harry’s and they have all the parts I need for the steering box, so I will be shipping it over to them as soon as I have the time to take it out of the car. I only need a few more bits and she will then be complete, but i’ll put up a new post for these.
cheers Doug

Faulkner · November 2, 2005, 7:43pm

Most excellent – “brill”, I think you would say Best of luck with it…

Dan