Is the hotchkins steering "kit" really worth the price tag? Or is the moog pieces just as good with a much nicer price tag? Any of you g-body guys use the hotchkins kit? Have any difference in performance or feel?
Moog or hotchkins?
- Thread starter TheFamilyTruckster
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If you mean this one from Hotchkis;
http://www.hotchkis.net/19781988_agbody ... d_kit.html
They say this;
"We have sourced only the highest quality components, and placed them in a convenient kit."
Theres a good chance they have sourced those highest quality components from Moog.
So if you check with your local NAPA dealer you may be able to get those same parts cheaper.
Guy
http://www.hotchkis.net/19781988_agbody ... d_kit.html
They say this;
"We have sourced only the highest quality components, and placed them in a convenient kit."
Theres a good chance they have sourced those highest quality components from Moog.
So if you check with your local NAPA dealer you may be able to get those same parts cheaper.
Guy
Take a look at RockAuto.com. Here are same parts for the G-body, shown in the image in the Hotchkis link, all top-quality Moog:
Centerlink assembly DS909 $50.79
Idler Arm K6187T $27.79
Outer Tie Rod End (need 2) ES2033RLT $14.15
Inner Tie Rod End (need 2) ES2034RLT $14.76
Tie Rod End Adjusting Sleeve (need 2 - or can use Hotchkis solid kit for $50) ES2032S $7.43
Even with shipping, this will save you a lot over the Hotchkis kit.
Centerlink assembly DS909 $50.79
Idler Arm K6187T $27.79
Outer Tie Rod End (need 2) ES2033RLT $14.15
Inner Tie Rod End (need 2) ES2034RLT $14.76
Tie Rod End Adjusting Sleeve (need 2 - or can use Hotchkis solid kit for $50) ES2032S $7.43
Even with shipping, this will save you a lot over the Hotchkis kit.
Another amended question... I went off and bought a 87 mc ss steering box, as mine was/is leaking, will this be a direct Nola in with nothing else to buy or modify?
The only other thing you'll need for your steering box change over would be new hoses, or the brass inserts that will make your old style hoses compatible with the newer steering box. http://lee-powersteering.com/rebuild-misc.htm
I believe you can purchase the brass inserts separately.
Also, did the box come with a pitman arm?
I believe you can purchase the brass inserts separately.
Also, did the box come with a pitman arm?
The hose ends may be different depending upon what year the power steering pump and hose is. The later ones have an O-ring. I hope your box came with the pitman arm that bolts to it...four-bolt cover 800 -type has a larger splined shaft diameter. If that's what's on your wagon now, you're fine. If the box is rebuilt, get a new pump and hoses. No need to pump old gunk into a fresh box. And, you can get the right pump and hoses to bolt up to your MCSS box.
So purchase the power steering pump, lines, and pitman arm for the 87 mcss also? Will all the other moog parts (not purchased yet) still bolt up, or are those different numbers too?
Tell me about the steering box you found. Is it a rebuilt unit? Is it a junkyard purchase? Rebuilt pumps generally do not include the arm, and the arms are not available except from a donor car. The MCSS box will be the '800' type with the square top held on by four bolts. The other is the '605' type with a round top held on my a snap ring. The 800 is more stout, and has a larger diameter splined shaft and corresponding larger splined hole in the pitman arm. The two arms are not interchangeable. And, you should source an 800 type pitman arm from any G-body so the steering geometry is right. There is a tapered hole in the other end of the pitman arm that connects to the tapered stud sticking out of the centerlink. There seems to be one part number from 78-88 for the centerlink, no matter which type steering box is on the car. If you are lucky, you already have the 800 type on your car, and you can reuse the pitman arm on your new box. I got lucky and had an 800 type on my wagon.
The single gotcha I have to report is the return hose. The hose is just universal rubber oil line attached with hose clamps. One end clamps to the curved return line sticking out of the PS pump reservoir. The other end is the problem. You need the short bent piece of steel line with the correct O-ring fitting that threads into your new SS box. It has a retaining 'bump' at the other end that keeps the low-pressure return hose from popping off. RockAuto does not list one for the 1987 MC. But, I did some sleuthing online and they do sell an Edelmann 39106 for under $10. I think you can get this part or cross-reference it at your parts store. Pump, pressure hose, return hose, return fitting, and you have replaced the whole system with your SS steering box.
The last challenge is the pump pulley. It's a press-fit, and you'll need to reuse it on your new pump. Plus, you need the pulley off to swap the mounting bracket over to your new pump. Borrow a pulley puller kit from your parts store. It includes the threaded part to press it back onto the new pump. It's a five minute job with the right tool, and you won't bend the pulley. I checked RockAuto again, and the PS pumps are generally the same part number from 1980-1988, so I think you will have no issues transplanting the bracketry.
The single gotcha I have to report is the return hose. The hose is just universal rubber oil line attached with hose clamps. One end clamps to the curved return line sticking out of the PS pump reservoir. The other end is the problem. You need the short bent piece of steel line with the correct O-ring fitting that threads into your new SS box. It has a retaining 'bump' at the other end that keeps the low-pressure return hose from popping off. RockAuto does not list one for the 1987 MC. But, I did some sleuthing online and they do sell an Edelmann 39106 for under $10. I think you can get this part or cross-reference it at your parts store. Pump, pressure hose, return hose, return fitting, and you have replaced the whole system with your SS steering box.
The last challenge is the pump pulley. It's a press-fit, and you'll need to reuse it on your new pump. Plus, you need the pulley off to swap the mounting bracket over to your new pump. Borrow a pulley puller kit from your parts store. It includes the threaded part to press it back onto the new pump. It's a five minute job with the right tool, and you won't bend the pulley. I checked RockAuto again, and the PS pumps are generally the same part number from 1980-1988, so I think you will have no issues transplanting the bracketry.
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The steering box is a reman unit. Tonight when I get home I'll put up a bend and model number. I'm also gonna have to check if my box is the snap ring box of the bolt box. Then I'll have to worry about sourcing a pitman. THEN, checking for correct tie rods... Assuming center link and idler are the same.
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