Two bolt steering box mounting

[Loope]

Yes, you read correctly, TWO bolt mounting...

The guy from whom I purchased my truck had already done several modifications, 12 volt conversion, Chevy SB engine swap, and power steering. I knew the truck needed some work that he had not yet started, e.g., brake system. So I totally replaced the brake system, (new hard lines, flex lines, dual master cylinder, wheel cylinders), new tires, tubes, flaps, carb rebuild, battery, and got the truck running.

My potentially fatal mistake....assuming that someone capable of swapping the engine, power steering, 12V conversion, etc., was actually intelligent enough to do it properly. Call me a fool, but I did not double-check his work.

I had been taking the truck on short drives only, to get a feel for any other items that might need work. My cousin had come to visit, so of course I had to take him for a drive in the truck! In the first hard curve in the road, we heard a loud "pop" and the steering wheel moved about 1/2 revolution with no response. Fortunately I was only going about 15 mph as it was a very sharp curve and there was no traffic. I kept it on the road and managed to limp back home as I was only about 1/4 mile from the house. I was left with about 1/2 revolution of play in the steering wheel before the tires would move.

When I pulled into the yard, I found that one of the steering gearbox mounting bolts had broken, the other was stretched and almost broken, the third bolt had NEVER BEEN INSTALLED! As I turned the steering wheel, the gearbox would flop around the one remaining, stretched, almost broken bolt. One of the bolts was marked as a grade 5 and the other was unmarked.

I am posting this as a caution for anyone who may have recently purchased one of these trucks. Many of these trucks have been modified and most have certainly been worked on at one time. Unless you know the person who did the work AND know the quality of their work, please be more diligent than I was and check your truck carefully to see that it is roadworthy before taking it out.

[brute4c]

Scary stuff...sorry to hear it but glad you are ok.

Thanks for postng this...yours may not be the only one...

[Loope]

I thought I would add some pictures.

This pictures shows a view of how much the gearbox has pulled away from the frame:

[img=http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/9576/dscf0827lw3.jpg]

This picture shows how I know the third bolt was never installed... note the dirt-dobber nest plugging the hole.

[img=http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/2444/dscf0837el8.jpg]

Notice the broken bolt.

[img=http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/3139/dscf0845ds3.jpg]

[Loope]

I goofed on the pictures, here is try number 2.

[Hetzer]

Insert an appropriate "Forrest Gump " quote here somewhere about whoever thought that idea up.

[fisherman]

If your power steering box is of the four hole design I would recommend using the fourth hole. This will add strength. It is fairly easy to sleeve some thick wall tubing through the frame and capture that fourth bolt hole on the box. My FSJ box has four holes and I used them all. Good luck on the repair.

[MarknessMonster]

I'd like to know the identity of the previous owner and whether this person was absent minded, careless, lazy or a dunce. That's an awful story and is the type of hack-modifications that are an injustice to all the folks who are willing and able to provide well engineered modifications to vehicles.

That is also the type of carelessness that leads us to more governing laws and regulations. It's not far-fetched to imagine that someday it may be unlawful to alter the OEM specs of any vehicle. At the least, one will likely be required to purchase a "restoration/modification" permit (another tax) prior to a vehicle modification, and a state inspector will drop by throughout the build process to check the work, thus ensuring a proper and safe vehicle modification.

[randyscycle]

and a state inspector will drop by throughout the build process to check the work, thus ensuring a proper and safe vehicle modification.

Here in Virginia, it would have been illegal for that truck to operate on the highway until it was safety inspected, by a licensed inspector.

Many here complain about that, but I think this is a shining example of why its necessary.

I have personally seen: Chains used for limiting straps on suspension, welded ball joints (the mounting stud, mind you) steering boxes barely attached, spring shackles broken off the frame, tires through to the steel belts nearly all the way across the tire surface, gas tanks strapped with nylon tie straps in lieu of steel straps, seats not bolted to the floor, hoods held down with bungee cords, brakes worn so badly that the fins inside the rotor are visible to the outside, and many other foolishly neglected things.

When these folks are issued a rejection for the safety inspection, they almost consistently ask "Why?" My reply is "Why not?"

Sadly, some people think things like this are acceptable, and have to be told once a year to fix them. They'd never take it upon themselves to do this if not for the safety inspection program.

[Loope]

My gearbox is of the three-hole type, which will soon be remounted using grade 8 bolts. Eventually I will probably replace it with a four-bolt version.

My intent was not to flame the previous owner, but simply to issue a word of caution to check the quality of work that may have been done to your vehicles.

Had I hit a pothole while on the highway rather than the bolt breaking in a low-speed turn on a back country road, the outcome may have been very different. A thorough inspection could have caught this (assuming you know to look for missing bolts).

[randyscycle]

My intent was not to flame the previous owner, but simply to issue a word of caution to check the quality of work that may have been done to your vehicles.

It didn't sound that way, and ultimately it was up to you to check it out before you drove it. I just brought up the point because there is a lot of that kind of stuff out there and it's just scary to think that someone of no mechanical abilities could have driven off and gotten seriously hurt.

Of course, I can't imagine someone of no mechanical ability owning a 715.....