HOW TO:

Restore your pre-rack classic Ford’s steering feel with our step-by-step guide.

Rebuild your steering box Restore your box-equipped classic Ford’s steering feel with our comprehensive step-bystep guide.

Few of us pay much attention to the steering box on our classic Ford until something goes wrong with it. But if you’ve ever had to manoeuvre a car whose box has become excessively worn or stiff, you’ll know how important it is to keep the set-up in good condition and topped up with the correct fluid.

While you can attempt to rebuild your unit at home, it’s a job best left to those with the specialist tools and knowledge. The steering box in the following sequence was rebuilt by Simon Everett of Steering Services. He frequently gets calls from enthusiasts halfway through the job who realise they’re in over their heads.

“If you’re going to try it at home,” explains Simon, “work slowly in a methodical way and be sure to mark any piece that you think you might reinstall incorrectly. And please, if you’re bringing me a box to work on, give the outside a decent clean and try to empty it of as much fluid as possible first!”

Here’s how it’s done.

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Loosen the self-locking nut that fixes the drop arm. Then use a suitable hub puller to remove the arm because it’s likely to be firmly in place. Mark the arm’s position in relation to the sector shaft to ensure it goes back on facing the correct way. Remove the grub screw for the locking rack adjuster, in this case using a suitable hexagon key. Drift the retainer ring out from the cover plate for the cylinder, using a drift to ease it outwards, and remove it. Be careful not to bend it with excessive force because you’ll be reusing it. Gently hammer the sector shaft up and out using a soft mallet. As it’s being removed, be prepared for more power steering fluid to pour out.