Manual steering on a mud truck

xjs3667 · September 16, 2012, 10:24:18 AM

what it really comes down to is what is the truck going to be seeing more of..... street or offroad..... if on the street manual is just fine, other than slow speeds/ tight turns then you find your forearm muscles real good

if its guna be offroad only you can go either way just take it easy while you get used to manual steering off road...... I to have been there as I had one them 3 spoked steering wheels with the holes in it and the dumbass I was had my fingers in the wholes just messin around a old 2 track... jit a good

and it about ripped all 3 fingers off my hand..... luckuly my wrist disloacted and saved my fingers, its just like everything new you have to have a respect for it, or man up and go balls to wall and find out on our own and learn from mistakes thats the only way you can compare the 2 some people like and some dont,

kinda like comparing a Chevy to a ford..... and we all know Chevy is the best

BigFrank · September 16, 2012, 01:17:16 PM

summit racing part # sum 340112 big block short water pump power steerin brackets polished aluminum 129.95

Jthomas · September 16, 2012, 01:29:00 PM

I'm thinking ill go manual, until I get my power steering back in order

Yeah, i know I'm stupid.

xjs3667 · September 16, 2012, 05:06:01 PM

I do have a couple pumps for V-belt and both have brackets if your interested?

xjs3667 · September 16, 2012, 05:06:29 PM

^^ sbc as far as I know...

Jthomas · September 16, 2012, 05:08:35 PM

I have the stock pump off a sbc. But im not sure if I can find the bracket. Or if it will even work.

Thumper · September 16, 2012, 07:30:32 PM

been boggin long long time full arm strong manual steering and have never had a problem. I never wanted to give up that extra horsepower to run the pump, don't care how little hp I save, power is power. Just recently switched to hydro and love it but I really miss the work out. Running a power box with out the pump will really get old fast, get manual box geared to pit your tires and a big steering wheel

Jthomas · September 16, 2012, 07:58:57 PM

Where do I take my box too? Or is it something I could do?
I already have a big wheel

Jthomas · September 17, 2012, 01:35:45 AM

Anyone have a problem breaking the rubber disk?

xjs3667 · September 17, 2012, 01:58:05 AM

I have once but it was pretty worn out... I could pull it apart with my fingers

fixed that by removing the rubber disc altogether and just bolting the 2 flanges together...... but once again by doing that it is some what like a shock absorber, so by removing it you feel everything and with manual steering it is instant, just know not to have a death grip on the wheel when you go into a pit, a rut , or even over a good

, just let the steering wheel slide in your had a little and do its own thing, unless your guna hit some thing like a tree..... been there done that, and me and my pass. were pulling on the wheel as hard as we could to try and get out the rut but ended up nose into the tree ahhh the good old days

Jthomas · September 17, 2012, 02:04:41 AM

That's a good idea. I don't really care about the shock absorber.

Would re gearing my box be something I could do? Or do I have to send it out?

xjs3667 · September 17, 2012, 02:15:54 AM

you could do it, its actually real easy to do, but you want to get a manual steering box, if you use a power steering box its a instant fail... Im sure you have had power steering go out on ya before and it would be the same, manual boxes are geared different and are different gears in them,

pretty much to change the gears, I am assuming its a saginaw box, take the 4 bolts off the top cover and you have access to all the gears and there should be a few snap rings in there, also pull the pitman arm as that gear comes out first, and then the shaft gear......

where to buy the gears.... i got no clue

I'll do some calling around and see what I can come up with, what size tires you running or plan on running and what type of system, like is it a crossover?

Jthomas · September 17, 2012, 02:19:23 AM

Stock GM front end lol. 40" hawgs. Maybe going 42s.

Don't bash the axles. I'll upgrade when I get the time.

Hammerlane · September 17, 2012, 03:56:44 PM

Quote from: Jthomas on September 17, 2012, 01:35:45 AM
Anyone have a problem breaking the rubber disk?

Called a rag joint.. and yea.. failure is going to happen esspecially if your strong armin it.
need to get a ujoint type in there.

uh.. and that would be a DIY type repair.

Jthomas · September 18, 2012, 03:18:52 AM

Do I just plug the lines, or have to get a manual box?

Hammerlane · September 18, 2012, 03:59:44 PM

done both, PS type is harder to turn..
i've even run them w/open lines before..
don't take long to trash em' that way though.

Jthomas · September 18, 2012, 04:06:52 PM

Hmm. Looks like I'll be getting a workout till I get a bracket.

xjs3667 · September 18, 2012, 07:55:04 PM

wtf...my other post didn't show up

.....

anyways yes you are going to want to get a manual steering gearbox... im sure you have had ps go out on ya before and you know how hard it is to turn, the gears and gearing are different in a manual box, and yes they are easy to change yourself, if you get a saginaw box all you have to do is pull pitman arm, disconect steering shaft, take out the 4 bolts on top of the box and theres your gears, theres a couple snap rings in there, and then push up on the pitman arm shaft and that gear will come out, then same thing for steering shaft gear, idk where to buy the gears but what size tires are you planning on running? I'll make a few calls and find out where to get the gears and what gearing is the best for ya and how much