PSC 04-02 Dodge BIG BORE XD 2500/3500 Steering Gear - Design 02/2018 - my experiences

Sorry all just now (2/26/18) realized when I was typing the title I had a finger slip = 04-02 should be “94”-02 - D’oh!
This all started on 11/12/17 when I read a thread started by RRasch on 11/7/18 titled "No more Borgeson steering boxes for 2nd gen Dodge?". My original steering box @ 230k mile was "past it" and leaking, I thought about rebuilding it myself and within RRasch's thread acquired some advice, I read the shop manual on the rebuild procedure and decided to order up a PSC unit from Geno's - I ordered it late Dec. 2017.

On 2/19/18 I received the “59 lbs.” PSC unit, apparently the reason it took almost 2 months to arrive is because PSC was making modifications. It is huge compared to the stock box.

2/21/18
I began installation, I say “began” as I ran out of light and it started to rain last night. What a RPIA hefting that thing up and down out of the chassis to see what was interfering with it going up and in. I left the box hanging in there by one bolt, thank god at least, hopefully, I’m done with bench pressing the unit up and down, fighting with the creeper from creeping down the driveway (gave up on using the creeper) and fighting the floor jack from creeping down the driveway while trying to get a bolt thru the chassis to the box as well. It is “not” a direct R & R in the classic sense as it appears (in the dwindling light and from what I could see with a drop light) that the fluid lines from the pump will need to be tweaked from hitting the wiring harness along the timing cover, or the harness might need to be moved, or both, not totally sure as of yet, hope to know more today if the rain holds off. Also, the trans lines to the rad are right on the side of the box and will need to be bent out of the way, not sure about the pitman arm to drag link mounting hole yet = it appears to be a tapered hole but looks smaller that the original so I might need to take the old arm and new one to a machine shop for matched tapering of the hole, I hope not....???? A few notes for those that have not yet installed the PSC box:
1- If you don’t have an 1-13/16” socket get one now, NAPA had in-stock @ $27. None of the local to me parts stores near me (Autozone, Etc.) had in-stock nor did HomoDepot or even Sears.
2- PSC doesn’t include installation instructions. I “guess” it’s supposed to be a direct R & R = not.
3- Plan on getting someone to help install that first bolt - although 59# isn’t really heavy if you’re laying on your back trying to heft it in and out it might as well be a ton.
4- Plan on tweaking the trans lines and possibly moving the wiring harness that runs along the side of the timing cover.
5- If you haven’t already extended or otherwise addressed the puke hose (a.k.a. = Dodge auxiliary chassis lubrication system) from the timing cover now would be a good time.
More to come once complete.

2/22/18 I called PSC around 10:45 Eastern time to ask “a few” questions, such as: why a $700 non-stock box doesn’t include some sort of installation tips/instructions. And to seek info on some other things I’d like to know. Not totally ****** off yet, I was prepared when I opened the box and eyeballed the whole job to see how much “fun” it was going to be, just a bit un-nerved that there were no instructions.


PSC Tech Support (Kelvin) was very pleasant and seemed knowledgeable. He explained that the modifications were so new they had not yet developed instructions. I asked about the spacers. He said they go between the box and the frame unless I get lucky and it bolts right up. I asked if the stock torque specs should be used or if they offered specs. He said stock will be fine.



So today's progress:

Determined spacers had to be used. Frame would have interfered with the top edge of the box.
Removed the wiring harness strap screws along the timing cover and move the harness rearward as much as possible because the "straight" 2-3" long return fluid line would have penetrated the harness.
Thank god I had at least one bolt threaded into the box. A real RFPIA trying to finesse the other two, with spacers between box and frame = pry this a bit, wedge that a bit, get an extension magnet and feed the top spacer in then go back under and see if the bolt will go thru the spacer, then wiggle and pry away a bit more to line up and catch 4 or 5 good turns. From there the other two were easier, buy by no means a cake walk... Got the 3 bolts snugged up so the box is tight to the frame.

Now the easy part, or so I thought, connecting up the slip shaft from the column to the box input shaft. WHAT!!?? It's too short, ARGH!!! Well my shaft don't slip no more so, out it came, lots of penetrating fluid and tapping on the ground then loosely stick in the bench vice and pull the other way (sort of like using a dent puller) after a while it budged enough to wire brush some of the rust off, and then more pen-oil, tap, pull, wire brush until it slipped pretty freely. Feed in grease, slid in/out, more grease, etc.
So, I went back out to give her a go and don't you know Mother nature decided I was done for the day, letting me know this by the downpour that began. Thanks Mom, really, I've had enough by that time anyway.

More to come... tomorrow, weather permitting...

 

Done, finally. Weather was partially a determining factor in how long it took me to install, along with my working environment = not being able to get the truck in my 1 car garage, the dreaded slope of the driveway away from the garage, the joint between the driveway and garage floor (creeper gets stuck in it and then once out of the joint down the drive you go, got to get another home with a bigger garage.)

Anyhow, I got to tell you if I wasn’t determined to win the battle of making this box fit I would have packed it back up and gotten a stock replacement. Yes it was a RPIA and fought me every step of the way from getting it up into the chassis then figuring out how to hold it there long enough to get one bolt in and the list could continue...

Now that it’s done I’ll pick up where I left off, but first say it drives better (hope this isn’t my imagination with the glee of winning the box installation battle). It takes less effort to keep it tracking straight and seems to take less effort and a bit less steering wheel movement when turning.

Once the box was up, spacers between it and the frame and snugged in with the 3 mounting bolts a bit more fun began. Already mentioned that my shaft from the bottom of the column to the sector shaft was short by about 1” and that I worked thru that, but since it was so much fun I couldn’t neglect to not mention again. The slip portion of the shaft was so tight that once I got it inserted into the column end and the bolt just placed in the hole to hold it I couldn’t align and insert on the sector shaft, it would be either too long, a bit short or just wanted to fight me. Eventually I inserted it in the sector shaft first and then using a bungee cord to hold it up I lined up the column end and gently tapped into the splined column end, inserting the bolt and then torqued both bolts.

Remember the harness along the timing cover being in the way and the fluid supply & return lines from box to pump wanting to penetrate the harness? Well I guess I got lucky because all I ended up having to do when reinstalling the harness support brackets was to bend the one closest to the box backward, which when tightened provided about 1/4” between the harness and the return line. I then released the fastening snap device that holds the 2 trans lines along the block re-bent the 2 lines (no fancy tools just placed a wrench between the box or oil pan and “tweaked” by hand) so the one wasn’t pressed on the side of the box and the other didn’t have too tight of an angle on the hose to cooler.

Next “should have been” the easy part = install pitman arm and drag link end joint. Pitman arm, fully lubed with anti-seize just in case, went on without a hitch. Now the good part, PSC Tech Support said “if” you have to use the spacers you’ll probably have to “adjust” the drag link to get the joint into the pitman arm hole. Well, even though (years ago I replaced) the drag link sleeve, drag link and end joint were fairly free enough to turn with a small pipe wrench once clamps were free I ran the sleeve until the link and end joint bottomed on each other in the sleeve and guess what, still an inch from dropping in to the pitman arm. Oh boy was I real happy about that, not. I decided to cut off 1” of thread from the end joint instead of equal amounts from the drag link and end joint just because I didn’t want to risk damaging the joint at the end of the drag link taking it off to place in the vice and grinder wheel off some thread. Once I cleaned up the threads and threaded the end joint back into the sleeve I was able to get the joint into the pitman arm and after much up and down I got the steering wheel centered.

Followed shop manual instructions for “initial steering pump operation” and was able to test drive, results mentioned above.
FYI: initial steering pump operation basically = fill to cold fill, with wheels off the ground, engin off, turn wheel lock to lock 10 times, check/add fluid to cold fill and repeat process. After 4 times the fluid level maintained. Then lower wheels to the ground, start engine, turn lock to lock 10 times and check fluid level (engine off), another 3 times of this and the fluid level maintained.
Oh, the box (so far) doesn’t leak and the lines that I tweaked have no leaks either.

I won this battle, but wouldn’t want to do it again. All in all, great unit, got a good price from Geno’s, took a while to receive it (2 months, no fault of Geno’s BTW, due to PSC modifying the unit somehow), instructions might have helped a bit if the included some tips, such as: you’ll need a 1-13/16” socket, if spacers are used between unit and frame you most likely will need to remove some of the threaded portion from the end of the drag link and end joint in order to fit the end joint in the pitman arm, be careful that the lines from the unit to the pump do not penetrate the engine wiring harness along the side of the timing cover and (if auto trans) re-bending of the trans to cooler lines so there is no contact with the unit and there are no extreme angles on rubber portion of lines once re-bent.

I’ll post a few pictures of completed install soon, if the rain ever stops. This week the weather has seemed as if I was living in Seattle instead of Levittown, PA.

Glad this job is done and turned out successfully.

 

Thank you for the report !
Working on these old trucks is always a pleasure and help me learn lots of bad words in all languages

At that price and efforts, I would expect the benefit would be more noticeable. Perhaps it will be a long term pay off.

So, what are the other options for a shot steering box ?

Napa...
Redhead
Blue Top
PSC
...

 

FHerault, sorry but not sure of other than what you mentioned.


All, only pictures I was able to get.

Trans Lines after being tweaked #ad

The 1" section I had to cut from the end link #ad


#ad


#ad

 

Update
It has been almost a month since the install. Haven't put many miles on it, still on same tank of fuel. However, I'm happy to report; no leaks, seems like the steering takes less effort, a little less turns of the wheel to make a turn and seems to track very well on the open road = better than "ever" before.
So far so good.

 

And finally, did you modify and re-use your steering stabilizer ?