Firm feel manual box rebuild?

-
thanson_mopar

thanson_mopar

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 9, 2007
Messages
1,946
Reaction score
13
Location
Black Hills, South Dakota
I have a standard 24:1 manual steering box from my 74 duster needing a rebuild.

I talked to firm feel about rebuilding it and quoted me $330. They said for an aditional $225 they can upgrade it to either a 20:1 or 16:1.

Should I go for the upgrade and if so which ratio. I am doing some mid grade suspension upgrades for better handling and Im sure I would like the 16:1 the best in the corners but would that kill around town drivability with the weight of a small block up front?
 
They have rebuild kits, on my to-do list. I would go with 20:1. Keep it mild...
 
A new Borgeson or Flaming River 16.1 is about the same price
 
Sedanman said:
A new Borgeson or Flaming River 16.1 is about the same price
Click to expand...

Only if a hundred bucks or more is "about the same price". The Flaming river manual box lists for $635 at Summit. The full borgeson conversion will cost more than that. Peter Bergman's Borgeson conversion kit is $859. Sure you can buy the box for less, but you still need the hoses, pump, steering coupler etc needed for that box.

I have a Flaming river 16:1 box in my Duster. It has an iron-headed 340, but pretty much everything else is aftermarket- headers, aluminum intake, aluminum radiator, water pump, battery relocated to the trunk, etc. But it also has 275/35/18's up front. Your alignment will make a difference in the steering too. Personally I like the 16:1 box, but it definitely needs some arm strength below 10 mph. Parallel parking is not fun. Doable, but not fun.

So, it depends on what you're going to run for tires and how much time you spend driving around in parking lots. My Duster is my daily driver, so, I have to deal with the parking situation pretty frequently. I still think it's worth the trade off, but I can totally see how not everyone would agree. The 20:1 would be a good compromise if you're worried about it.
 
72bluNblu said:
Only if a hundred bucks or more is "about the same price". The Flaming river manual box lists for $635 at Summit. The full borgeson conversion will cost more than that. Peter Bergman's Borgeson conversion kit is $859. Sure you can buy the box for less, but you still need the hoses, pump, steering coupler etc needed for that box.

I have a Flaming river 16:1 box in my Duster. It has an iron-headed 340, but pretty much everything else is aftermarket- headers, aluminum intake, aluminum radiator, water pump, battery relocated to the trunk, etc. But it also has 275/35/18's up front. Your alignment will make a difference in the steering too. Personally I like the 16:1 box, but it definitely needs some arm strength below 10 mph. Parallel parking is not fun. Doable, but not fun.

So, it depends on what you're going to run for tires and how much time you spend driving around in parking lots. My Duster is my daily driver, so, I have to deal with the parking situation pretty frequently. I still think it's worth the trade off, but I can totally see how not everyone would agree. The 20:1 would be a good compromise if you're worried about it.
Click to expand...


I agree about the Borgeson, I like how small they are but cost adds up in a hurry.

looks like I will shoot for 20:1 then, Thanks
 
I have seen both boxes in the +/- range of $500. There are other places cheaper than Summit out there
 
Rockauto had boxes on their site a while back, price was a lower.
 
 
We also offer a new production 16:1 manual box for $459. All parts that we sell carry our lifetime Limited warranty and you can use your member's discount

Thanks
James
 
PST said:
We also offer a new production 16:1 manual box for $459. All parts that we sell carry our lifetime Limited warranty and you can use your member's discount

Thanks
James
Click to expand...


Hello James, I have a few questions
-Are your boxes made in house?
-Are they internally exactly the same as OEM or upgraded in any way? (besides it being 16:1)
-How long do you guys warranty them?

Thank You
 
Sedanman said:
^ there ya go.
Click to expand...

Ok, sure. That doesn't make your original assertion correct.

The PST box is still not a Flaming River steering box. The warranty certainly makes buying from P-S-T a good, lower priced option. But the price of the FFI rebuilt box is still less than a Flaming River box, which was my point.
 
Got mine reconditioned at steer and gear in columbus ohio.Did a really good job
 
Not having to send a core back is a big deal especially if you live outside the US, the last Firm Feel 16:1 manual box I priced about a year ago was $755 without a core. The PST box with discount was around $340 less.
In Canadian Dollars right now by the time I pay duty it would be $500 Canadian cheaper to get the PST box.
 
I'd be hard pressed to take a chance on some of those boxes linked to. No mention of the materials used for the input or sector shafts.
 
thanson_mopar said:
Hello James, I have a few questions
-Are your boxes made in house?
-Are they internally exactly the same as OEM or upgraded in any way? (besides it being 16:1)
-How long do you guys warranty them?

Thank You
Click to expand...


We use a USA manufacturer for these boxes, The boxes are built to OE specification, and we warranty the box with our lifetime limited warranty for as long as you own your vehicle.

Using the members discount the box would be $413 and with all orders within the US 48 States SHIPPING IS FREE.

Thanks
James
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top