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TRW Steering Box
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Towel Rail
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bob Hoover wrote a pretty good article on adjusting worm-and-roller boxes, along with how to make tools to work on the large adjusters: http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/vw-tulz-part-ten.html

A 1 5/8" box-end wrench fits the locknut nicely:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Here's one of the "cast" allen wrench dealies. Metal-filled epoxy (which I didn't know about before reading Bob's article) is neat stuff. I had to scrape a little material between the "teeth" for it to fit all the way around.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


How one would use it, once the locknut has been loosened:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


- Scott
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glutamodo Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Towel Rail wrote:

Here's one of the "cast" allen wrench dealies.
- Scott


Am I the only one to "discover" that you can just use an old oil pressure switch for this? I'm pretty sure I figured this one out on my own, but there's no way that I'm the only person to have done so over the years! Here's MY way of turning that worm shaft, all it requires is you dig out an old oil pressure switch and snap off the plastic part where the wires attach. It fits the hole perfectly, but it's just not quite deep enough, so you have to kind of hold it in halfway.

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Towel Rail
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

!!!


That's awesome, Andy!
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049 > 070 > 053 > 009
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juicedog070
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys, I'm going to look in to all this.
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glandnut Premium Member
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

glutamodo wrote:
Towel Rail wrote:

Here's one of the "cast" allen wrench dealies.
- Scott


Am I the only one to "discover" that you can just use an old oil pressure switch for this? I'm pretty sure I figured this one out on my own, but there's no way that I'm the only person to have done so over the years! Here's MY way of turning that worm shaft, all it requires is you dig out an old oil pressure switch and snap off the plastic part where the wires attach. It fits the hole perfectly, but it's just not quite deep enough, so you have to kind of hold it in halfway.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I just used a die from a tap & die set. Fit the hex plug perfectly, used a box end to adjust.
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glutamodo Premium Member
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

glandnut wrote:

I just used a die from a tap & die set. Fit the hex plug perfectly, used a box end to adjust.


That's cool too. Old-style oil switches are thicker so they give you more to grab with. But I think all of my dies back when I was a mechanic were round so I never thought of trying that.
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glutamodo Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just dug this old thread up again, because I was going to adjust the box on my Baja bug tonight. I couldn't find the cut-up old pressure switch I'd taken the picture of above, but I remembered the mention of dies as a tool. So I tried it, well neither of the dies in my el cheapo Chinese nor my Craftsman sets that I have kicking around here fit the adjuster. So it's back to the search for that switch...
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Newman25
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

L572 wrote:

By the way, about 2 years ago I installed a new TRW box. After about a month it was leaking like crazy....I found that it had been filled with oil, not grease. Confused I ended up removing it, draining it, and filling it with CV joint grease. No more leaks. Now why would someone have filled it with oil? Was this just for shipping purposes??


I have installed a new TRW box. I have yet to get it on the road but the thing is leaking like nuts. It looks like gear oil it is coming out of every possible place it can.

I bought it at SoCal Imports and after calling them about it they said to try tightening up the bolts on it which I did with no success.

So, do I return it or change out the oil with grease?

BTW, it is on a 65
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KTPhil Premium Member
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

'65 used grease, not oil. Does it have two plastic plugs or one metal threaded plug?
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glutamodo Premium Member
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's a new TRW box, it should use that grease not oil.
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Newman25
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So these came with oil inside but they need to be changed to grease? That seems stupid. Shocked

Here is a couple pictures of it...

This picture you can see the mark it left on the driveway. I was only sitting ther for a few hours.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I don't have a closeup of it but this one shows the top better. So it has the plastic plugs?
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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KTPhil Premium Member
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They came with grease inside, not oil. Only the older type with the single metal threaded plug came with oil.

The grease may have separated due to sitting on a shelf too long. My TRW has dripped out oil, too, but its getting less and less as the oil "drains" leaving just the leftover grease.
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Newman25
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So do you recommend I let it be for now?

Actually it really looked like gear oil. It was originally dripping from the lower front just under the large nut. Now every other day I go out there it is completely covered in oil after I wiped it off previously.
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KTPhil Premium Member
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess it depends on how sano you are trying to keep it. I now have an oily film on the lower box, pitman arm, and inner tie rod ends. I don't drive on dirt so it isn't bothering me. I'll just go to a car wash with a hot wand every once in a while. My BJ and tie rod end boots are in good shape so that won't hurt anything.

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Komissar
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I also have a question about a steering box - I got myself from BBT a new steering box (wich I found out is made by a company called "AMPRI" in Brazil) and installed it on my chassis. However, the steering box has an ammount of freeplay (a fraction of the turn where the steering shaft turns free, without engaging the actual steering mechanism - the arm, tie rods, and so on).
Is this normal on a new steering box ?
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've found new boxes tight but soon in need of adjustment. I think there is an initial wear-in phase. My TRW box felt very tight before installation, and even for a bit after, then I had to adjust it tighter (carefully!).

Read up on the right procedure-- it's more than just "tighten the top screw," and overtightening will shorten its life considerably.
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bartman
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

here's a tool made out of a 15/16 nut welded to a piece of steel
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


if you don't have a welder you can make this by using a nut and bolt. drill the handle for a 5/8"(iirc) bolt. insert the bolt through the handle and tighten the nut onto the bolt.

eta: actually, looking at towel rail's pic there might not be enough room for the nut-and-bolt tool. i have a baja so clearance isn't an issue
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bugdozer
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Newman25, what are the specifications on that beam? Who makes it? It looks really cleanly done.
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Newman25
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bugdozer wrote:
Hey Newman25, what are the specifications on that beam? Who makes it? It looks really cleanly done.


I got the beam from Franklin's. It is one of their 4" narrowed "new metal" beams which was all new material except for the frame mounting brackets which were taken from a German beam.

I think they did a pretty good job. I think the only thing I came across was the location of the zerk fittings. I had asked them to include them on the beam and I had to remove the one where the steering box goes because it was in the way. Other than that everything installed great with no problems.
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Mr. Unpopular
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

glutamodo wrote:
It fits the hole perfectly, but it's just not quite deep enough, so you have to kind of hold it in halfway.


Why not just grind down the threaded side until it fits in there just right. Use it as a stop basically.
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