Gearbox replacement info needed

[raser13]

Hey guys and gals. Got what will probably seem like a noobish question. Got a gearbox on my 81 CJ5 with a lot of play in it. To the point where I would almost call it dangerous.

The price for a new one is pretty high for my budget at the moment. But taxes are just around the corner and will give me a shot in the arm. I also need one for my budget scrambler rebuild. So I put out in the wanted section to see if someone had a decent one in parts Jeep or on a shelf some where.

I got a response saying that these were on a bunch of Chryslers and such. My local bone yards crossover book only lists full sized jeeps as compatible. Is there a list somewhere of other ones that will work? Or does some one know what vehicle/year combos would have a compatible gear box on them? I can get them pretty cheap at the bone yard if I can find the ones I need.

I need something that is pretty much drop in. I can work with "need to swap out this part from the same truck" but no heavy mods. My suspension is still stock. No lifts or changes.

Thanks for any replies. I need to go to the yard on sat for a part for my Taurus. So it would be great if I knew what I was looking for then.

 

[Torxhead]

Not sure just what you mean by "A lot of play in it". Anyway I would suggest a rebuild rather than a used swap if that tranny works for your style of driving.

 

[raser13]

Woops! Left out the word steering eveywhere. Can believe I did that. Yeah tranny's fine. It's the steering gearbox that has a lot of slop in it. Say about four to six inches of wheel turn between engaging a turn on way to the other. There is just basically a section of slack. And it's getting to be hard to steer it. I look like actors do when they're "driving" a car. Constantly ping ponging back and forth on the wheel to keep it straight. I drive this thing back and forth to work so I have to have something I can do in a weekend. Any help would be great.

 

[Belizean]

I had a 3/4 ton suburban years ago with a bad steering gear box. A lot of slop to it. Took it out and to a rebuild place in town where they overhaul those and power steering pumps and work on hydraulic hoses and did a great job and a somewhat cheaper cost than going out and finding a rebuilt one

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Take it to a pro for rebuild.
LG

 

[raser13]

Haven't been able to find anyone locally that rebuilds them.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Haven't been able to find anyone locally that rebuilds them.

Any Jeep CJ clubs you could check with?
Have you seen this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=661ov4GIXAA
LG

 

[raser13]

After watching the rebuild video. I'm pretty sure mine is beyond a normal rebuild. I've done the "cheater adjustment. The one where you adjust the flat tip bolt and stop nut. It helped. But I still have around four to six inches of play. So I'm pretty sure that my gearing is worn badly. And needs replacing. I pretty sure a few seals and o rings aren't going to tighten this up that much.

Besides that I can get a bone yard steering gear box for $20 hard to beat that if I can get something that crosses over. Unfortunately they don't ever seem to get any jeeps in. They're to popular around here. People will strip and part them to just hurts and bolts themselves. And yes I'm watching Craigslist for part outs. Nothing yet.

No one knows of another vehicle/year that I can harvest these from?

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Common box within the AMC line.
Easy to get a part # from NAPA and then do a cross-reference.
LG