Rebuilding a 1930 steering gear box

lh

lh

Junior Member
I am in the process of rebuilding this steering gear box with new parts. I am having a very difficult time installing the new worm on the steering shaft. I am following procedures in a book first published in the 1950's, good help.

I made a special driving tool as described in the book also heating the worm to 300º before trying to drive the worm on the shaft with a 4 lb hammer. The shaft is clamped in a vice on a work bench. I am up to my 5th try. I have been judiciously filing in between tries.

Today I made a 3/16" thick special collar that fits over the steering wheel nut threads on the shaft and rests on the shoulder that the steering wheel seats upon. The idea is to tighten the collar using the nut then set this end on a piece of plywood on the concrete floor then drive the on the worm. The vice has some "give" and the floor will be more solid.

My concern is harming the threads even though the force should be taken up by the collar. Is there a better way?
 
I agree with RHD, you are 'flirting' with danger using the "1950's way". Sometimes is is cheaper to take to a qualified machine shop for simple procedures that have a nasty way of turning ugly when the simplist procedures don't go as planned. BTW, who wrote the book you are using?
 
I would not try to press the worm on with the tube supported on the bottom.You have a four foot piece of rubbery rod that is just waiting to buckle.Also,the threads are pretty fragile,the bottom would need to be supported by the taper,by a piece either made up to fit or a center out of an old wheel.A couple of vee blocks clamped an inch below the end of where the worm will be will support it.Even though I've worked on heavy equipment and trucks all my life,I'm still not a fan of big hammers if there is any way around it.
 
the shaft should be held squarely in a collet, and the worm pressed on with a 30 ton press. Take it to a good machine shop. That will cost less than replacing your bent and damaged shaft after ruining it with a BFH. You might want to check the shaft for straightness since you have already beaten on it.
 
Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I made a clamp from two 1" thick steel plates and bored a hole to fit the shaft. The 20 ton press worked. The "play" in the steering wheel is only 1/2 inch rather than 8. The car is now drivable.
 
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