Steering box lube

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armor

New member
I just rebuilt the stock steering box on my 53 F-100. The book I have says use 90 wieght, however I have had someone tell to use grease? Any ideas or suggestions!
 
armor said:
I just rebuilt the stock steering box on my 53 F-100. The book I have says use 90 wieght, however I have had someone tell to use grease? Any ideas or suggestions!
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Dont use grease, it forms cavities. I use Penrite Steering Lube. It's specially made for steering boxes.
 
A lotta guys use grease cuz they tend to leak so badly. I have been known to use a pump a little grease into the bottom and then fill up the rest with the 90lb...slim
 
After rebuilding my gear box a number of years ago I added Amsoil 80W-90 synthetic gear oil (it hasn't leaked a drop)
 
I use STP on our Flatheads and I've not seen any evidence of leaking from the steering boxes as a result.
 
PenRite stg box lube, 1200w, is the way to go, will not leak out. Available from: Restoration Supply Co, Escondido, CA 92025 1-800-306-7008. Catalog says $15.75 (plus shipping) for a 500ml bottle, p/n LUB009. Give them a call, great people to deal with. JMO
Paul in CT
 
When I rebuilt the steering box on my 8N tractor, I used John Deere corn oil. It comes in a tube just like grease but is not a thick. Works freat on steering boxes and does not leak out. Just insert a tube in yoiur grease gun and put it in the steering box. Any John Deere dealer should have it.
 
NLGI #00, its no ordiniary grease. Called, 'semi-fluid' it is excellent in leaky old gearboxes and steering boxes. Even better if it has Molyin it.
 
Straight Power Punch or STP because they are unipolar lubricants and form a molecular bond with the wear surfaces.
They actually reduce steering effort.
 
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jmaotto said:
When I rebuilt the steering box on my 8N tractor, I used John Deere corn oil. It comes in a tube just like grease but is not a thick. Works freat on steering boxes and does not leak out. Just insert a tube in yoiur grease gun and put it in the steering box. Any John Deere dealer should have it.
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I've been using the J-D Corn Head Grease (J-D p/n AN102562) for years in all of my old cars & trucks and it's great. It's a grease that s-l-o-w-l-y flows, yet thick enough to not leak. Wonderful stuff!
 
90 wt is what was used from the factory but all the above suggestions will be as good. I add a little stp because it coats the gears and bearings and will not run off like the lube will and I have also packed them with grease when seals were not available.
 
I have had a couple of leaking steering boxes and finally cured the problem. Any of your bearing houses, like Applied Industrial or Kaman Industrial or Motion Industries carry the right seal. It is a Double Lip. The old single lip seals that Ford used are not very good for keeping the lube in. Just measure the ID of the housing and the shaft diameter and they will have a seal to fit it.
 
I just took a '37-'39 gear box apart that had been pumped full of grease. The worm and sector gears were operating in a cavity with little or no lube on the gears. IMO filling the box with chassis grease to avoid leakage is not the way to go. If a box is properly rebuilt it should not leak when the correct gear box lube is used.
 
When using double lip seals, be sure to lubricate between the lips with some of the lubricant being sealed in, or with a long lasting grease.
 
TagMan said:
I've been using the J-D Corn Head Grease (J-D p/n AN102562) for years in all of my old cars & trucks and it's great. It's a grease that s-l-o-w-l-y flows, yet thick enough to not leak. Wonderful stuff!
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I am another believer in John Deere Corn Head grease. It is a "wet" grease and will not create a cavity between the worm and sector. Great stuff. No leaks. Mike
 
Thanks all for the information. I will stay away from the grease and take a serious look at a couple of the other suggestions.
 
The gear box on my 69 Torino leaks regular 90 wt. gear lube. The box seems tight but the lower seal must be worn. Went to the local John Deere dealer and bought 3 tubes of Corn Head Grease. It seems to have taken care of the leak and seems to have less steering effort. Thanks for the information.
 
I have been using STP oil additive and/or Motor Honey in steering gears for over forty years.. It does not leak out and does a very good job of lubricating the steering gears.
I have found that if you let the "STP" sit in the sun for a hour or so, then insert a small funnel into the gear box opening, the use of the thick oil is very easy.
When I lived in a farm area in Idaho during the '40's-50's we used chassis lube in the steering gears on cars and trucks... The age of the vehicles and the dirt/gravel roads beat the steering gears up pretty badly... As fast as you pored oil into the gear box, it ran out... Chassis lube solved the problem and made a happy customer...
 
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