dave8412  Jun 16 2006 - 1:25pm   

Q: How do I upgrade to a quick ratio steering box like those in IROCs and GTAs?

A: John Betmanis (johnb@oxford.net) has some info on this:

I read in http://brl.ee.washington.edu/BRL/people/phm/fbody/cartest.html that in 1985 the IROC-Z got a stiffer steering box and I think there are other references in the FAQ. When I went to wreckers to look for such an animal I learned I should be looking for one out of a Z28 or IROC with 16" wheels. One guy got one for me from someplace else, but it turned out it was the same as I already had, 2.5 turns, not 2.25, so I took it back. Eventually I did find one and when I put it in, it felt a lot better. I'd also read that the 2.25 turn box had internal stops to reduce the steering angle, presumably for the wider wheels, but when I put this one in, the steering knuckles still hit the stops on the A-arms, so I hadn't lost any steering angle. When I got this one, the yard supplied the VIN of the car it came from, which turned out to be a 1LE. I don't know if there are other ways to tell these boxes apart, but my original Z28 box has the number 7826692, while the 1LE one has 26000525 17 and a "Z" on it. I would like to see specs on all the steering boxes found on 3rd gens and how to tell them apart.