The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Steering box

Not to be iconoclastic but I mix corn head grease with 90 weight gear oil to get a product that is self-leveling and still thicker.

It approximates SAE 200 weight gear oil which was what I was told in 1977 by the parts department manager of Steakley Chevrolet was what GM used for the steering gear boxes of vehicles made in the 1950s. He told me GM continued to sell what they had up until inventory ran out sometime in the 1960s. He said the stuff they could get in 1977 was thicker than what was used in steering boxes assembled at the factory.

I asked him if I could just buy some SAE 200 weight gear oil and use it. He said the whole SAE scheme changed back in the 1950s and he thought the 200 weight gear oil was not made any longer.

I later read on the VCCA a man there did the very same thing...mixing grease/oil to imitate the GM product. His name was Gene Schneider and he seemed to me to be a good guy and very well-informed.

My opinion is you need very constant lubrication both for the balls, the bearings and the worm/sector. Just my 2 cents worth. Please spend it wisely.