norvalwilhelm
Well-known member
This is my final post on the Jeep box. A quick refresher. I had my choice between a jeep box in kit form for $675 or Steroids for $1249. I could have built the steroids system myself but after talking to a number of guys decided to go with a stock 2003 Jeep Cherokee box that I bought for Pro South in mint condition.
I didn’t want to go with an adapter but decided to cut the side of the frame out and insert a 3/8 thick plate with the 4 holes drilled and taped to take the box directly. I also added 4 nuts to the back of the plate to give me ¾ inches of thread.
For alignment purpose I ended up cutting the plate about ½ inch into the frame at the front and almost flush at the back. I also had to drop the box down for alignment purposes.
This is a shot from above the box, check out the alignment. Slightly off but very close. I also gained header clearance.
This is a shot from the front. I posted a while ago on adaptors to fit the box and convert them to standard fittings like russel
This shows the box from underneath. It bolts to the flat frame insert with 4 7/16th bolts.
This again shows the alignment. To get this I had to insert the front of the box about ½ inch outboard. This was good. It gave added header clearance.
This shows the pitman arm I had to fabricate. I started with the stock piman arm but it was too long and at the wrong angle. It only matches the splines every 90 degrees.
I cut it in 3 pieces, put the steering box in the center of it’s travel, pointed the wheels straight ahead and installed the control valve end in this position.
I used the left over piece to join the 2 pieces together.
There is a procedure for welding like this. Roughly it involves knife edging everything for total penetration, welding from one side, grinding out the root pass from the other side and then filling in that groove and building up until the knife edges area is above the surrounding surface.
I did this twice and then ground everything down so it doesn’t show. No one looking at the pitman arm could tell it wasn’t stock. It really doesn’t take that long with a good mig welder turned on high with lots of wire speed.
This is the final picture. Gone are all the lines, the control valve and the slave cylinder.
I didn’t want to go with an adapter but decided to cut the side of the frame out and insert a 3/8 thick plate with the 4 holes drilled and taped to take the box directly. I also added 4 nuts to the back of the plate to give me ¾ inches of thread.
For alignment purpose I ended up cutting the plate about ½ inch into the frame at the front and almost flush at the back. I also had to drop the box down for alignment purposes.
This is a shot from above the box, check out the alignment. Slightly off but very close. I also gained header clearance.
This is a shot from the front. I posted a while ago on adaptors to fit the box and convert them to standard fittings like russel
This shows the box from underneath. It bolts to the flat frame insert with 4 7/16th bolts.
This again shows the alignment. To get this I had to insert the front of the box about ½ inch outboard. This was good. It gave added header clearance.
This shows the pitman arm I had to fabricate. I started with the stock piman arm but it was too long and at the wrong angle. It only matches the splines every 90 degrees.
I cut it in 3 pieces, put the steering box in the center of it’s travel, pointed the wheels straight ahead and installed the control valve end in this position.
I used the left over piece to join the 2 pieces together.
There is a procedure for welding like this. Roughly it involves knife edging everything for total penetration, welding from one side, grinding out the root pass from the other side and then filling in that groove and building up until the knife edges area is above the surrounding surface.
I did this twice and then ground everything down so it doesn’t show. No one looking at the pitman arm could tell it wasn’t stock. It really doesn’t take that long with a good mig welder turned on high with lots of wire speed.
This is the final picture. Gone are all the lines, the control valve and the slave cylinder.
