Hi all, I've decided to replace the oil in my steering box. I know some have questioned whether it's worth the effort, but I've decided I'd like to put something new in to ensure longevity of the steering box. I figure anything will be better than the 35 year old oil that was originally placed in it. I'm wondering what types of oil people have had luck with. I don't want to put something bad in, ending up having to redo it, or worse damage the box. I've seen a few different thoughts and what to put in manual steering boxes:

- factory recommended, in our case GL-4 SAE 90 gear oil
- Penrite Steering Box Lube
- mix your own, conventional gear oil with Moly-G additive

I'm wondering what people have had luck with. I'm leaning towards the Penrite oil because it's specifically designed for steering boxes. It is thicker though, so I'm worried it will be nearly impossible to remove once put in the box. I also question if one of the main reasons people put thicker oil in the steering box is to prevent leaking, a problem my box does not have. The consensus seems to be to stay away from grease, since apparently this will be pushed away from the gears and actually increase wear on the steering box. Since the steering boxes are functionally non-serviceable items on these cars, it'd be nice to have it in tip-top shape. Thoughts?

 

GL 4 in a 90 weight is about what the transmission takes. when i did mine i just used the same synthetic i put in the transmission

 

The most important upgrade that I've noticed is simply to be sure to keep it full.

Just about every FB steering box I've checked was low on lube, sometimes almost dry.

It's one of those things you don't think about very often so even a small leak can cause trouble over time.

 

Decided how you are removing the old oil, hc?

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Another one of those "Oh, I should check that."
It was not dry, but not full either.

It is full now.

Thanks.

 

I'm using a MityVac that I bought for this purpose, I have no idea how well it will work, but we will see. I decided to use Redline GL-4 75w90 in the steering box. I don't see the need for the thicker lube since there is no leaking in the box.