Need repair/rebuild of Steering Gearbox on 1925 KISSEL Speedster

[DBKissel]

My 1925 Enclosed Speedster has a little more play in the steering than I would like.  I have progressively removed all the shims in the gearbox, but still, have some play.  From what I can make out it is a ROSS GEAR & TOOL  unit made in Lafayette IN.  I see what looks like EILC  and DE above it on the case.  I also see 7428 stamped on the housing.  Does anyone know of a good rebuilder? [Or any other way to fix this?]  BTW some PIX are using a mirror to get the shot, so lettering is reversed.

[Curti]

Contact the Laars corperation in Minnesota. All they do is rebuild steering boxes. 

[DBKissel]

Thx Curti!  I'm in touch with them now. 

[TTR]

Please report back whether you end up using their or someone else’s services and how it turned out.

I recently contacted them regarding few different steering gears, both manual and power assist, I need overhauled/rebuilt, but some of the (technical) answers I received gave me a pause. 

[Marty Roth]

2 hours ago, Curti said:

Contact the Laars corperation in Minnesota. All they do is rebuild steering boxes. 

 

2 hours ago, DBKissel said:

Thx Curti!  I'm in touch with them now. 

 

1 hour ago, TTR said:

Please report back whether you end up using their or someone else’s services and how it turned out.

I recently contacted them regarding few different steering gears, both manual and power assist, I need overhauled/rebuilt, but some of the (technical) answers I received gave me a pause. 

Lares rebuilt the steering box as well as the pump for my 1954 Cadillac,

and did an excellent job.

I am very p[leased with their work, as well as their communication and costs.

[ron hausmann]

Hey Doug,

    I’ve got a spare steering box for this model if you need.

    I’ve taken apart and refurbished a couple earlier 1920’s kissel steering gears and with patience, it’s been ok to do this myself. Those earlier ones didn’t seem to have shims, but screw- down pressure on the shaft. Hers a 1923 box.

    Ron

[1912Staver]

The early Jaccox box is an easy one, plus it was also used in hundreds of thousands of Buicks in the same time period. So parts are relatively easy to find if needed. The later Ross box is probably a more difficult unit. Ed in Mass may have had experence with it. He seems to do quite a bit of steering box work on slightly newer cars.

[DBKissel]

Thx everyone- I'll provide an update when I decide to pull it and send it to Lares.  Possibly waiting til fall during non driving time.

[edinmass]

On 7/5/2022 at 12:32 PM, 1912Staver said:

The early Jaccox box is an easy one, plus it was also used in hundreds of thousands of Buicks in the same time period. So parts are relatively easy to find if needed. The later Ross box is probably a more difficult unit. Ed in Mass may have had experence with it. He seems to do quite a bit of steering box work on slightly newer cars.

 

That one is a bit older than the ones we usually play with. 👍

[ramair]

DBKissel, I sent a steering box out to a well known steering box repair shop. I would like to say it was a marvelous experience. The box in question was a early thirty’s Gm, so nothing to exotic.  It took them forever to get to it, requiring many calls, but on the bright side this was a patience builder for me as this was before Covid , they were just ahead of the curve.  When the box came back to me it was missing the eccentric adjusting bolt, I called and they claimed I never sent it, more than likely it got loose from the steering box and jettisoned out of the wood box I made for it, you know 80 year old rust just does not hold like it use to.Their solutions was to sell me one for a additional $150.00.  
 Okay so far only out some extra money, then I get it back and could not believe it when I unwrapped it, first it was supposed to be glass beaded and primed, the primer was sprayed over grease and rust.  We mounted it in a vice , we put on the steering wheel I could hardly turn it.  We took it apart and there was dirt and grit everywhere, with zero clearance on the shaft bushing.  The only new parts were two worm shaft bearings that the race is part of the worm and it had severe pits in the metal that the rollers were catching on, even the new wire that they used for the horn was non original Mickey Mouse. I spent a couple weeks trying to get some satisfaction from them, they said the best they can do is let them have another go and ship it back at my expense.  Instead I let my restoration shop take it apart, make a new bushing, take the worm shaft chuck it in a lathe and cut the cone out square and fit new sealed bearings. Next we sanded down their paint mess and put in a braided horn wire. My truck drives perfect and the funny thing is I never drove it before I restored it, I could have put that messed up  box on that truck and said I hate that truck because it wears me out just steering it. My life is to short for sabotage.  I have encluded a few pictures and would be willing to talk off line just pm me