Ok, so at 185k miles my power steering box (not rack and pinion) is starting to leak. I had a hole in the hose (replaced both hoses), but it's still leaking from around the input shaft. The pitman arm area is wet with fluid as well... I think it's just dripping down from the input shaft seal, but can't really tell.

Anyway, I see that you can buy seal kits for $20-$30, so my main question is can the input shaft seal be replaced without yanking the whole box. If I can just take off the intermediate shaft, replace the seal, and be done with it I'll gladly do that, but if I'm going to have to yank the whole box out to change the seal I can't see myself putting the old box with 185k miles worth of slop back in and would rather just get a new/rebuilt one instead.

Anybody have experience with this? I couldn't find much of any information about actually replacing the seal anywhere.

 

I'd just replace the box. The main headache with that will be puling the pitman arm. I suggest you do that with the box still in the truck. The D frame holds the box a lot more solidly, like extra hands, than it just sitting on a bench.

 

Hopefully a puller and an impact gun will make quick work of the pitman arm.

 

Well I got a rebuilt cardone box in today as well as a new pitman arm. There definitely is a lot less play in the steering, but there's still more play than I would expect from a rebuilt box. This new one also has a quicker gear, it is only 3 turns lock to lock vs 3 1/2, not sure if I like that yet or not.

I'm going to try and get an alignment done tomorrow or Monday and see if that makes it feel any better. I might just end up getting the old box rebuilt and returning the remaned box.

 

Durango gearboxes are a common replacement for older Jeeps, bolt right in and have stronger forces to help turn larger size/weight tires. I have a '99 D box in my '93 YJ. The jeep group found that there are different ratios for them (ever hear of a snowplow option?). I have not found a crisp algorithm for what ratio is in what D sub-model.

 

Yeah I saw snowplow listed on some boxes. Never heard of a factory snow plow on one of these though.