Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

356 Porsche-related discussions and questions.
Post Reply
Message
Author
Jon Lieber
356 Fan
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 4:47 pm

Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#1 Post by Jon Lieber »

Steve,

Could you please send me instructions for the easiest way to remove a steering box from a 1956, 356A Porsche coupe?
Can this work be done from above or does one have to do it with Jack Stands or on a lift? Also what tools are needed
to do this? How do you keep the steering centered during removal of the steering box so the steering wheel is in
proper alignment after you complete the job?

Thank you very much for any help that you can provide.

All the best,
Jon

User avatar
Mike Wilson
Classifieds Monitor
Posts: 11492
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:37 pm
Location: SW Los Angeles

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#2 Post by Mike Wilson »

Jon:

If you Google the topic, there are several tutorials. Personally, it is easier to have the car on a lift or at least on jack stands because you have to separate the Pittman arm from the tie rods and steering damper and remove the lower steering box mounting nuts and lock plates.

Mike
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe

User avatar
Ned Hamlin
356 Fan
Posts: 338
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:18 pm
Location: Sun Valley, ID

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#3 Post by Ned Hamlin »

Jon,
You'll need wrenches, sockets, and a tie rod end remover. Also, remember that there is an access port in front of the steering box that will allow you to extract the box.
Ned Hamlin
'64 Bali Blue coupe
'65 Togo Brown SC
'58 Ruby Speedster
'65 Dolphin Grey coupe
'63 Carrera 2 coupe



If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there - George Harrison/Yogi Berra

User avatar
Jack Walter
356 Fan
Posts: 403
Joined: Fri May 09, 2008 9:36 pm

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#4 Post by Jack Walter »

I don't think the 1956 car has the access panel in front of the steering box - neither of mine did.

User avatar
Ron LaDow
356 Fan
Posts: 8092
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:45 am
Location: San Francisco

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#5 Post by Ron LaDow »

Comment on wrong thread.
Ron LaDow
www.precisionmatters.biz

User avatar
Ned Hamlin
356 Fan
Posts: 338
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:18 pm
Location: Sun Valley, ID

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#6 Post by Ned Hamlin »

Jack Walter wrote:I don't think the 1956 car has the access panel in front of the steering box - neither of mine did.
I stand corrected - my '58 Speedster has the panel, so I assumed A's all had it. It sure makes removal of the box easier.
Ned Hamlin
'64 Bali Blue coupe
'65 Togo Brown SC
'58 Ruby Speedster
'65 Dolphin Grey coupe
'63 Carrera 2 coupe



If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there - George Harrison/Yogi Berra

User avatar
Peter M. Zimmermann
356 Fan
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed May 16, 2018 6:49 pm

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#7 Post by Peter M. Zimmermann »

The '58 A Coupe I have in my garage has two access panels, one to remove the st. box, the other to remove the nut for the passenger side end of the steering damper. I just completed a replacement of the seal at the pitman (aka drop) arm, shaft. This required a small assortment of pliers/wire cutters to remove cotter pins from castle nuts. Regular pliers were needed to bend back lock tabs on the box mounting nuts. A 17mm 3/8th drive socket, and a 12" and a 6" extension will work best to loosen/remove the tie rod end castle nuts and 4 nuts that hold the box (a wiggle-wobble extension will help!). DO NOT remove the box nuts until after you have removed the inboard tie rod ends! For that part of the job I used a pickle fork bought at Harbor Freight. The tool will probably tear your rubber grease cups so prepare to buy two new cups (Sierra Madre Collection or Stoddard). If your car has a steering damper you will need to remove its driver's side end using your 17mm socket, 12" extension, and a 17mm wrench to hold the head of the bolt. Now remove the box retaining nuts (4)/lock plates (2). If you have difficulty bending the lock tabs back from the nuts with a pliers, use a long, thin, regular blade screw driver and place its tip between the nuts and tabs and tap the handle with a ball peen hammer.

That finishes the underside. Go into the trunk, remove the upper inspection cover, your battery, and the forward access port if there is one. A good screw driver, and a 10mm socket are needed for this. Find your round, rubber connector between the steering column and box shaft. Remove the cotter pins, and use two 14mm open end/box end wrenches to remove the four bolts. Use care to not damage the ground strap, and note/photograph how the bolts fit. Turn the pitman arm so the box clears it's mounting tube and remove the box through the front access panel opening (if you don't have an access port you're on your own at this point)!

With the box on your work bench, examine the end of the pitman arm. You will see scribe marks that align, which puts the pitman arm in the correct position. To remove the pitman arm can be a challenge. I used a SnapOn puller set, and two long bolts screwed into a Kukko bearing splitter, but my compressor won't develop quite enough air pressure (125 psi) to remove the arm so I had to take the box assembly to my favorite shop with a big/serious compressor and a big/serious impact wrench (Red Line Service in W.L.A.).

Once the arm was off I was able to replace the leaking oil seal and put the thing back together. Please see trunk picture in next post.
Last edited by Peter M. Zimmermann on Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Peter M. Zimmermann
356 Fan
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed May 16, 2018 6:49 pm

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#8 Post by Peter M. Zimmermann »

... 1958 Steering Box access, steering damper, lock plates and cotter pins...
Attachments
IMG_1320.JPG
IMG_1322.JPG
IMG_1319.JPG
IMG_1316.JPG

User avatar
Jules Dielen
356 Fan
Posts: 3165
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:25 pm
Location: Arizona

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#9 Post by Jules Dielen »

T1 did not have access covers, they were introduced with the 6 digit VIN cars. i won't call them T2 since the first 1600 or so are bitsa cars. Bitsa T1 (dash, door strikers) and bitsa T2 (teardrop tail lights yet lack of exhaust cutouts, these access covers)
Jules

Water pumps are for windshield washers only.

Jon Lieber
356 Fan
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 4:47 pm

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#10 Post by Jon Lieber »

I want to thank all the people above who have provided excellent advice for removing and replacing a 1956, 356A T1 car steering box. Because there were a range of changes over the years in the 356A T1 cars it is more challenging for me to know the best way to remove the early 356A T1 car's VW made steering boxes. Any other suggestions and pictures would be greatly appreciated.
It appears that some of the parts that must be removed can be a significant challenge, especially if you do not have a lift.

Jon L.

User avatar
Albert Tiedemann
356 Fan
Posts: 1229
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:46 pm

Re: Best way to remove/replace 1956 356A Steering Box

#11 Post by Albert Tiedemann »

Jack Walter wrote:I don't think the 1956 car has the access panel in front of the steering box - neither of mine did.

Speedster 82984 did not have the access panel, but I installed the ZF steering box in pieces.
Albert Tiedemann, C356C
"The Hermit"

Post Reply