Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

I recently bought a '26 Ford Modified that has a Schroeder TQ/mini steering box. I have not been able to find anything that shows the inards. Even if you can post pictures of parts like the steering shaft with worm, helical wheel, bearings etc.
I contacted Gary Schroeder and he wasn't much help, said there were photos of parts on his Web site, there are not! He did not have any PDF's or links to help me out! I would like to know what's in there and if there is anything to service and know how to make adjustments!
Thanks! Joe

Well, I will try to get you some information, having been a Schroeder dealer for several years, in some units they put grease in them, others they used gear lube, to take out the slack, remove the bolts that hold the halves together, and turn it one or two bolt holes and ck it, bearings are standard, so not hard to find, I have a few parts left, new wheel shafts, that's about it. Bob

These are very simple boxes as Bob says. Mr Schroeder isn't selling/making them anymore as we recently inquired about a new one. The bearings and seals are easily available all you need are the numbers off of them. Some had a grease zerk and only took grease the ones with an Allen plug were setup up to use gear oil 80w90 etc. does it have any slop? If so that can easily be remedied. The gears usually lasted indefinitely unless it suffered some trauma such as a bad crash.

The car is a hot rod and was built 10 years ago and was only driven 300 miles and has just sat in a garage.
You could feel a drag or dry spot when you turned the wheel. I removed the plug and stuck a wire tie in there and found some grease so I replaced the plug with a grease fitting and pumped some grease into it and that loosened it up alot.
It has a little free-play but I would think you would need some to help the steering come back to center. I know it won't be tight at center like a normal steering box! I would still like to see some internal pictures.

Re: Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

Not much in there to see, they normally had about an 8th to 3/8ths slack in them new, and with only that few miles on it, I'd run it, and watch it, as they used to say, you can take off the steering arm, and rotate it 360*, it might not hurt to do that, if you don't have anything else to do, the only thing I might suggest, is to take it apart, clean all the grease out, and fill it with some synthetic gear lube, grease tends to get holes in it, and then allows it to rust, just a thought. Bob

Bob,this car also has a steering multiplier (made from a Coleman unit) attached at the box to make it "streetable" and I believe that may also add some free-play but it's not enough to worry about adjustment of the box!
There is no reason to take it apart since it is basically "new". I would just like to see what the inside components look like!
I did take the pitman arm off when I greased the box and rotated several times to work the grease throughout.
It smoothed and loosened it up nicely!

Re: Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

try googleing schroeder steering plenty of picture of it come up some disassmbled.hope this helps

Thanks Glen I've tried that but still not finding what I want to see. I would like to see the steering shaft with worm gear, bearings, etc. Haven't found that on Google. I've looked for parts on ebay, no luck there either.

Re: Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

I was about to write what Glen just said; I've had mine apart and Bob's right, not much there. A worm gear and a pinion gear on 2 perpendicular shafts and the support bearings; the housing bolt hole pattern's eccentric compared to the cover, which is how you adjust the lash.
Helpful hint: if you ever do take it apart, scribe a line on the mating pieces so you orient it the same way going back together or that lash adjustment may take forever...

Re: Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

Here you're talking to people that pull everything apart because we tagged the wall hard last week and need to check everything before going back the next race. If it's giving you sleepless nights wondering what's inside just pull the damn thing apart with a buddy that can put it back together if you can't. You could also Google "Worm and gear manual steering box", the Schroeder is just a nice aluminum/magnesium version of an old steering box from the 30's. I don't think you'll get sympathy from this crowd you think it's too much work to pull it out of the car! Spend an evening in the pits at Kokomo.

Sorry, didn't mean to upset anyone!
I was just curious about something that doesn't need really to be dismantled! The car only has 300 miles on it, why take it apart?
I like to know how things work, that's all!

That's pretty much what I expected was in there! Explains why it's so hard to turn when you're not or just barely moving!
Thanks! Joe

Wow, I'm pretty sure he's just looking for help from the racing community, not sympathy, which is just one of the many reasons this site was created!

Mrs G

Thanks Mrs G!

Yeah Mrs. G summed it up perfectly. A guy just asked a question and gets jumped for it. If someone asks a simple question and you can't give a civilized answer it's prolly best to keep your smart mouth shut. Old saying, there are no dumb questions just dumb answers.

Thanks Topless77!

I am still looking for a box blow-up diagram or pictures of internal parts especially steering shaft and worm & bearings. Anything you might have!
The steering in the car works just fine. It would be stupid to tear it apart just to see what's in there!
I have a pretty good idea but I would like to confirm it!
I like to know how things work! 😆👌
Thanks! Joe

I know this is very crude but I drew this on a napkin and it is a Schroeder box with a steering multiplier. (In my imagination!)

Never mind attachment won't upload!

Re: Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

Joe, take that 3 bolt cap off the bottom, and you can unwind the steering shat out of the box, or the one on top, either way, without destroying anything, you have almost everything there is in there, in your hand! Bob

Thanks Bob!
I've got it all figured out now!
One of the other forum members confirmed my drawing was correct!
Joe 👍😆

Re: Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

Not to hijack the thread (I know, I just did), but I wonder how much new-old Schroeder Steering stock is out there at Hench, Hyper or other dealers? Hench had just developed an add-on electric power steering unit for Schroeder steering that looked really promising to me; I wonder if Hench/EMI/Speedway or someone else has inquired to PAC about acquiring the steering gear line (casting patterns, drawings, etc.) from them. Or for that matter, if that product line was even part of the PAC buyout...

Well, if Gary has quit, and he didn't buy out Norden, I guess that would mean that the parts left, just went up a bunch, I reckon if I would build a new car, I'd have to look for a r&p, which would make it steer easier anyway, unless just for mastalgia reasons, I'd be happy. That's what I'd do. Bob

We just tried to buy a new one earlier this year and there's no such thing. The machine that cuts the gears is inop and Gary said he was trying to get speedway motors to buy the rights etc.

Norden wanted him to buy them out years ago, and he told me it was a family deal, and what they had and what they wanted for it was light years apart. Bob

I just talked to Gary last week!
I asked him for a link to his parts or diagrams and was no help at all!
His new number is very similar to his old number and you will get a woman's voice on voice mail. I left my info and Gary did call me back a couple days later! His new number...
Gary Schroeder 1-818-565-3311
Joe

Thanks, Joe. Unless you have a great need for that type of steering, I'd be looking at a rack and pinion, you could get rid of the reduction gear, and have a better street handling car, jmho. Bob

Bob, The car was built 10 years ago with the Schroeder steering and only has now 650 miles on it so it's going to stay! But, if I were building this car now I would go with a rack and pinion setup!
I would like to post a photo of the car but I can't get anything to upload!
Thanks!
Joe

Re: Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

So, is the one on page 179 of the Speedway Motors Open Wheel catalog #603 not available? I just assumed Speedway had bought the rights to manufacture.

Tim Simmons

Back in march we called around every place we called said they were out didn't know when they'd have one. We were wanting to replace a old Norden that's worn out. Called Schroeder directly and he said the machine was broken and he wasn't planning on fixing, was trying to get speedway to buy it.

I talked to Sales at Speedway Motors recently and was told they no longer have them available!
So I'd say they didn't purchase Schroeder. (Be nice if they would!)
Like I said in my previous post, I did talk to Gary recently and their voice mail answers "Schroeder Racing Products" and Gary did return my call a couple days later!
Joe

Re: Schroeder steering box blow-up
 

I bought the last one that Speedway had ,Late last year . (lightning sprint steering gear) Was going to have a R/H steer unit changed over to a L/H steer , got the same story from Schroeder that the machine was broken and didn't know when it will be fixed . Hench is selling new cars so something is being made somewhere !!!!!

☆ No More Schroeder Steering Boxes! ☆
I just got off the phone talking to Karen Schroeder. She said they have suspended operations and have very, very few parts available!
They sold their machinery!
Speedway Motors was not interested in buying them nor anyone else for that matter!!
She said that the cost of producing the boxes cannot be recouped at a reasonable sale price!
I asked Karen about images of the internals, there are none available. She said the sealed bearings last a lifetime. If there is no reason to open the box you are better off to leave it alone. To lube it, pull off the pitman arm and give it a spin to redistribute the grease. She said they were never meant for street use, they were built for dirt.
So there you have it!
The End of the Schroeder Steering Box!
You can reach Karen at 818-565-3311.
Joe