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No More Sloppy Steering: Borgeson Upgrade for a ’78 Chevy C10

Roger Shoults . January 22, 2025 . c10
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Upgrading a ’78 C10’s Steering with Borgeson

IF YOU’VE BEEN BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A REGULARLY DRIVEN CHEVY C10, YOU PROBABLY KNOW HOW LOOSE THE FACTORY STEERING CAN GET WITH A LEAKY STEERING BOX. The old Saginaw box in our 1978 C10 had seen better days, and the leak was just the start. It felt loose, unresponsive, and super sloppy, but lucky for us, Borgeson had the fix.

The new Borgeson Street & Performance Quick Ratio Power Steering Box is perfect for the C10 owners who love to drive their rides. With a 12.7:1 quick ratio, it delivers a tighter, more modern steering feel while keeping the installation straightforward. This box bolts directly to the stock location and uses the factory power steering pitman arms. Best of all, it’s an all-new unit, not a rebuilt one, so you’re starting fresh right out of the box.

Installing the Borgeson steering box was a no-brainer for us. We wanted this truck to drive as good as it looks, and firm, responsive steering is a huge part of that. Also, no more leaky mess under the hood and on the garage floor. The new box gave us confidence when driving the truck in traffic, and gave our C10 a more enjoyable ride.

If you’re ready to bring your classic C10’s steering into the modern age, follow along as we show you how to swap out that old Saginaw for Borgeson’s Quick Ratio Power Steering Box. It’s a simple upgrade that’ll make a huge difference in how your truck drives.

We are replacing our current leaky steering box with this new Borgeson 12.7:1 Quick Ratio Power Steering box.  Best of all—it’s directly bolt-on.
Our leaky box was dripping all over our suspension components and into the wheels. It was  time to replace it.
The first bolt to remove was where the pitman arm was disconnected from the steering box.
Next we used open end wrenches to unbolt the steering shaft  from the steering box.
Next to disconnect were  the steering fluid hoses. Be careful not to round off these hose ends with the wrong size wrench. Also, have a fluid catch container ready under the fittings.

With the old box out you can see how worn out the connection ends are and how much sludge is covering the box.
The new box from Borgeson is not a rebuilt unit, this is a brand new steering box that will bolt right into the factory location with the original hardware and hose fitting sizes.
With the box bolted back to the frame rail we reattached the original pitman arm bolt—it fit perfectly.
All the hoses are still the perfect length since the fittings are in the exact same location.
Finally the steering shaft can be  bolted back  to the box. All the original hardware still works on this new Borgeson steering box.
After we torque all the bolts to the proper specs, we can get back to doing our favorite thing—driving this truck!

SOURCE

Borgeson
860-482-8283
www.borgeson.com

 

Photos by Roger Shoults

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