steering gear box clearance to lower control arm

[RTSE70]

I am replacing my power steering gear box in my 70 Challenger and the original round case is machined flat where it is near the lower control arm (to provide clearance I assume).
The replacement is not and the clearance is only about 1/8" at normal ride height.
I assume this will not be acceptable and will collide when the arm is in motion?

TruGrade / Endurance Power Steering Gear 6546​

 

[Challenger RTA]

You didn't take your core back,did you? I would see if they would order another one .

 

[Katfish]

Have a pic? I don't see how the control arm would hit the box.

 

[Challenger RTA]

Have a pic? I don't see how the control arm would hit the box.

I don't think he is saying the control arm is hitting. It's the housing. Or is he. I seen some machined and some not. I don't think they got him the right one. A picture would help explain the problem.

 

[RTSE70]

I don't think he is saying the control arm is hitting. It's the housing. Or is he. I seen some machined and some not. I don't think they got him the right one. A picture would help explain the problem.

It is different than original but they claim it will work. It is smaller in general, so MUCH easier to shoehorn into it's place. I did not notice the clearance to control arm with the original. It does not contact at normal ride height but I assume the bushings will allow movement in use and with wear. The clearance is about 1/8".
Yellow tape on new box is my estimate of how much I would need to grind off the box to be about the same dimension from pitman arm shaft to outer housing as the original.

 

[Katfish]

Would it be too much of a pain to remove it, and hit it with an angle grinder to shave it down a little?

 

[challenger6pak]

I wouldn't recommend grinding it. Warranty will void. The seal may fail from heat. Get the correct box or have yours rebuilt.

 

[Challenger RTA]

I think it is the wrong box. I'm not an expert on boxes. B and C bodies from what I have seen are very similar. This is probably the difference. The E body is probably milled down to fit. I would keep ordering until you get one that's milled down. An E body probably would fit others but not the others way around. I would use a credit card for the purchases.
Pictured below is a a box of a 79 St Regis Police car that I took off myself. It has the milled surface. Good thing the the cops went looking!
It does fit an E body too.

 

[RTSE70]

I think it is the wrong box. I'm not an expert on boxes. B and C bodies from what I have seen are very similar. This is probably the difference. The E body is probably milled down to fit. I would keep ordering until you get one that's milled down. An E body probably would fit others but not the others way around. I would use a credit card for the purchases.
Pictured below is a a box of a 79 St Regis Police car that I took of myself. It has the milled surface. Good thing the the cops went looking!

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[RTSE70]

Can someone give me a rough estimate of the clearance for the stock box to control arm? It would save me a lot time and foul language putting the original back in to check it.

 

[Xcudame]

OK, you have to excuse the cat hair, but it's better than pack rats and mice living in my 71 Barracuda! The pictures are with the front suspension hanging down all the way with gravity (it's the only way I can measure it underneath the car). I used a 1/4" extension to gauge the gap. Hopefully this helps. The tightest spot was a hair over 1/4" (.248 measured across extension flats). The other clearance is the width of the extension ( about .310") between the lower control arm and steering gear boss.

 

[RTSE70]

OK, you have to excuse the cat hair, but it's better than pack rats and mice living in my 71 Barracuda! The pictures are with the front suspension hanging down all the way with gravity (it's the only way I can measure it underneath the car). I used a 1/4" extension to gauge the gap. Hopefully this helps. The tightest spot was a hair over 1/4" (.248 measured across extension flats). The other clearance is the width of the extension ( about .310") between the lower control arm and steering gear boss.

View attachment 125521

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Thanks