1303 Beetle steering box parts

[modnrod]

Hi all.

I'm asking here to see if anyone in Euro land knows if some parts for these steering boxes are still available or not.
I can get the seals and the balls OK, but the cages, the worm gear and roller, they are the main things I am having problems finding.
Living underneath the world under a large rock doesn't help much either! 

Pics of a my stripped one for a reference...........


Thanks for any and all assistance for all the 1303 owners in Oz.

[plasticblack]

Getting internal parts for RHD 1302/1303 models has been problematic for some time and (so called) reconditioned boxes are often only given a coat of paint before resale.

There are some companies in the USA selling new boxes, which could point you in the direction of a RHD unit or parts. these links might help: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=638329

or http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=690592

The last internals I sourced (more than 4 years ago) were more the £250 ($400) so very costly and took months of phone calls.

Good Luck

[hotrodsurplus]

I rebuilt steering boxes for a shop in the mid 1990s. Good Super Beetle cores were about as rare as good transporter cores. If we got 10 we wrote off at least six to bad worm gears.

If I were in your shoes I'd look for the steering gear out of a '75-to-'79 Super. They run racks instead of boxes. You'll need the column too. And you have to lightly modify the frame head for clearance (Clarence). But it's worth it: the racks are almost always good and you get far more precise steering as a bonus.

This thread contains a brief description of what the conversion entails. We had a customer make this swap more than 20 years ago. It worked well.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2138540 

[modnrod]

Thanks for the link Chris.

I have a rack and pinion ready to go, but due to many factors (most of them related to rego and inspection requirements) I intend to still run the stock box. I like the feel of the standard box anyway, and the internal parts in mine are ok, I was more asking for international feedback for others over here.

Adapt and overcome I spose.