Replacing steering box, anyone know what year range will fit?

[72timemachine]

Any help is greatly appreciated in trying to figure out what years may possibly work on my 84 1 ton dually diesel GMC.

The original owner I bought it from had to replace the engine due to his friend winding out the engine. Odometer broke a while back and he feels the chassis and steering box have 300,000 highway miles on it as he was a salesman using the truck to transport what he sold. The body is straight and was well cared for so I bought it after he retired.

I know nothing about the wear and tear of a steering box but I know they can get a bit loose and sloppy and you can adjust some of the slack out of them but mine is also leaking around the shaft seal below the rag joint so I would rather get one out of the boneyard (I can get one very cheap) with less miles and reseal it before installing it.

I know GM allows us to use the same parts on different year cars and trucks so do any of you know what if any later year trucks I could use to replace mine? It uses the hydro boost system to help apply the brakes but my truck really do not want to stop so I just keep extra underwear in the truck.

Again thanks for any help.

[wildwilly4x4]

Boxes should be about the same from @'78 to the '91 squares. GMT400 boxes probably wont work due to they are a mirror image, and mount inside the frame rails IIRC. But just about any square body box will fit. the only differences were the flare fitting hose style, and the metric O-ring fittings that were used from late 70's on up. 2 and 4wd boxes are the same, just have to swap out the sector shafts. steering boxes are pretty easy to rebuild if you just give yourself plenty of clean area to work in and put all the BB's on a white paper towel so that you can tell the color differences. I think a rebuild kit was @ 20 bucks last time I did one.

[80SPORT]

80 and up use the new style fittings ...so best to stay in that range.

I do not think 2wd and 4 wd interchange;the 2wd arm is on a taper spline;the 4wd is a straight spline from what I remember.

[Skunksmash]

People around here seem to think these are the best ones:

http://www.redheadsteeringgears.com/