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Snow-Trac Steering Gearbox/Column

A

Alaska Jay

Member
Anyone know what Snow-Tracs used in 1967? Mine doesn't look like any Volkswagen version and it has a casting mark that reads "BIRMAL". A little research finds that this may have stood for "Birmingham Alabama", or "Birmingham Aluminum", which made cast parts.

I need to rebuild mine, or find a replacement..?
 

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my understanding was that it was a bug box, I have never compared one I do know the pre 69 models had kubel wagon steering wheels, and the later model bug wheels wont fit the shaft of the older snowtracs. this makes me think pre 65 for steering boxes . traditionally the vw parts on a snow trac were surplus from the previous year vw models.
 
this is a problem part... by 1966 the catalogue lists it as ST7329 and that is clearly a different part than the 1961 version which has a tag from the " Fulminawerk K.-G. Franz Muller Mannheim " and a note to use 90 Wt shell gear oil
 
your right i'm showing a larger steering box in yours with an st number. it must be changed to work with yours.
 
I'm going to convert to hydraulic steering instead. Might as well, since I have a power steering pump that I can use. Got all the rest of the parts on order and it will be better than messing around with this gearbox.
 
power steering will be cool.
Random thought:
I find myself over steering from time to time putting unnecessary stress on the belt. ( i should bump the throttle to induce a turn ) also I let other folks run my cats and i might be afraid that lazy operators like me, and unknowing operators might apply the hydraulic pressure inappropriately and stress out the variator?

You are the Subie powered guy with AC ?
 
Yeah. It will be a small hydraulic cylinder with a 4" stroke that actuates the variator mechanism. I'll most likely bypass the original cast aluminum fragile part and mount the cylinder directly in its place, somehow. The cylinder will be controlled with an Eaton Series-5 orbital valve mounted behind the dash with the steering wheel mounted to it.

I don't think there's any risk of damaging the belt by oversteering. I think the variator sheaves themselves would break in half before squishing or tearing the belt. But maybe.
 
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