Below is a list of steering gear service assemblies for 1979-2002 ford crown victorias, mercury grand marquises and lincoln town cars.
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Part Number	From	To	Comments	Suggested Retail (January 2005)
F7AZ-3504-ECRM STG-37-RM	1997	2002	Civilian Base EVO New style "2 flat" input shaft New style hydraulic fittings Weakest torsion bar avaliable in the 1997-2002 boxes	$377.07
F7AZ-3504-FDRM STG-36-RM	1997	2002	Civilian Handling Package 1997-1998 Police Interceptor EVO New style "2 flat" input shaft New style hydraulic fittings Stronger torsion bar than the base one	$377.24
XW7Z-3504-ABRM STG-35-RM	1999	2002	1999-2002 Police Interceptor Non-EVO New style "2 flat" input shaft New style hydraulic fittings Strongest torsion bar avaliable in any 1979-2002 crown vic	$361.56
F8AZ-3504-ACRM STG-38-RM	1992	1996	Civilian Base EVO New style "2 flat" input shaft Old style hydraulic fittings Also used on 1990-1996 lincoln town cars	$282.80
F8AZ-3504-BCRM STG-40-RM	1979	1991	Civilian Base Non-EVO Old style "1 flat" large diameter input shaft Old style hydraulic fittings Also used in 1982-1989 lincoln town cars Very low steering effort Cars with this box installed can be steered with a "pinky finger"	$276.07
F8AZ-3504-CDRM STG-39-RM	1992	1996	Civilian Handling Package ?? 1992-1996 Police Interceptor ?? ?? EVO & non-EVO ?? New style "2 flat" input shaft Old style hydraulic fittings Slightly higher rate torsion bar than the base civilian model one	$343.40

Notes:

• All 1997-2002 crown vics use steering gears that are visually identical to each other on the exterior. However, the thickness of the torsion bar inside them varies according to application. A stronger torsion bar yields increased "road feel" and increased turning resistance. Performance minded individuals will want either STG-35 or STG-36.
  
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• All 1992-2002 civilian crown vics have an EVO (electrically variable orifice) steering system where the level of steering assist varies according to the speed the vehicle is travelling at. At highway speeds, the level of hydraulic power assist is relatively low to reduce wandering and increase road feel. During low speed parking maneuvers, power assist is relatively high. 1997-1998 police interceptors are also EVO equipped.
• 1999-2002 police interceptors are not EVO equipped. But a steering box from one of these cars will fit in a civilian crown vic and yield really stiff steering with lots of road feel.
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• Starting in the 1997 model year, all crown vics recieved a new steering gear with a new hydraulic valving system and a detent mechanism added to it. The gear case is considerably different in appearance than the older style pre-1997 one, and has different sized hydraulic fittings on it too. However, the vehicles frame was not redesigned which means a late model gear will bolt onto the frame of an earlier vehicle. And performance minded owners want a 1997-2002 gear as they have a better "on center feel" and also offer stiffer torsion bars than previous models.
  
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• A 1997-2002 gear will fit in a 1992-1996 crown vic, but hoses with the new style hydraulic fittings on them will be required. This is an easy problem to solve, just tell your parts vendor that you want the pressure and return hoses for a production 1997 crown vic. 1997 was the only year that crown vics had a mechanical radiator fan and the new style hydarulic fittings on the box.
• Some people have reported success using a pressure hose from a 1998-2002 crown vic in a 1992-1996 vehicle. But the 98-02 pressure hose loops very close to the mechanical raditor fan and many broken parts will result if the hose touches the fan blades when they're rotating.
  
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• Starting in the 1992 model year, the input shaft spline design of the steering gear was altered on crown vics and grand marquises. Lincoln town cars recieved the new style input shaft spline design starting in the 1990 model year.
  
• If installing a 1992-2002 steering gear in a 1990-1991 crown vic, one will want the steering column->gear linkage for a 1992-1994 crown vic or the lower shaft for a 1990 towncar.
  
• 1979-1989 crown vics used the old style steering column design. Linkage from the column to the gear would have to be custom fabricated to fit a newer gear box into one of these cars.
• To install a 1997-2002 steering gear in a 1979-1991 crown vic, custom pressure and return hoses will have to be fabricated. The "new" style gear was never avaliable from ford in these cars. And the 4.6L modular pressure hose will not fit onto the steering pumps used on 302 or 351W engines.
• Some of the 1979-1991 "box body" police cruisers used a larger diameter power steering pump pulley than their civilian counterparts which yielded a reduced level of hydraulic steering assist.
  
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• The pitman arm design was altered starting in the 1995 model year. However, the "old style" arm will bolt onto a newer style box because the output shaft spline design is the same among all 1979-2002 crown vics.
  
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• All ford remanufactured steering boxes have a $150.00 core fee that has to be paid when the gear is ordered. When the "old" gear is returned, the core fee is also returned to the purchaser.
• Some online parts vendors will ship steering gears to your home adresses. But be warned that crownvic steering gears are relatively heavy, weighing in at around 35 pounds, and shipping cost will be priced accordingly. And if the "core" has to be returned, the purchaser will have to pay shipping cost two times (once to ship the gear to your house, the other to return the "old" gear to the vendor).
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• Some aftermarket parts vendors list the same steering gear for all police, civilian and hpp crown vics. This is incorrect and shows that the vendor has never examined the valving and torsion bar inside the gear.
• The inexpensive "remanufactured" steering gears that you may find at your local discount autoparts store for $99.99 are likely to have old wornout parts inside them that will cause you problems in the future. Properly remanufacturing a steering gear requires new parts which costs money, some of the bargain basement "rebuilders" reuse parts that they shouldn't as a result. So it's a good idea to purchase an upper level remanned unit from a reputable supplier such as your local ford dealer. Or if you're on a budget, a "pre-owned" one from a late model low mileage wreck can work too, but make sure that the unit wasn't physically damaged in the collision and that the hydraulic system is still "closed" and doesn't have water in it.
  
• If you are purchasing a "pre-owned" steering gear from a police interceptor, attempt to find out some history on the car. (i.e. you do not want steering components from a vehicle used by the parking lot meter maid at the local community college. you also do not want a gear from the police cruiser that's hopped a bunch of curbings and traveled down rough unpaved roads at 100MPH. also keep in mind that taxicab companies often use old police cruisers in their fleet. in some enviroments, such as new york city, some of these cars are driven for 24 hours a day by multiple drivers and accumulate over 100k miles per year. so also ask about an odometer reading if possible.)
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• All suspension and steering components in your crown vic play a role in determining "steering feel". Simply grabbing components such as the tie rods, ball joints, and wheel bearings with your hands and attempting to shake them is not an accurate way to determine the condition of the components. And items that may seem as innocuous as control arm bushings and swaybar endlinks will also have an effect on steering feel even though some people may not think of them steering components per say.

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