G'day Guys I have to rebuild my 32 Tudor's Steering Box and after a bit of research I found the RH Drive 15 to 1 Worm and Sector at a few suppliers including Macs so that should be no worries. I started to think that if 15 to 1 is better than the original 13 to 1 then the 17 to 1 Worm and Sector from a 36 would be even easier steering for an old bastard like myself - especially parking. What I don't know is if it is possible to adapt the 36 Worm and Sector to the 32 Steering Box. Has anyone on the HAMB done this and if so can you tell me what is required. Thanks Karl
36 is a cross steer, and 32 is side steer. That alone makes me think it wont work. just on the box design. Of course I may be completely wrong. If you can get them into the box, I'm sure it wont be a drop in. Ford loved to be able to carry over old parts to newer cars to save on production costs and tooling up or inventory for new models. If money could be saved, Henry did it.
I hear ya' on the making steering easier and can't help on how doable that may or may not be with Henry parts, but I think I'd be a bit wary of making the steering too 'slow' in normal use especially with a large, stock wheel. Chris
You might want to start looking at the Ford F100 steering box from the fifties. They look almost stock and work great in Model A's. I assume there is a RHD version. Charlie Stephens
In a recent Rodders Journal there was an article on a guy building an early 4 cyl hot rod, he was a well known name in the industry but I can't find the book or remember the name, however he used a Model A box and put in gears from a " late " steering box, I am thinking 35 to 48 but the gears were right hand drive gears. This conversion interested me as well so will be watching this thread with interest. Here in NZ Flathead Ted a local brake guru has built a repo 34 box using I believe late gears. He has had a new housing built but according to the RJ the A box was machined to suit. Ted is active on the Ford Barn. Looking foward to what transpires on this.
Yes Charlie RHD in all early F1, F100 boxes out here. I 56 F100 in the 32 in my avatar. The biggest problem over here is that you are not allowed to weld anything on a steering box which makes a modified 34 box look good.
The worm will fit and be fine. It won’t work because the sector is considerably shorter. The F-100 box is much better but the Vega is 10 times better. I have first hand experience with all of this. The Vega steers easier than a couple of my new cars with power steering. I did a thread on modifying the F-100 box to bolt into a 32 frame. I recently found that 50’s Chevy pick ups used the recirculated balls like the Vega. I was looking at a box laying on the ground and it was tight and moved perfectly. It would think about using one of them over anything else for a side steer.
Thanks for the replies guy's. I'm glad that so far no one has said it's a dumb idea. As far as I can see in my research so far in some suppliers info (O'Niell Vintage Ford UK & Macs Sites) the 15 to 1 Worm for a LH Drive 35 Cross Steer Box is the same part as the15 to 1 RH Drive 33/34 Worm and vise versa. The Sectors do not appear to be the same Part Number but I do not know what the difference is with the sectors. The fact that the 35 worm fits the 32 to 34 box is what got me thinking about using the 17 to 1 Worm from the similar 36 Cross Steer Box in my 32 - thinking that if the 35 Worm fits 32 then the 36 worm may also fit the 32 box. What I don't know is the dimensional differences between the 36 LH 17 to 1 Sector and the 32 13 to 1 RH Sector and whether the 36 sector could be adapted for the 32 Sector housing even if this required some machining on either the Sector or the Housing. I also have to confirm that the 36 worm will fit the 32 housing. I have thought about using F100 but I don't have one at the moment so I would have to source one and after reading Dennis Lacy's 32 Pickup Thread (compulsory reading in my opinion) I took note of his comments on rebuilt 32 Steering Boxes and thought I would like to try to use my original. I also feel that a rebuilt 32 box will long outlast me - I would just like to make things as easy as possible for my tired old arms when parking. This is probably a long shot but if someone had the parts for 32 and 36 in their workshop and could make some quick comparisons I would appreciate it. Failing that I could just take a chance and buy the parts and see if I can make it work I may even be able to use the 36 Sector Shaft Needle Races in the 32 box. Any assistance and thoughts would be good. Thanks for listening Karl
Sorry Andy, I was writing my previous post when you posted so I missed yours - so it looks like you have answered most of my questions. Do you know how much shorter the 36 shaft is and is this the only difference - I am asking as I think it may be possible to machine a new shorter sector housing as this could have the added advantage of increased clearance between the Steering Box and Starter for exhaust etc. Karl
The 35-6 sector is considerably shorter. Around an inch. I did not investigate further when I saw how much shorter it was.
You don't need to weld but you do need to trim the mounting flange down, can you get away with that? Charlie Stephens
You could probably get away with trimming, I managed to get the F100 box into the 32 , bit of a squeeze alongside the hemi, it was right alongside the block where the oil lines come out. The case in point at the moment is a friends 34 Roadster with a flathead, he has a F1 box which is considerably longer on the sector shaft than the F100. It would have to be narrowed to fit and of course welded. A modified 34 box with late gears woul fix this.
a 37 / 38 Hudson box is also a very good conversion using a chev 4 steering box clamp to hold it to the chassis there is no welding but a little machine work two model A ford my mate has has them original light switch etc give me a pm if you want to know more ie pm you phone number
my good friend Jake, yes that "Jake" ! is building an A roadster. He is using a '32 steering box with RHD '36 worm & sector , for the slower ratio. If you are doing a RHD car, I would think a RHD '32 box with a '36 LHD worm & sector would work . That would just the opposite of what Jake did .
Thanks Pete, that was the article from the Rodders Journal that I mentioned in my first post Just could'nt bring Jakes name to mind.
Help me get de-mystified... I have a '32 box so can it take later gears? I also have a F1 box and column; would those gears fit the '32 box? Will the F1 box be an up-grade and is it easily mounted to they '32 frame? Thanks!
Pete, with respect, wouldn't there be an issue using the 36 parts in the 32 box, due to the length of the 36 sector shaft, where it is stated above, that it is 1" shorter than a 32 equivalent?
Thanks Pete, it looks as though there are a few guys out there seeking clarification on the same issue.
Thanks Mr Eastwood - if you let us know how Jake dealt with the Shorter Sector Shaft that would be good and perhaps ask him if he used the 36 Sector Shaft Needle races. Kind regards Karl
Didn’t Ford go back to bushings in sector housings for 1937? There must have been a reason to seemingly go backwards.
Ford did do exactly what you are saying - what I would like to know if it is worth using the needle races or should I just go with the bushes. Thanks Karl
I put 48 ford worm and sector in a 32 rh box a few years back lots of work to do customer is still happy Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Thanks very much C69A - that is excellent information. Maybe adapting the later 37 to 48 style gearing is the way to go - then it should be as good as an F1 or F100 Karl
Had to use LHD parts for RHD. It would be easier to cast up a new housing as this was a lot of work Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
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