Hi looking to fit a f100 steering box wondering what year is best to use? And dose anyone know who has them ready to fit I seen one on eBay who done them but can't it. Any know or be able to help? Thanks
English. Do you speak it? (kidding!) Ok, manual steering boxes are getting scarce, so finding one plug and play may be the exception not the rule. You'll need to send yours in for at least a core, and then have it rebuilt, or to get one in exchange anyway. Redhead is the name of the firm iirc. http://www.redheadsteeringgears.com/
F100 boxes from 53-55 are the same and 56 is slightly shorter. If you use an F1 48-52 box then some work to get the angle right is involved. The F100 box has the input shaft on the top of the box and the F1 has it a little lower, the F100 box puts the column at the right angle and into the stock column drop. For the boxes converted to a stock model A look on Ford Barn. http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=181482&highlight=f100
I was searching for info on this yesterday. Thanks for asking and thanks to the guys who answered. I have a 53 M100 box and I wasnt sure if it was the right one to use or if I should find an older one.
Randy Gross (Mel was his father) seems to have a lot of respect on fordbarn. Here is the link to his ad: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=616165&highlight=gross#post616165 Charlie Stephens
Yeah the Gross team do have a good name. Their is this fellow too.I can't say I remember any good or bad about him. http://www.modelaonly.net/products.html
Deathrow Dave; I'm sitting here looking at my Model A frame and two F-1 steering boxes. What I see is either cutting down the mounts on the box or hacking into the frame. How did you bolt yours in?
Thanks for the info guys I for got to say I plan on fitting one in an av8 Iam building so would a 48-52 put the box lower for more room near the head but more work to fit it is that right. Or could I get away with still running the 30-31 gimmer box
The "stocker" Model A guys cut the box down and it bolts in (and back out if it is decided later to do a restoration). What engine are you running? Charlie Stephens
I'm setting my car up with a '46 59A. I'll run either it or a later flathead. The best solution I've seen is the mating of the F-1 box with Model A mount but I'm reluctant to weld on a steering box, especially since I'm limited to MIG.
The best way is to cut the flange off the F1 box and weld on the Model A sector flange. Chamfer both faces deeply and bolt in to determine angle of steering shaft. Pre heat the shafts with a rosebud torch before welding and do many passes around the circumference building up the weld and filling the chamfer valley. Place in 5 gal bucket of sand or speedy drive and fully bury. Leave it overnite so it cools slowly. Tardell has a neat booklet to walk you thru it. Also, a mig welder is more than capable for this. We did ours five years ago and it didn't crack.
CTAV8 is correct. This is covered in Tardell's "Ford Steering Service, Repair and Modification", which is booklet No. 1 in his "Let Me Help You" series. Also, after you are done welding the Model A flange onto the F1 box, Tardell says to R&R the old bushing and hone it to fit the sector shaft.
Tardel instructions viewable here: http://www.verntardel.com/collections/steering/products/steering-box-flange But that's using his flange. It can also be done with a flange cut off of a model A box.
Just to add some helpful info. The 53-56 F-100 steering box is the same as the 57-60 F-100 steering box. The difference is the pitman arm. The 53-56 use a ball end for the drag link, like earlier Fords. The 57-60 uses a tapered tie rod end for the drag link. Both pitman arms use the same large pinch bolt at the top, and the pitman arms are interchangeable. However it seems a lot easier to find the 57-60 trucks vs 53-56; a lot more of the less loved 57-60 in junkyards.
As Mike Bishop points out in "The Book" he did with Vern, F-100 boxes are slighty larger in scale and are probably better suited to '32 and later frames. The '48-'52 F-1 box in my AV8 looks more correct with the Model A frame rails. Just blends right in.
I'm running a 56 F100 steering box in my model a framed 27. The angle was not right so I modified the mounting flange to fit into the narrow A frame and I welded on a flange with a different shape. It really gives very smooth steering in a light hot rod. Don
I have a F100 in my '28, all I had to do to get it in the frame was to modify the foot. Re shape the large foot and drill/tap 2 holes (1 hole lined up). Fit's in the stock column drop, I'm not going to run the stock wires through the box but I am going to mate the two shafts inside the column so I can run the stock '28 wheel. Here are some of the pics I've collected (not mine). http://www.marinmodela.com/radiator/f100.pdf http://s18.photobucket.com/user/kb5id/library/F100 Steering?sort=6&page=1
I had my LHD 53 box done by Randy Gross ,,sent it from Australia dismantled ,they rebuilt it ,,the shaft for the pitman arm was modified to suit the A pitman arm so I had one shortened here ,,then I had it sent back to Australia ,,the steering shaft is stock length F100,we are using the 53 F100 flat steering wheel and column so the indicators and horn work as original ,,steers great,,,
Are you just wanting to just upgrade the steering or are you looking for more room (V8 swap)? If you just want a better box, look at the mid 1933 thru 1934 boxes (15:1 ratio). The box bolts right up to your A sector housing, which (of course) bolts right to your frame. You'll also need a 32-34 pitman arm (I like the 32 since it has the detachable ball, finding a 33-4 arm with a good ball is really difficult). If you go this way, you might have to lengthen the steering shaft or press the 33-4 worm onto a 35-39 shaft. The 33-4 shaft is about 2.5" shorter than the stock A shaft. Here's mine, mocked up in an A frame;
I just put an F1 box in a Model A frame and all I did was trim the flange to fit in the frame rail and drill a new bolt pattern in the box. Even used one of the stock frame holes. Worked out fine, but then the car is chopped and channeled, not sure how it would work in a semi-stock car.
I'm wanting to put a 59AB in my late 31 pickup,the left rear exhast manifold wants to hit the A box, I've seen where people have taken the rear dump and massaged it a bit to clear,but if installing another box that is almost a bolt in does makes sense,although loosing the light switch is a small problem. I need to look at a 34 V8 box and set up that might be the answer.
The 33-4 box takes up as much room (for the most part), so it wouldn't help much in a V8 swap. What you could do, though, is get a 33-4 box and mount it 2-3" further back on the frame from the stock A location. That would make up for the shorter length of the 33-4 steering shaft and likely give room for the manifold/header on the V8. My pal @wino01 did the same thing on his AV8 (but he might have kept the A box)...only mod needed would be a longer drag link.
I have an f100 box in my 30 A coupe, you can`t fit the model a flange to an f100 box because the pitman shaft is larger in diameter, if I remember correctly it is the same size as the hole in the frame, I cut off the original f100 flange and made a new one larger than an A one but drilled to A bolt pattern then shortened the pitman shaft to move the arm closer to the frame and worked out the correct positioning of the pitman with the box centralised modified the shaft to a square end to take a model A shortened pitman arm, works great and clears well on the stock setup
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