I was excited to get Vern Tardel's "Ford Steering Service, Repair and Modification" booklet today. It has some good info in it. I have been pondering some options for my next 36 Ford Pickup build. I have a stock 36 box in it now and it basically is about as crude as it gets. Anything is going to be a drastic improvement. The Produce Truck has a Saginaw 525, but it's big and ugly and hard to route exhaust around. I'm not a Vega fan, so what are my options? His booklet suggests a 37-39 box for ease of swapping. I was going to swap the steering column for a later 40 style with the column shift. The 40-48 is supposed to be longer. How much longer? It's going in a 36 pickup with a 40 dash. I am hoping I won't have interference issues. Just thinking out loud here. Root
Some good attributes of the 525 is that it's stout enough for your application. It's newer technology so if adjusted right it should give a very nice feel (sad part is very few know how to properly set up and adjust manual gears). Again newer technology so parts are cheaper, easier to find. The 525 is somewhat big and ugly but it does it's job well.
i just shortened a 39 column for a friends 35 pu. 3 1/4" was his number. also used the frame mount adapter plate from drake. i did the shaft and installed the worm, then he had some else tig the horn rod . they cut out the same 3 1/4", then re soldered the wire with a piece of brake line over it, then slipped the brake line up to the cut joint, and tigged it. i cant believe it but the horn wire checks good with an ohm meter.
Early Mustang mounts under the frame, many have done it this way or a reversed Corvair sits on top of the frame. Either will give you side steering.
As I remember the Worm gear is a press on in all the early V-8 boxes. Why not just use the 37-39 shaft and tube install the 40-48 Worm gear in the 40-48 Box?
That's kinda what I was wondering. I figure I will have to press off the gear to rebuild the box anyway.
I've got a late 60's Mustang mounted in my perpetual project 40 Tudor. It has a mounting adapter that bolts to the original frame mount. Puts the box and shaft (one piece just like an early Ford) in the same position as the original box. It's been so long ago (30 years) I don't remember where the adapter came from, or if they even make such a thing anymore. And the shaft may have been shortened too, but I don't know. It all fits fairly close to the original area and should leave room for some custom headers. Maybe even off the shelf ones if you are really lucky.
Late model box with recirculating ball will feel like power steering against worm and sector type box
I have a 525 on my 35. It steers ok. Not sure how much difference there is between the 40 box and the 525. I hadn't even thought about the Mustang box.
I think mid 50’s Chevy pick ups had recirculating balls and were side steering. Should steer as easy as a Vega but stronger.
its your lucky day, my green book was still bookmarked to steering shafts. so the book shows the majority of steering shafts to be 46.50" from the model 50 (35 pu) all the way to 48. some variables in big trucks, and some late 46-7 stuff has a different lock location. but basically, any early 40ish stuff should be 46.50" . this was just last week my friend got his drake adapter, and with the cab on the chassis, (35) he had some one inside hold the column (39)up to the dash with 39 column drop, while he measured the bolt hole difference to the drake mount. 3 1/4" is what he measured to shorten the shaft. this is with a stock 35 dash, so your 40 dash will have different results i would guess. if you have never pressed a worm on and off, you need the right stuff to do it. heres a good tech by dennis lecy on a 32. long thread, perhaps you've seen it, i forget where the steering part is, but a good read if bored. and heres the stuff i made for doing the worms. also, if you have had one off the shaft, you will see a slight look of splines on the shaft. very slight, visible, yet hardly able to catch your finger nail on. i ran across an old thread by neal ca, steering box wizard, and he notes that the shaft is actually a smaller diameter at the end where the worm is pressed on. i noticed that too, and came to my own conclusion that that gear is pressed on so tight that it makes those slight splines, and squeezes the diameter down about 10 thou. i have done several, and when putting a worm back on the old shaft no problem. but this last one for my friend we cut the bottom off in the lathe and so were pressing the worm onto a new surface. much harder to do. my aluminum block was slipping, and we had vice grips to aid, and even need a slight warm up with a propane torch to get the last 1/4" or so. next time i will freeze the shaft, but not a big deal when not shortening. so, heres my set up to install, and you need a good puller and a piece of shaft with a key way cut in it to get them off
opps, for got lacy's thread https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1932-pickup-rebuild-thread-updated-1-11-16.970252/
Best bet for all 35-40 fords whether its a truck/car is a Vega box. They sell them brand new with the u joint and adapter that bolts right on to your stock frame..
I've used the 525 in 40 Fords. I do remove the stock mounting bracket and replace is with one that moves the box as close to the frame rail as possible. Never had any issue with exhaust headers and they steer really easy.
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