My Buddy and I are working on his '54 Crestline and has about 8 inches or more play in the steering wheel. The steering linkages are pretty tight but most all of the play is in the box, and replacments or swap meet boxes are pricey and a gamble. I've done some research and heard of people swapping boxes but they don't illaborate on how or what they did. Here is one article where they use a GM 605 box. http://www.webrodder.com/article.php?AID=303&SID=34&CID= There's also the route of Rack & Pinion but my friend wants to keep the original column and three on the tree. Is there a box that can be used and keep the stock column or be modified to hook up to a cavalier rack?
On the YBlock site they mentioned the use of a late 60's Cougar box. Supposedly, two of the three bolt holes line up (at least in a 56- I think 54 has the same pattern). It is a Saginaw 3550a. If there is enough room for the shifter mechanism in the engine compartment, you can keep the original column by cutting the shaft just at it goes into the old steering box and splining it (a double D is the easiest) and get couplers from Flaming River or Borgeson. You will have to get a bearing for the bottom of the tube to center the inner shaft. You will also have to fabricate a mount on the floorboard for the lower part of the column..
do the rack. has nothing to do w/ the column. if the cavalier rack dont work, get a mustang rack.....
Hve you bothered to adjust the box by the factory shop manual. Drop the pitman arm and do the adjustment by the factory procedure and see what you have. If all the "mechanics" prior to you have ever done is reach down and untwist the locknut and twist the adjustment screw in they've probably ruined the gears by now, BUT it is worth the try.
Check out a '60-'64 big Ford (Galaxie) box. Best I remember, two of the three holes in the '54 frame line up...just have to drill the third. We used the '54 pitman arm on the '63 box, by having the original line up notch machined from the splines. After that was done, the pitman bolted on the '63 box. By trial and error, the correct positioning was quickly determined. Was an easy and effective swap, as the '54 drove MUCH better, once it was done. If you go this route, the stock steering column will have to be changed or modified. Will be necessary because the '60-'63 boxes were connected to the column with a rag joint. We just used the '63 column as well. It looked ok in the '54 interior. Hope this helps...at least it gives you another alternative.
The Ford Taurus mounts the same as the Mustang but is rear-steer. Used it in my 57 Ford---works great.
Sorry I haven't got back sooner, been at work. joy. But in response to a few replies we've adjusted all we can with the box. Got about 3 inches of play out of the steering wheel to get it down to 8". So I think its toast. I'm gonna try to see if I can make a different steering box work first instead before trying to re-do the steering geometry. But if end up going with the cavalier rack and I know it shorten a car's turing radius. Is it poss or safe to shorten the the rod where the outter tie rods attatch?
i put the cavalier rack on my 53 ,turns great. but i did loose some turning radius.i dont think cutting the tie rod down will give it anymore throw.
The cavalier rack doesn't have as long of a throw as the stock steering box which shortens the turning radius. So if you can shorten the bracket on the spindles where the tie rods attatch it should compensate for the loss of steering. But what I'm not sure of is if it will make the steering too touchy.
no, it wont... the rack is only going to turn so far, period. the only way to get the spindles to turn farther is to make the spindle steering arms longer and THEN shorten the tie rods. if all you do is shorten the rods, the result will be serious toe out on both sides. dont mess with the steering geometry... you're asking for trouble, especially if you start moving the tie rod attachment points.
FiddyFour, I think we are on different pages here. I understand that the rack will only turn so far and it can't be changed. You mentioned the spindle steering arms, thats what I have been talking about modifying. I don't know if I'm thinking about this wrong, but I was thinking of shortening it to get more of a turning radius. I was thinking it takes less distance to travel a smaller circle. Cirlce being the turning radius (for explination purposes) and the shorter spindle steering arm being the smaller circle. I'm pretty inexperienced with changing steering components, so I'm just making sure I have a full understanding.
This little guy with the red arrow is what I've been talking about modifying. Not trying to beat a horse here
do not fuck with your spindles. you dont loose that much steering with the cav rack setup... not enough to worry about anyhow. its not gonna turn on a dime any way you slice it
Those boxes are easy to rebuild and Macs has all the parts,rebuilt the box in my 55 sunliner and it steers great now.
i recently sold a 72 corvette chassis and while it was in the shop,i did some sizing up in my head.it's rear steer,power and swings like the ford with about the same idler arm...anyone ever check this out further?
Here is the wurth it rack and pinion- which "claims" to bolt right in....not. I believe it used a Cavalier rack- this is from when I first installed it- need to dig up a pic now as had to modify some parts to make it work right - make it stop binding up