Ive read in a few posts ive searched that some guys fit a volvo steering box into their shoeboxes. Which box do they use and is it really worth while?? cheers Andy.
Hhhmmm interesting. I've been wondering whether to clip my shoebox or update some of the steerin and brakes. What else have some of you guys done for disc brakes? And yeah what volvo steer box.....Shiny
Have one in mine, its the last box before they went to using a rack in the 240 series cars, stock pitman arm slides right on adaptor bolts on to stock holes is spaced out with a piece of square tubing and the other side allows mounting for the volvo box, will check mine out again and see if I still have the old drawings from Fatman, you then need a short steering column from a GM fwd car that had the rack on the firewall.when mounted box will be poking right thru into the cad thru firewall. I built a short shaft using the volvo knucles and a set of GM knuckles. If you go the pwr steering route be sure and take everything you can from the donor car, as all those volvo parts are spendy at volvo. Contact Fatman Fabrications and ask them to send you a 49-51 shoebox build sheet. Custom Rodder did an install on Weesner's car a long time back, maybe someone stll has it, Fatman used to send copies of it with his install instructions. Will look later and see if I have years, my experience checking for a box was that the power boxes were more likely to be found on the wagons rather than sedans. The people at volvo recommend a single time use on the pitman location fastener [nut] but its no longer available so I reused the stocker and once on tight drilled thru nut and shaft and added a cotter pin. No problems so far. Steering is definitely improved, Not over sensitive or dead feeling as many US style designs, but more of an assist with great road feel.Hope this helps
The steering box that you are looking for is out of a 67-74 Volvo 140 series car. Very cool boxes. They are a bit like the BMW 2002 boxes. My dad has one in his '34 pickup. Even though they are aluminum, they are very stout boxes. Swedish Treasures has rebuild kits if you find one that needs it.
GM power steering pumps will fit to these boxes too. If you get a power unit. And the 164 model has the same box.
OK! that makes sense as on the top of the box there's an "S" on top that I always believed to be Saginaw. The volvo pump is rather small but uses a remote reservoir someone correct me if I'm wrong but the fittings are Metric not SAE as it took a very clever guy at the hydraulic store to mate 2 pieces together for me to make it work as I had foolishly cut the hose in half figuring on replacing with new on the high pressure side. So again take and save it all from the donor car.
I think the fittings are Sae .. But to be sure, ill check it out tonight at the shop. Would be pretty embarrasing for me to be wrong abot this when i have all the parts around all the time. For my car, (OT) i use a 140 IFS and a 240 Turbo steering rack, and brakes. Great brakes on them cars!
Been driving with one in my shoebox for years. It alone saved me from putting a clip underneath my car. The steering is much more precise....and is much better if you also adapt a later style idler arm on the passenger side. Fatman has the kit for this swap too. Add a set of gas shocks, front and rear sway bar and you'd swear you are riding in a late model. I used the original column in mine, but as Zapato is referring too, its a real tight fit. I ran mine with the stock flathead and drivetrain for years which required me to have the shifter collar at the bottom of the shaft too. I made this work by NOT using a steering shaft, but using a single Double u-joint from Borgeson. Just tell them the box you are using and the column and they'll set you up for about $140. Good luck!
Well old Volvos aren't metric, heres a link to a online catalog so you see what the parts look like:http://www.gcp.se/default.asp?Language=en
Volvo and Ford both used Gemmer steering boxes. The '39 Ford box in my Model A is functionally the same basic design as the one in my '67 Volvo, just different shaft lengths and mounting.
thanks for the info guys its always a huge help Now let the hunt for old ovlov parts begin. Must be a few rusting away somewhere down here.
Ok! went out in garage to cleanup and sort for upcoming move and found the Fatman build guide and the correct magazines to dig out are Custom Rodder summer 92, actual article is about lowering a box but shows part of the steering upgrades also. You also need Custom Rodder May 1997 which shows the volvo swap and also a Cavalier rack and pinion swap. fatman used to send copies with his kits don't know if he still does. "OLD" price sheet shows the Volvo steering adapter at $55- .
Here are some pictures of the Volvo box in my ragtop. we used used a shortened and modified Ford streering column and a Jamco installation kit. It's a lot of work but worth the effort if you drive your car a lot.
The Jalopy Journal
