Does anyone make a bracket to mount a vega steering box on a 1937 or 1938 chevy car frame. What steering set up are the gasser 37-38 chevy guys using or any one using a straight axle. Thanks
I bought this setup from Butch's rod shop in Dayton Ohio in the mid 80's but they are out of business now. Put lots of miles on it and it drove great, Shouldn't be that hard to fabricate on your own.
I'm using the original steering with a '41/'46 GM truck recirculating steering box. Was designed to work with that axle, but does make it tight for headers and such (I'm running fenderwells, so not really an issue to me. Eric
...made my own steering box mount(saginaw 525 box from mid 60's Chevy) , bolted to frame, all the steering components were from Speedway, drove really nice...
When working with those top hat Chevy frames be aware the wall thickness isn't really much. The strength comes from the shape and the flanges. It should be important to incorporate/attach/mount any new bracket to the flanges, either bolted, welded, or gusseted somehow. Sure you can weld right to the side of the frame, but make sure you also brace it to the flanges.
...bolted the mount to the flanges and bent a heavy strap that hooked on top of frame and drop'd down to the mount for reinforcement...all bolt-on
The mount looks good , but you will need to install a piece of tube to stop the top hat from crushing . Easy way to fab cross steering , is by using an early Jeep right side tie rod , it has a hole in it for the draglink to be attached .
You do not have to use cross steering , an early Toyota 4x4 has a very usable box that will steer from the drivers wheel very easily .
..steering shaft needs no support with one double u-joint,...that strap bolt was installed towards the top of the framerail, snug'd up, needed no inner tubing,...drove this car lot's of miles, no problems.
You may be correct , I just over build I guess . Look at the first phots do you see the tube in the frame ? This is how I did mine . It worked for 60 K when I sold the car . Those frames are only sheet metal the breaks are what makes the strong
The steering shaft DOES need a support above the double joint because there is another joint there at the base of the column. A rag joint is still a joint.
...there are no rag joints in the final pic,..the bottom of the steering column shaft is bolted solid to the top shaft above the double u-joint....
Well that ain't right. Those parts aren't designed to work like that. A couple bolts there in the system shouldn't be taking all the torsional load. Granted it's not a huge amount, but I know I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it. Replace the rag joint pieces with a solid coupler and a new chunk of straight shaft. Then you won't need another support, and I can sleep at night.
...proof load strength of grade 8 bolts is 6300 lbs,..doubt there was any where near that much pressure ever applied to those bolts...
look at my albums. I made an album years ago about the vega box with cross steering on my 38 Chevy coupe. I have a Chevy 327 and had to go to fender well headers with the vega box in the way.
Will it steer bad and cause problems if my drag link is at an angle if I flip the pitman arm pointing to the front?
That reverses the direction the pitman arm moves in when you turn the wheel meaning when you turn left the wheels will turn right. Rear steer (box behind the axle line) normally have the pitman arm facing forward while front steer (box in front of the axle line) have the pitman arm facing towards the rear of the car. It looks like you drag link is way further to the rear than you actually wanted it anyhow.
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