Anybody run a stock 32 Ford Steering Box?

Helping a friend out with his 27 Ford Roadster and he has what we think is a 32 Ford Steering Box. For those of you that have run these, do they work good, are they rebuildable, and how available are they if we need to source another one if this one is bad? Just trying to learn more about them before we take the time to fit it into the chassis. Any advise would be appriciated. Thanks...Alan

 

Baxter Ford up in Kansas rebuilds them with '34 internals...I've driven a '32 roadster with one and they work great...not cheap at $400 tho...

 

Running one on my sedan and it works great. Cost me about $600 to rebuild

 

On the '34 internals...1932-early '33 was about 13:1, '33-4 was around 15:1 so a bit easier. Not a big deal, and quick is good on a light car...but you'll need to know how steering is done at rest in a non-power rig, as in parallel parking.

 

I'm running a rebuilt '32 box in my roadster. Has a '33 13:1 worm and sector and with a small 500 x 16 front tire and it works great. I like the way it feels at speed, very precise and quick.

 

I already have a mid-fifties f100 box for my T, have been REALLY thinking about a '32/'34 box, I generally prefer a faster ratio/higher effort type set-up, and have been suspecting all along that the F100 box is gonna be WAY slow for my driving style/taste in an 1800/1900lb T. The above sounds MUCH more like my style. How many turns lock to lock is the 13:1 box in your car?

 

Run on in my 32 5 window,it works just fine. It has been rebuilt,macs Ford parts has everything.

 

I know everyone hates "how much" questions, but how much does a decent '32 steering box core usually go for? Just in generalities. Same as an F-1 box? Twice as much? Anybody want to throw up a ballpark number?

Google search reveals about as much as I am paying for my motor, or twice what a '33/34 box is, which is roughly 1.5 times what an F-1 box costs. Now I see why all the '32s belong to goldchainers...

 

I have one in my roadster and have rebuilt about 8 or so by boring out the sector housing and installing needle bearings and a lip seal, also replacing the brass thrust washer with a thrust needle bearing by machining a little off the end of the housing.
Even good used gears work fine the key is adjusting center and lash to remove slop, sometimes redoing it after driving for awhile.

 

Thanks all, this helps, looks like we will be using the 32 box, just gotta find a pitman arm...Alan