I'd go with the Vega box.....a REAL Vega box, though, not one of the new boxes from the Shanghai Speed Shop.
Corvair's have been the hardstand for many years in lightweight cars like T's They have been used successfully in slightly heavier cars like an A or Deuce but the Vega is much stronger and the cross steer looks better and has less bump steer than the drag link style of a Corvair.
X2 on the vega...I am biased though I have an original for sale if u are interested...LOL Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
When I had my shop, the Power Steering shop was owned by a friend: I was using Vega boxes, and didn't care for the short P&J pitman arm. My friend had many stock ones to choose from, (non-power, the power ones were 1.25" dia., standard ones were 1", of the ones available...) Anyone able to tell me just what application these may have been? (my p/s friend sold out in the '80s, so my source dried up) Pitman arm would be 6"-7" center-to-center in length, and have a tapered hole for Ford tie rod end.
Not trying to hijack this thread, but since Vega boxes are getting kinda hard to find, are the aftermarket Mullins boxes based on the true Vega design and are there any upsides or downsides (except maybe they're not traditional enough) to using them? Thanks.
I have a" Flaming River " Vega copy. It has been trouble free for 15 yrs. Barry Lobeck swore by them. If it was good enough for Barry its good enough me.
The Vega box is better for cross steer. If you are keeping side steer like it was originally, try to find a box from a '64-'69 Dodge A100 van/pickup or '61-'66 Ford Econoline van. I had a good Dodge A100 box I gave to a friend who used it in his '21 Studebaker roadster. He was very happy with it.
I saw this thread and thought I would ask. I have a willys coupe with an original frt axle and 37-41 spindles. I picked up on a FR 1500 vega box at a good price but need a pitman arm. No mounts on the frame or anything yet. I am not sure if I should use a straight arm or an original slightly dropped original one which I like the looks of. The problem is I need the arm to fit the mounting of the box to the frame. I read somewhere that a guy had an FR box and bought their pitman arm and it only went on the sector shaft a 1/4" or so. I don't like the sound of that. I don't know how an original would even fit on this box, much less finding one. Is that the only box an original vega arm fits on... is a vega? Not sure I want to use a foreign one either. And I see they offer different lengths which even adds more confusion. It would be great to have a selection of arms to try but that isn't going to happen. I realize about the straight ones having the taper hole on both sides and the original does not. Any tips you could tell me on how to go about this? thanks