Can anyone tell me when this first was used? I have a 27' essex I'm considering using it on but I'm not sure what period era this is correct for. Thanks. I did google & check the archives first.
I really think it started with sprint cars. Not sure there was a production car that actually had cowl steering. I could be wrong...someone will come a long and correct me. I used a LEE MFG Full Sprint Car box in Model "A" Sedan. I love it!
I was just about to take on same job on my 30 a.....any info on where an cost of that sprint car box? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
This is one of the more popular brands they have a price list. It looks like it's call and ask on prices now. http://www.schroedersteering.com/HotRodSteeringPg.html You might check Speedway too as they stock a bunch of sprint car steering pieces.
I'm using a "Nordan" cowl steering box in my 30' Chrysler project. Nordan became Franklin to my understanding. It was in a mid 40's sprint car. I'm sure whatever your using will fit in fine with your 27' unless it's a modified "standard" steering box with an extension adapter on it.
check out a mopar 65-70 steering box- good ratio- no need to reverse gears.aluminum, finned- not bad looking.check the sprint car guys for a good used Schroder, etc, they are tough.
I did a lot of research and found the old LEE MFG Sprint Car Boxes were 17 to 1 which is a perfect daily driving ratio. Many of the other boxes were much quicker steering (as quick as 6 to 1). I couldn't be happier with my unit. I bought it off Ebay for about $400.
Would like to know more about the 65 to 70 mopar box and maybe some photos if you could please, Thanks
Pretty much any Plymouth/Dodge car made from the mid 60's to 79 Mopar Steering boxes 1976-1979 Dodge 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger 1966-1976 Dodge Charger 1966-1976 Dodge Coronet 1966-1976 Dodge Dart 1966-1974 Plymouth Barracuda 1966-1970 Plymouth Belvedere 1970-1974 Plymouth Cuda 1970-1976 Plymouth Duster 1966-1978 Plymouth Fury 1968-1974 Plymouth Fury I 1968-1974 Plymouth Fury II 1968-1974 Plymouth Fury III 1972-1977 Plymouth Grand Fury 1967-1971 Plymouth GTX 1968-1975 Plymouth Roadrunner 1966-1974 Plymouth Satellite 1971-1976 Plymouth Scamp 1970 Plymouth Superbird 1966-1976 Plymouth Valiant 1976-1979 Plymouth Volare http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=630554 This info is from another HAMB thread.
I was building the tubing framework to mount an aluminum manual 1968 Charger box this weekend. Use any of the Mopar boxes as shown above. Search Mopar cowl steering to see examples of how to mount.
Thanks for the responses & all the info. I agree no manufacturers used this design atleast that I know of. Maybe I didnt word my question properly, what I wanted to know is when was this first used in a hotrod, for the streets? Like I said already every response already posted held valuable info, I just cant seem to pin down what era of rodding it first was used.
I used the mopar box on my '30 chevy truck. there is a thread on here about how to convert it over. I cut the original pitman arm and machined it down to slide inside of a piece of 2" .250 wall tubing. The factory nut just fits inside with a thin wall socket. I made the steering arm. it worked great and the ratio was just right. Good luck.
i'm always on a buget, a small one. i found info on the hamb about using a box from a bmw 2002, late '60s or early '70s. i had to build the roll bar under the dash, but no modifications were needed like some of the other boxes. i even used the original pitman arm. all works great with a $50 investment, very quick & easy
I believe Doan's famous 32 had it. Like it was mentioned most sprint car boxes are too quick ratio for a street car in parking. Ago
Well, it was definitely used in Model T-based dirt-track cars, at a time when (legend has it) there wasn't much preventing you from driving it to the track. I'm pretty sure there'd be documented use no later than the early '20s. Drag-link-type steering was in some cases exposed, in some cases hidden beneath fenders, in some cases outside the frame, in some cases inside the frame, some mounted higher, some mounted lower...where do we define 'cowl steering'?
Yeah, that's it, though the larger and/or later ones mostly came with power steering and the box you're looking for is the aluminum 'bullet' manual-steering box. My research experience was that there were a few different part #s over the years, though they all LOOK pretty much the same; I can't tell you what the functional differences are. They're all pretty slow-ratio (20-something:1, something like 5 1/2 turns lock to lock in their original application) which is what you'd expect for a manual box in a heavy production car. If you are junkyard-scrounging your best bets are going to be the cheap cars, the Valiants and Darts and the like. I was wandering the local pick-n-pull on half-price day (sometimes it's just recreational) and - voila! - a '60s Valiant with its panties down and its legs spread yielded its...well the engine was out and the relay rod fell off the pitman arm with a couple whacks of the hammer so I figured I may as well take the box, it was only 15 minutes of work. Cleaned up nicely and has minimal play so I think I'll use it as-is. My '36 and '37 Chevy Pitman arms fit right on the output shaft splines, but it'll probably need some kind of tubular output-shaft extension as others noted earlier.
I went to Shroeders last August when I was over there for a look and to buy one of their boxes. They said they weren't making any for the time being and to contact them in Nov which I did,then they said to contact them again in Jan which I did by email and I haven't heard back from them. I would really like to get one of theirs so if anyone knows what they are up to let us know. They cost around $1600 and are 12:1 for the street box. I'll check out the other ones that were mentioned earlier to see if they suit me.
I always thought about using a late sprint car box with power steering. If you go to a race car swap meet sometimes you can find deals on parts. Ago
I saw a add from Borgenson( In Streetrodder Mag) that was showing side steer! Give them a call,American Company,just bought a power steering set up for 1956 Belair. Pete
I'm pretty vintage and I don't recall it being common. Most Ford based hot rods used the drag link through the frame. I think it became "vogue" when somebody tried to show some individuality, or maybe to solve some steering gear clearance issue with a radical channel when there was no footroom. Most of this is just my reflection and opinion....
I don't believe cowl steering was used on many street driven hot rods in the 1950's Track roadsters, sprint cars, midgets and some drag race cars used them but they were primarily race only. Karl
1925 Ford roadster built by Dick Kraft in the late 1940's had cowl steer, was a street/strip car. Doane Spencer's 1932 Ford Roadster was built in 1946 had cowl steer. Dick Williams 1927 Ford Roadster was a street/strip car built in 1952 had cowl steering. I'm sure there are more!
I think 12:1 is going to be pretty fast for a street box, though of course that'll all depend on the lengths of the steering/pitman arms used. It's all about how much linear throw of the drag link you get per turn of the wheel and how that translates to wheel angular movement. On the other hand the Mopar manual box discussed earlier is quite slow by modern standards though probably period-correct for what I'm trying to do.
I am running a Profile 12::1 sprint car power gear in my roadster without any problem. You would think that 12 ::1 is too fast for the street but remember that the Camaro quick steering from the factory is 13::1. I had Tommy Lee freshen mine and the installed it with a late '60's stock Chevy pump. I have run it for 4 years now without any problems at all. I shortened up the pittman arm pivot as you can see in the pictures and installed the longest steering arm available (7 1/2" from mount flange to drag link mount hole). The reason I went with the cowl steering was twofold. First I knew I would be running rib front tires that have the tendency to follow rain grooves in the pavement and other cracks etc. With the power gear the car goes where I point it not where the rib fronts want to go! Schroeder's fast gear is 6::1 and his slow gear is 8::1. I don't have arms like Popeye So a power gear was in order. With not too much effort I was able to find a good used gear. Ebay, Racing junk, and other sites have Profile and Lee power gears very often and pretty cheap too. All you then need is the pittman arm and steering arm offered by Speedway and several others, some -3 stainless and various hoses and AN fitting and VOILA you are on your way to easy steering. The only time I really feel the power is when I am at a standstill or very low speed and parking. Everyone tha has driven the car remarks at how good the steering feels.
Perhaps it was out of necessity for cars such as track cars, sprints, midgets and some dragsters as they are narrow. Usually single seaters that simply didn't have enough interior room to run the linkage inside the cockpit. Moving it outside made the most sense. This would equate cowl steering to racing, therefore it was adapted to other vehicles for "the look".
I've had no success with Schroder and their steering has anyone managed to purchase their cowl sprint car steering assembly.
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