1952-59 Ford Power Steering on 52-56 Ford?

Thanks for the feedback MOJODADDY.

 

Amazon has the Borgeson Steering Box for $536.80, about $70 cheaper than Borgeson and with free shipping.

 

I used adapter from butches cool stuff for the ford truck ps box. But due to cost and trouble of mounting a ps pump on the flat head v8 I used a manual box mid to late 70s truck. it's 6 turns lock to lock but steers nice. Cleaner with out the hoses had to cut shaft used a horn saver kit for lower shaft has bushings and needle bearings worked quite well

 

leadsledjim, I am going with a tilt column, floor shift. I have a 5 spd and my shifter is on the floor already. I wanted something not to modern looking, so I was going to use ididit, but then I cam across this from the HAMB cl***ified and scored it for $50 shipped. It has NO Key on column, tilt, hazzard and blinkers, which is what I wanted vs. a newer GM column. Its out of a late 60's Pontiac I believe. So the plan is to shorten the column as needed and get the correct joints to tie to the new borgeson box. I am waiting on my buddy to help me with this, its definitely out of my comfort zone, which is why its not done yet. its going to get done soon or I will just end up saying the hell with it and buying an IDIDIT and some joints and do it myself. I do enjoy saving money but it gets aggravating on things I cant do myself and end up waiting months on my buddy to get free to help. In the end I would rather spend extra money and not have the frustration of waiting for months.

 

Todd,how is the header clearance looking with the Borgeson box,any mods needed?

 

the headers I am using will clear as well as the stock box, maybe even a touch extra. I am running the tri y 302 headers. I have them off right now but I stuck it on one day to be sure.

 

A friend is now installing a Borgeson Steering Unit on his 1956 Ford. The Stock 312 Headers Will Not Fit. Not sure if the is a bolt on Fix.

 

Thanks Brodie.

 

I have to chime in here after reading some of the post pertaining to rack and pinion power steering. i looked at the worth design and thought it was a good one but overpriced for my budget. I have since installed a cavalier rack and pinion unit in my 54 Vicky. I purchased a used unit at the express pull for $39.00 in good condition. Then struggled with the h***le of trying to make brackets. Finally I started searching for kits on the internet and found one at Fatman fabrications. The only problem was $400.00 plus for the kit.
I gave them a call and discovered that half the cost was the steering column joints. They sold me all the brackets and bolts for a little less then $200.00. Everthing bolted up without any problems. So I still had the problem of connecting the steering to the R&P. I started crawling around in the express pull trying to find something to tie everything together. I finally stumbled across a late model Buick with front wheel drive and there was everything thing I needed. A sliding shaft, rag joint and a 1/2" D joint on one end and 1" on the other. I didn't even have to modify it to make it work. I'm using an afermarket steering column with a 1" d shaft and the R&P is 1/2". I would like to say everthing turned out perfect except I don't have the power steering pump hooked up yet and I'm still doing body work something I really **** at, hope to have it on the road soon. I forgot to tell you joints and rag joint steering section cost me $5.00 at the express pull.
Ralph

 

I am installing the Borgeson box in my 54 coupe. I am using a Volvo electric pump to provide the power and it makes a very clean installation. I do not have the steering column hooked up yet as I am waiting for a connector to arrive. I will be using the stock column with the shift mechanism on it. There is plenty of room with this box, unlike the Cherokee box I tried to use.

The Borgeson box is nice and compact but I had to fiddle with the mounting holes to make it bolt up. Perhaps if I had ground a little off of the box itself it would have settled in but I ground a little off of the frame to make it fit. I had custom hoses made to hook up to the Volvo pump.

 

I put the Isuzu box with adapter plate in my 54. I took 19 inches out of the steering column and put about 40 hours of time into getting the column shifter to work properly. Well worth all the time.
I was going to go with an after market column but thought since the old one was going to be s**** anyways why not try to make it fit. Car looks stock inside and drives like a million bucks.
I had some clearance issues to the exhaust manifold but a little shimming and then it fie. I am running a 390 with a C6. I will post a pic in a bit.

 

For the people that used the stock column what have you been doing with the huge steering wheel? Keeping it or replacing it with a normal unit?

 

I use mine to steer the garage wall.

 

That volvo set up looks interesting. No brackets to scrounge or pulleys to align. Am I correct in those ***umptions? Which model(s) did you find it on?

 

The pump is from a late model Volvo C70. It was an Ebay purchase for $150. I am sure it would be cheaper at the salvage yard but I never saw one there.

I am using the original steering wheel which I have recently repaired and painted.

So far so good on the conversion. Somehow I cut the steering shaft a little too long and there is a space between the steering wheel and the column, so I am trying to fix that today.

 

. Why did you use Volvo? Would electric from another make work. Thanks for the info.

 

I installed the Borgeson box made for my '55. It litterally took only minutes and everything fit perfectly. All of the mounting holes lined up and the pitman dropped right in. No cutting, no adapters. I have a Jeep steering box but is such a PITA that I did not use it.
I used a Saginaw pump from an '80 Camero but about any Sag will work. Lots in junk yards cheap.
Shortening column was a snap. I run a T-5 on the floor so no column shift
How does it work? Great! Feel is good. Why torture yourself with adapter and parts that simply do not fit. The kit was money well spent IMHO.
VICKY used fewer words but his is right on.,

 

Borgeson power steering- I bought this for my 56 but have not put it in yet. About the only issue you may run into, from my research, is the joint sits right at the firewall. You may need to fab a new firewall piece.

I don't know who said they only paid 100.00 for theirs, but I wish I had bought mine for that. I think I paid about 600 for mine at the York NSRA show.

 

The test drive with the new power steering went well. The car is so much better with the new box, all the slop is gone and the effort to turn the wheel is wonderful.

I did the installation alone which required a lot of time under the car, bending over the fender, and under the dash. A second person would have been handy but needed only on occasion.

Four problems cropped up with my installation:

One was that the box did not exactly "bolt in". I enlarged the mounting holes and ground some off of the frame top before it bolted in.

Two was the coupler Borgeson sells needed work. The smooth end was too small for my 3/4 inch shaft. I spent a lot of time reducing the size of the shaft to fit in the coupler. Then I welded it on the shaft and installed a threaded pin. The end with the splines comes with a set screw and lock nut. The set screw had to be modified to provide clearance within the steering column. I had to remove the column several times (PITA) before I was sure there was no interference.

Three was that the steering column now sits lower than before because the box has a slight tilt to it with the enlarged mounting holes. There is a one inch gap where the column bolts to the dash.

Four was my error in that I cut the shaft an inch too long, even after several measurements and trial fittings. So, my steering wheel sits an inch or less above the column. The big problem with that is the turn signal cancellation feature does not work.

Overall I am really happy with the Borgeson kit and highly recommend it. Their installation instructions could be more detailed and their coupler should be better, but I was able to work around it.

My use of the Volvo electric pump worked out great. It eliminated the need for a pulley driven pump. Since I am running a 223 inline six I was laying awake nights trying to come up with mounting brackets, belts, hoses, etc. With the electric pump all I had to do was fabricate a mount, have a set of hoses made, and run power to it. I do not hear it running except when I turn off the engine you hear the pump winding down. I am going to tell people that noise is my flux capacitor.

I replaced the rubber cover on the firewall, and I must say that was difficult. Maybe it is because I am 76 years old and don't bend quiet as well as I used to.

 

Yes, I am sure that other pumps would work but the Volvo unit looked less complicated to me.

 

Great job...interesting with the volvo ps....I had no idea. Btw, the house in the avatar looks identical to the one I had in Fountain Valley ...two story in the back? Mine was in the Green Valley tract. I did live in HB for 6 years..my very first house. I don't miss the traffic, I do miss my frequent midnight walks around Lido Isle, and I miss the scenery..... of the female variety.

 

There is a cat on the Y-blocks Forever site that just completed Yaris electric steer swap in his '56. The swap presupposes the original manual steering box is in good shape.

 

I have felt your pain. Although mine is apart now, I did fit it in. I had to surface (grind) a tad off the backing plate in order to get the column to fit back in the dash mount properly. A little change in the angle down there makes a lot up at the dash mount. Now that I have it fitted all nice.....I'm thinking of changing to an IDIT column. I'm trying to find out haw to do the dash bracket since the column housings are different diameters.

 

I used the Borgeson box on the 56. Single greatest improvement to the car that can be made, fast ratio and enough tension to "keep the car straight" when driving on the highway. Stock column and column shift automatic. Saginaw pump, FE engine. The box is a bolt in, just shortened the column. The Borgeson box is wider than the original box, so just anticipate there will likely be an exhaust clearance issue, though Y-block rear exit manifolds look like they fit with no issues.
I have seen an aftermarket 56 steering wheel made in 15" diameter. I am not sure but the splines may be Chevy. If so, it should work on the aftermarket columns.

 

http://y-blocksforever.com/tech/html/ididit.html

 

I;m running a 351 cleavland in my 56 and it just clears the stock box with exhaust manifolds. I love the idea of the new box but worried it will hit the manifold. How much wider is the borgeson box before i buy.

 

From their website http://borgeson.com/imageCD/800115DIM. The website will not allow copying the dimensions, but they appear on the site.