had to cut my f-1 box in 1/2 so i could rotate the steering shaft angle. question, is the box cast iron or cast steel? what to use to weld back? mig? tig? what rod? would like to weld back tomorrow.
I’m going to say cast steel. I welded mine with a mig with slight pre heat. Didn’t seem to have any problems.
Guys, I’m kinda wondering here. In another thread about steering the guys were saying to not weld the input shaft.. use only splines shafts and stuff for safety. Here you guys are cutting a steering box in half and welding it back together? Is this safe? Also could anybody post a pic of what you are actually doing? Before and after? Bones
I think he is just welding the box and leaving the sector shaft intact and in stock form. If the box is cast steel then it's perfectly safe to weld provided your skills are up to it. A spark test would go a long way to determining if it's steel or cast iron. Just grind a small area and compare the Sparks to a known piece of cast iron and steel. Should be easy to tell the difference.
high quality ford cast steel welds up like butter. done a couple and you could not tell its not mild steel.
That’s a little more brag that fact, but I did weld two beer cans together with a Lincoln cracker box. Lol Bones
I am about to mig my box as well. What gauge wire did you end up using? Only wire I have on hand at the moment is .025. Thanks SC
Cast Vanadium steel. Dodge Bros. worked in Henry Ford's forging shop in the '20s, look at some early forged axles...(DB and Ford) Due to the deep 'V'ing of the mating surfaces, it's easier to use .030" wire, if possible. Two passes would be preferable, (with '030") so .025" might be a little 'light... As far as 'safe', it is GOOD material you are welding; also, the box is in a 'captive position', so if the weld broke, there would be some 'play' in the steering, but not enough that you couldn't steer it to a safe stop.
Thanks for the quick reply Mike. I will run up to the store and pick up some 030. I was worried 025 was going to be a little light. SC
Post some photos of how you did it if you can. I am hoping that I can go over and offer to sweep my buddy's shop floor or some other grunt job to get him to chuck the housing in his lathe and trim it down and weld a flange on but this may work just as well.
I didn't do the cut in half method like the OP. I am doing the method you described. I found this thread because I was searching for appropriate wire to use on F1 box. Didn't mean to hijack. I have already cut the old flange off. Trimmed the housing down in a lathe and I am to the point of welding on the new flange now. Had to wait to get my body on so I could get my column angle where I wanted it to know the angle of the flange. I just went and picked up some 030 wire so I will get mine all tacked and welded tonight or tomorrow hopefully.
That's what I figure to do when the time comes, Take it down to the bare housing and hope my buddy's gal hasn't drug him off to the far reaches of the world again.
A long time ago I welded the F-1 box on our Deuce coupe. Shortened the box so it cleared the exhaust better back then all I had was a Sears AC stick welder to this day the weld has held and no cracks material is excellent to weld on.
Don't forget: When this box was cast, arc was THE welder...Repairs were arc welded or gas welded. Period.
Got my flange welded on my F1 box tonight and box mocked back up in the frame. I used .030 wire in my little Lincoln Mig 140 and it welded up just fine.
I used a Series 2 Land Rover Burman box. Fits right on with no welding. I used a Land Rover pitman arm with the lower end adapted to take a Ford joint Sent from my moto g(6) play using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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