1952-59 Ford Power steering Tilt Column upgrade 56 Mainline

I have been working on my Borgeson PS box install along with a Flaming River tilt steering column, Summit Racing column mount and steering wheel.

For Parts I have:

Flaming River: 28" Black Tilt Column FLA-FR20005-28BK
Summit Racing: 2" x 2 1/2" column drop mount. SUM-772810
Borgeson Steering Coupler: BRG-052552
Borgeson PS box
For Steering wheel/adapter I have a Flaming River D steering wheel FLA-FR20130BK (adapter FLA-FR20119RA) and a Grant GRT-440 steering wheel (adapter GRT-3196).

Old Vs New


In the instructions it states you may have to shim the steering box for proper alignment. I need to shim the bottom front hole. I put a straight edge on the frame there and it is not flat like the steering box mount so that is where the discrepancy comes into play. It's not very much though, I should be able to use a thin washer. In this picture just the rear bolt is tight and it all lines right up.




The closest column drop mount to fit a Ford that I found is the Summit Racing 772810. It just barely fit the dash opening after a light hammer work on the metal dash seams. The bolt spacing on top is too wide at 2 5/8" to be a direct bolt in . As a side note the bolt spacing on the Flaming River drop mount is 2 1/4" and would fit but the mount itself is 4" wide and won't fit in the dash. The IDIDIT drop mount that I found had the same 2 5/8" bolt spacing as well.



I ended up slightly elongating the holes with my die grinder. I never took a picture after.




Column installed


I don't know what steering wheel I like so I ordered a couple of them. I am glad I did because they look different in the car.

This is the Grant wheel. It was my second choice online but I like it better once installed.


This is the Flaming River wheel. My first choice and my belly loves the extra room. I like both wheels but this one second after looking at it in the car.

 

They both look good, Jay. The Waterfall wheel (2nd pic, right?) was what I was going to go with before I decided I needed to try a late model column. I still wish I could keep the late model column but change the wheel itself to something like what your looking at.

 

That is the D Wheel that is similar to the waterfall. I really like Waterfall wheel but was looking for more room.

http://www.flamingriver.com/index.php/products/c0006/c0004/FR20150

 

I appreciate these pictures of the column drop. Was the original column drop 2.5" also? Is there a picture of the original drop?

 

I don't have the original one anymore so I can't tell you exactly but I do believe it was less. The new box is a lot longer at the input area so it must change the angle a bit.

 

Here is a pic I can find of the original column before dis***emble.

 

Is the advertised 2.5" drop measured to the top of the outside diameter of the column, or to the center of the column?

 

what is the part number on the borgeson box

 

800115

 

thanks

 

Interestingly enough I stopped at Summit and they changed the box since I bought mine years ago.

 

will that borgeson box line up with all the steering linkage

 

I hope so. I've been cleaning parts and painting them for a week. I just started re***embly today but of course keep running into needing this and needing that.

 

let me know if the steering linkage will line up using the borgeson box

 

Can the Borgeson box be fitted to a cut down stock column? I don't want to change to a tilt column. Paul.

 

Yes it can Paul

 

Oh yeah. Borgeson has an adapter just for that. The actual shaft is a piece of 3/4" tubing. The Borgson adapter goes over the stock shaft (after cutting the shaft) and you weld it on. The other end is 11/16-36 spline for the steering box.

https://www.borgeson.com/xcart/product.php?productid=1002&cat=117&page=1

 

I have the original box back in for the time being. The Borgeson box is in direct conflict with my 460.

 

will the stock linkage line up with the Borgeson box under the front end ??

 

IDK. I don't have stock linkage.