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1952-59 Ford Revisiting "Junkyard tilt columns"

Discussion in 'Off Topic Hot Rods & Customs' started by JeffB2, Mar 21, 2020.

  1. JeffB2
    Joined: Dec 18, 2006
    Posts: 9,665

    JeffB2
    Member
    from Phoenix,AZ

    Way back when we discussed this and there was a good article from a Ford Falcon blog which is no longer on the web so I thought I would hunt down another. Like our 50's Fords Mustangs prior to 1967 they also had the "Spear of Death" steering box so this for the most part would apply to our Fords also. https://www.vintage-mustang.com/threads/tilt-steering-wheel-options-for-my-65.1072250/ This might also be a good time to incorporate the "Junkyard electric power steering" referenced here in Post # 97 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/faq-sticky.897329/page-4, I have run across a fair amount of guys that done the electric power steering on several of the Facebook 50's Fords forums I contribute to.
     
  2. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,570

    evintho
    Member

    Funny you posted this today. Went to my local Pick-N-Pull this morning and grabbed an EPS to be grafted to my '54 steering shaft.

    EPS1.JPG

    $66 out the door. Came out of an '07 Chevy Equinox.

    EPS6.JPG

    Just did a rebuild on my '54 box. I've got all my EPS research nailed. Should be a pretty easy conversion. I have to wait a few weeks for the 'Bruno' controller to show up in the mail but I promise a full write up when it's all said and done.

    steering column.JPG
     
    Kustomline54 and mikhett like this.
  3. JeffB2
    Joined: Dec 18, 2006
    Posts: 9,665

    JeffB2
    Member
    from Phoenix,AZ

    Looking forward to the full write up and pictures. :D
     
  4. mikhett
    Joined: Jan 22, 2005
    Posts: 1,582

    mikhett
    Member
    from jackson nj

     
  5. JeffB2
    Joined: Dec 18, 2006
    Posts: 9,665

    JeffB2
    Member
    from Phoenix,AZ

    Now you need to camouflage that bowtie with something like this. LOL! https://www.ebay.com/itm/Grant-5665...=16394601928231f23b45e3524f8dbb64a934562b4496
     
  6. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,570

    evintho
    Member

    Haha! Now I need to camouflage the Saturn emblem. I emailed Bruno last night and was told I got the wrong EPS! Apparently, his controller won't work with the later mid year and up '07 Equinox, only the earlier mid year and down car. So.....after church today it was back up to Pick-N-Pull and I pulled an '05 Saturn Vue unit. They swapped it straight across for me. It's amazing how easy it is to pull these EPS's. Took me about 1/2 hour. And, Bruno verified his controller will work with this Saturn unit!

    saturnEPS1.JPG
     
    fordsbyjay likes this.
  7. nascardave
    Joined: Jan 31, 2010
    Posts: 190

    nascardave
    Member

    I also have done electric power steering in my '54 Ford wagon. I used a 2006 Saturn vue.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. JeffB2
    Joined: Dec 18, 2006
    Posts: 9,665

    JeffB2
    Member
    from Phoenix,AZ

    Gonz who I helped through a 302 swap in Canadian '54 Ford also used the Saturn Vue unit and is very happy with it.
     
  9. JeffB2
    Joined: Dec 18, 2006
    Posts: 9,665

    JeffB2
    Member
    from Phoenix,AZ

    It looks to be a very compact unit compared to even the aftermarket units costing over $1K. Since Saturn was s****ped by GM these may be getting harder to come by,do you remember how much of the original shaft you had to had to cut ? I see the Saturn units on ebay bringing up to $200 here is an interesting article: https://gr***rootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/electric-steering-conversion/131389/page1/
     
  10. Noswal
    Joined: May 30, 2014
    Posts: 80

    Noswal

    nascardave,
    Do you have any problems with the Saturn unit re-centering itself after a turn? I have one of these units I would like to use, but I have heard that there are centering issues.
     
  11. nascardave
    Joined: Jan 31, 2010
    Posts: 190

    nascardave
    Member

    Unfortunately my car is not on the road as yet. It is still in the rebuilding process. I know with power to it the steering goes right to left. My understanding with lack of return is an alignment issue. Mainly Caster settings. The electric steering we are using came out of late model cars and have a lot of built in caster in the suspention. Upward of 5 to 7 degree positive caster. Unfortunately our cars are hard press to get more than 1 or 2 degree caster. I think playing with the alignment would make it liveable. Don't know for sure. I work with the people at E Power steering in Ramona,Calif. Ph. 858 774 4610 They helped me with the controlled, cuplings and checked my unit,and made the computer remote. They were very useful, you may give them a call with your concerns. Dave
     
    JeffB2 likes this.
  12. Pheaton193
    Joined: Apr 7, 2011
    Posts: 427

    Pheaton193
    Member
    from Reno, NV

    Excellent! Hope you are well.
     
  13. nascardave
    Joined: Jan 31, 2010
    Posts: 190

    nascardave
    Member

    Hi Tom, Doing well, thank you. Hope you are also. I know you have electric power steering. Are you having any issues with return to center with your electric power steering?
     
  14. Noswal
    Joined: May 30, 2014
    Posts: 80

    Noswal

    Thanks Dave. Been on their website. Gonna give them a call.
     
  15. nosford
    Joined: Feb 7, 2011
    Posts: 1,131

    nosford
    Member

    If you Google for "$35 electric power steering" there is a guy that put Toyota Prius electric power steering in a 1964 Falcon (solid shaft box) but he goes into great detail. He is some sort of retired engineer that tests several steering systems and they don't need a separate control box like the Saturn system does, just the controller that came on the car. A bunch of the Japanese and Korean cars use a system that gets its information from the "bus" which is a link to all the other computers in the car. If this signal is missing (which would be the case in our 50's Fords) than after 10 seconds it goes into a default mode and works fine without a separate control box. https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspensi...ail-safe-no-ebay-module-no-caster-issues.html
     

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