Ive got a 51 F-1 truck steering box that has a little too much play. I want rebuild it to tighten it up. Is there a tech article, or any advice on how to go about it?? I tore it down, and the bearings felt tight, but there was some slop between the gears. Any advice appriciated.
You can use a Toyota 4x4 steering box,with little mods. And you can get them power or manual steering. You just have to make a bracket to fit in the frame where the unit will bolt on,and widen the orng. hole where the steering comes through your frame. make your own pitman arm out of the 2, and you have a tighter steering box,and up dated.
I found this articel on here when I had some issues with my F-1 box. Hope this helps you out. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4059 F-1 STEERING REBUILD A quick functional check and inspection can tell you how good a steering box is and what it needs to make it perfect. First, rotate the steering shaft from lock-to-lock in both directions and check for roughness and stiff spots. The steering should turn smoothly in both directions with no apparent notchiness or tightness. (As the sector shaft rotates from lock to lock resistance should increase as it approaches the center of its movement and then diminish as it rotates to the opposite lock. This is a normal condition that helps the steering "center" when the car is moving straight ahead.) Roughness and stiffness are sure signs of galling on the gears or the bearing races on the worm gear, and if the box fails this simple test, keep looking and checking until you find a good one. And, when you do, give it a final check for wear by unscrewing the 9/16-inch cap nut on the lash adjuster and counting the threads on the adjuster screw. If there are only a couple of threads showing, the gears could be severely worn, even if the box feels smooth. INSPECTION, REBUILD, AND SERVICE With so many good, affordable donor steering boxes in circulation, it's a relatively inexpensive task to assemble a first-rate box that's as good as new. If you're impatient you can buy all-new internals but they'll cost you several hundred dollars that could be better spent somewhere else on your hot rod. Check the lower bearing race on the worm gear for galling. This is a fairly common condition and one that creates stiff spots in the rotation of the steering wheel. The remedy is a new worm gear that can be pressed onto your old shaft. Inspect the sector gear for galling, and pray that there isn't any, because here, too, replacement is the remedy and a new sector gear and pin will set you back $60-$70. An entire new sector assembly -- gear, pin, and shaft -- is a couple hundred bucks! Plan on parting with $30-$40 (as of this printing) for worm gear bearings, gaskets and shims, a sector shaft bushing, and a sector shaft seal to make the steering box as good as new once the modification work is finished. Before assembling the steering, clean the sector shaft to remove old seal material. Be gentle and don't scratch or abrade the seal area. Dress the front and top mounting surfaces on the box with a file to remove ridges or burrs that would prevent oil-tight sealing. Bearing end play is adjusted by shimming the lower race which protrudes slightly from the case. The end cap is installed to determine the size and number of gaskets needed. Adjustment is a cut-and-try process. Begin with three thick green gaskets between the end cover and the box. There should be a very slight drag on the steering shaft when it's turned. If there is no drag, remove one gasket and check again. If there is too much drag, add another gasket, a thinner brown one. If you don't hit the right combination at first, be patient; you'll soon get it and then be ready to assemble the steering box. ASSEMBLY AND ADJUSTMENT The simple Ford steering box almost assembles itself. Just make sure it's properly lubed and correctly adjusted. Apply a generous coat of moly grease to the bearings, worm gear, and sector gear and upper part of the shaft. Oil the lower part of the sector shaft and install it in the case with the gear centered. Grease the lash adjuster and install it in the top of the sector body with the adjuster screw toward the front of the box. If it's reversed, the cover won't fit on the box. Apply a thin, even coat of Permatex to the mounting surface on the box, thread the cover onto the adjuster screw, and draw the cover down by turning the adjuster counter-clockwise. Adjust the lash until the steering turns smoothly, with no play, throughout the full movement from lock to lock and back. Then, install the star lock on the adjuster screw and screw on the locknut to hold the star lock in place. After the mast jacket has been added, install a new rubber bushing into the upper end to support the top of the steering shaft. Use only silicone lube on the bushing; grease will harden it and cause it to squeak. SOURCES ALL FORD PARTS 1600 Dell Ave., Suite A Campbell, CA 95008 232-page catalog, $10 1-800-532-1932 Order only 1-408-378-1935 Information 1-408-866-1934 FAX DENNIS CARPENTER REPRODUCTIONS P. O. Box 26398 Charlotte, NC 28221 1-704-786-8139 Information 1-800-476-9653 Order only JOBLOT AUTOMOTIVE, INC. 98-11 211th St. Queens Village, NY 11429 Catalog, 88 pages, $2 1-800-221-0172 Order only (except NY) 1-718-468-8585 Information (and NY orders) 1-718-468-8686 FAX OBSOLETE FORD PARTS, INC. 8701 S. I-35 Oklahoma City, OK 73149 Model A catalog, 100 pages, $3 '32-'48 passenger, '32-'47 pickup, 175 pages, $3 1-405-631-3933 Information 1-405-634-6815 FAX SACRAMENTO VINTAGE FORD PARTS, INC. 2484 Mercantile Drive Rancho Cordova, CA 95742-6200 Model A catalog, $5 V8 Ford catalog, $5 916-853-2244 916-853-2299 FAX JOE SMITH AUTOMOTIVE, INC. 2140 Canton Rd. Marietta, GA 30066 Catalog, 74 pages, $3. 1-800-235-4013 Order only 1-770-426-9850 Information 1-770-426-9854 FAX SOUTHSIDE OBSOLETE 6819 James Ave. So. Minneapolis, MN 55423 Catalog, 28 pages 1-612-866-1230 Order & Info 1-612-866-8187 FAX
Vern Tardel sells a quality booklet that covers rebuilding the F1 box...worth the $10 - especially if you've never done one.
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