Best power steering box to replace stock '51 F100 unit.

I have a customer who wants to go power steering and tilt wheel but keep the stock front steering. What is the best way to go to get power steering on a '51 F100 pickup?

 

Some folks use a Toyota 4 X 4 steering box. Don't know what years though. Go the F-100 web site for more details. I have pics of the bracket you have to build to fit it into the F1 ch***is if you need them I can e-mail them.

 

oldspert - 2 questions which website are you talking about? and which brackets are you reffering to?(sorry im a newbie ) ive also heard of using toyota boxes but wasnt sure of what years

 

I have added a ram type power steering to trucks. Put a pump on the engine and a sensor joint to the drag link and mount the ram. Early Chevy and Ford were this way.

 

andy what year ram?

 

In 1967 we did what Andy suggests

 

The real question is what are you going to do with the stock gearbox?

 

The Toyota box is the most popular but the years that work are getting hard to find, and the boxes are pretty old and worn by now. As mentioned you need to fab a bracket (someone sells them but fit is not good), fab up a pitman arm, and hook up a pump. Then make the column connection.

The drag link ram-type set-ups work but honestly, they feel like garbage compared to an actual power box setup. If you can get all the joints tight and get the right spring in the sensor joint, they work OK but feel like you're back in '59, lack of center feel, over-boosting, etc.

I'm surprised no one has started making a repro box that will work for these trucks, demand is pretty high.

By the way, a '51 would be an F-1, not F-100.

 

Try www.ford-trucks.com
Go to the forum on your 51 F1 or search the articles. It is easy to find and a good source. There are more than one suppliers of the bracket and the pitman arm is also available from them.
I have a Toyota box as I was planning to do that swap but the project took a different route. PM me if you want to make a deal. Same $ that I paid on the bay. 80 to 87 Toyota 4x4 box is the way to go. Must be out of the solid axle 4x4 not the independent.

 

'85 was the last year for solid axle.

 

I did the Toyota power steering conversion on a customer's 54 F100. We got the kit from www.cl***icperform.com. It was'nt cheap, but it was relatively painless. You could definitely fab up the bracket, but I would buy the pitman arm. The hoses could be made up locally. The truck steered great.