Yes. G***er57 mentioned it in one of his posts and I was hoping to learn more. The present P/S setup leaves a lot to be desired. So..... Which one?, Is it a straight bolt in?. I figure I'll have to cut my column shaft. Ect..... Anyway anyone that's done this swap please chime in.
I converted my non-power steering GM 60's car to a metric '92 Pontiac WS-6 ps box 2 1/4 turns lock-to-lock. There is a Company in Sun Valley, Ca, called Lee Manufacturing Co. Lee sold me a conversion kit/rag joint/coupler to convert the fittings on the box from metric to fraction/SAE so you can posibly use your existing hoses. Kit cost $110. The ps box I bought off eBay. Lee Manufacturing may be able to ***ist you. Ph # (818) 768-0371. The lady who answers the phone is very knowledgeable. So don't think you got some dumb bimbo on the line. She took my order two years ago and the ps conversion hasn't leaked a drop, and what a difference. Oh, did have to go to a different pitman arm I got off eBay because my car wasn't originally a ps car. Took less than 4 hrs to do the conversion. Be sure you bleed the ps system before driving. Good luck.
I learned about Lee Manufacturing on another forum I'm a member at. Lee supposedly provides hydraulic services at Disneyland for their rides. I don't know if he is brand specific, if that's what you are asking. There rag joint/coupler conversion worked for me, and without any cutting or welding. I posted their ph#. It may work to your advantage to let them know you are a member here.
First off, yes, Tom Lee does good work. At least the couple things I've sent there. So far as I know he does straight box and pump builds, GM stuff, lots of circle-track teams, not conversion kits unless the box is a straight-across swap. The WS6 TA box was a Saginaw 800-series, they were used in a number of different shapes and flavors but I'm not aware of any that will work in the '57-64 Ford frame. The box has a very large valve housing on the front end of the box which, if you try to put it in that Ford, the valve housing wants to be in the frame rail. The Saginaw (now Delphi) 800s have been replaced in most applications by the 600 (sometimes called 670, and not to be confused with the old low-end 605) which is significantly more compact. I'm not aware of anyone making a kit for the Ford application, though. Could happen, but I don't know of it. Maybe ABS Power Brake? The Granada power steering was the same linkage-boosted garbage Ford was selling in the '58 cars. I wouldn't bother. Borgeson does have a conversion for the '57-64 cars. It's probably the most-painless alternative. Uses a modified Aisin box. Got their kit on a '65 Mustang, needs a little steering-column fab otherwise a nice bolt-in. If you want to try to roll your own and have a reasonable tolerance for frustration, the Aisin steering box they use is similar to many used in various Isuzu and Toyota pickups and I think some '80s Cressidas and Supras. The biggest problem with such conversions, once you find a box the right size that rotates the right way, tends to be making the Ford pitman arm fit the metric splines on the box. I'm putting a ZF Servotronic box out of a Cadillac Catera (Opel Omega) in my '64 Country Sedan, it's been mocked up for a while (and I sent a couple Pitman arms to Turkey to be resplined, it was easier than finding someone local who could cut a metric tapered inside spline...) but I've been in no rush to finish the new mounting holes, since the frame has to come out of the car for some other work anyway. The box is basically the same as that in a late '90s BMW 740i, a little faster ratio and a little longer output shaft. Generally, column shift won't work with any of the integral-***ist box conversions, kit or homebrew, at least not without complete reengineering.
Yikes! I thought Granadas were integral but I haven't crawled under one yet. No column shift worries, just money worries. Thanks for your reply.
Don't forget you'll also be installing a late model steering column being the 57 horn wire runs down the inside of the steering shaft all the way through the steering box. I haven't yet seen a tilt steering in a 57/58 that looks correct. The Wizzard
58 horn wire runs outside and I too have no desire to change out that beautiful column and wheel. Does anyone know if the manual/power boxes are the same on these (58-64) models. IE can I just remove the P/S ram and go manual?
I have taken the power center link off eliminating the Shuttle Valve and installed the manual center link with no problem. I believe the Power and Manual share the same steering box. The Wizzard
Take a look at a 1965-69 Lincoln box. Looks alot like the 67-79 F100-250 box except for a shorter pitman shaft. I used on on my 53 Lincoln, I did have to notch the frame some to clear the front of the box but everything else worked out great. I do have an extra to shoot a picture of if you like.
Thanks, but.............$609. plus shipping! I'm still hoping someone who has done the Granada swap will chime in.
The column will have to be cut at the lower end and the firewall mount may have to be modified to fit any of the integral-***ist boxes. You shouldn't have to toss the entire column. Even if the wire ran down a hollow shaft, you could do something like a ghetto version of an airbag clockspring arrangement, pop the wire out a hole in the side of the shaft under the dash, put a wrap of UHMW tape around the shaft below the hole, wrap a dozen or so turns around the shaft then back wheel off two turns, as long as it'll fit down the shaft tube with a little clearance, maybe use teflon-insulated aircraft wire and make sure there's no sharp edges anywhere...just a thought. According to the Ford parts book the manual and power steering boxes for each year-model are the same, though every year from '55 to '59 shows a different part #. The '63-64 uses a longer pitman and idler arm on the power-steering cars for faster steering (3 3/4 turns power, 5 1/2 manual) and the centerlink and inner tie rod ends are correspondingly different. It appears the '58 did as well, the pitman and idler are different from power to manual, so a manual centerlink might not bolt right on. You might be able to use one of the manual-steering adapters the Mustang folks use when converting a power car to manual steering, replaces the valve, not sure.
The Granada box was just like what you've got now except with a short input shaft and a rag joint. It's not a power box, the power arrangement was still linkage-boosted stuff, no improvement over what you've got.
I just posted this on another thread, just for comparison purposes, this is a ZF steering box out of a '97-03 Cadillac Catera (Opel Omega MV6) next to a '64 Galaxie steering box. These are $50-100 apiece all over the place, but they're VERY bulky on the steering column side (in my '64 it fits just like it does in the Omega/Catera, with the boot nestled right up to the firewall and the rag joint inside the car). With the '63-64 manual-steering pitman/idler and centerlink it's 3 turns lock to lock: The Jeep steering box referenced on the other thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7369252 might be worth a look if you're trying to do your own, but it looks just a little long in front of the housing to fit the later frame. Certainly more compact than the older 800-series Saginaws though. If I can scrounge one on a half-price day at the pick-n-pull I'll grab it just for comparison purposes. On second thought...car-part.com shows a hundred of those Jeep boxes at $25-40, at that $ it's not worth spending any time pulling one.
Being I like doing things myself and not just pumping the Visa Card here are some shots of my 57 Vert conversion. It's not finished but it's the same as I did in a 51 Merc project a few years back. By the way it drove real nice on stock front legs, no late clip or M-2 junk. This is a late 80's Dodge Ram box. I used a 61 Ford column and shortened it. I'm making a column extension so to cover the Joint and hook the stock Auto shift arm and stock N start switch outside the Firewall where it belongs. The late column also gives me 3 speed auto detents and a 58 indicator on the dash makes everything look stock right down to the 57 wheel (with some work) and stock horn ring that actually works with no Voo-Doo. It's not just a walk in the park but still just basic 101 Fab work. If it were to difficult I wouldn't be pulling it off. The Wizzard
JEM thanks again, lots to think about, directions I hadn't considered. Wizzard; I'm impressed. You do nice work. I'll have to dig a little deeper. Thank you both.
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