41-48 chevy coupe steering options???

i'm working on a 48 chevy coupe right now. the owner wants to keep the stock front suspension, is anyone making a better steering set up for these cars using the stock suspension? i seem to recall a saginaw box upgrade, but cant remember who makes it. anyone know? if nothing else, anyone know where i can get a stock 48 chevy steering box rebuilt?

 

I had a rack and pinion on my '46 for a while. Due to lack of knowledge it bumped steered terribly. I now know how it should have been done to avoid the bumpsteer, but I put Must II on it years ago. The rack was out of a G.M. X Body if i remember right.

 

I adapted a GM power box to a '48 delivery about 30 years ago. Made a bracket to place the ps box where the old one was. I made up a pitman arm out of the double tie rod end part of the old arm and the new arm. As I recall it wasn't real hard to do - just the usual cut, fit, weld stuff. It drove extremely well.

Charlie

 

Back in the late '80s/early '90s, Pat Ganahl wrote an article for Street Rodder than detailed converting his '48 Chevy to a '60s/'70s Saginaw manual steering gear.

 

I'll rehash this,I previoulsy posted this a couple years ago.

My brother had a 46Chevy pickup which had a 54 chevy CAR crossmember and all it steering parts on the trucks original frame.

Now to the relaevant part.
The builder of this truck[not us] had replaced the 54 steering box with a 67 Camaro[Nova] manual steering box.

What was unique in his install was that he also used the ["3rd" arm] idler arm and all the Camaro center link and outer tie rods as well as tie rod ends too....

This truck drove excellent with no issues......
seems like a simple fix for a guy wanting to us the stock independent front end on an early Chevy car.

 

anyone have that info handy or experience doing it? choprods, the 48 chevy doesnt use a third arm idler like the 49-54, pitman arm has 2 holes on it, one for each tie rod.

 

bttt

 

what's wrong with the stock steering?

 

Good question. If all else fails, stay with what you got. The Filling Station has a complete line of parts to rebuild the stock box and they're reasonable.

 

the box is worn out. if i could get it rebuilt i would. anyone know any place that does it?

 

Very good information. I have a 41 special ,want to steering stock .ifind there is too much play ,I heard there are some rubber in that if you elimate and weld shafts together it wll eliminate the play.does any body have infor or picture of the mod.

 

I have also heard if you cut steering column and install rag joint you would have some vibration damping in the steering shaft. I would like to keep my steering wheel and column in car. I have modified column for turn signals and four way flashers.

 

ONE area of possible play could be the area where the steering box bolts to the tye rods. It should be easy to find. it has rubber insulators around the bolts (2 bolts) that hold it all together. I even replaced the rubbers with new, and it was still sloppy!!!! as i have said before, save your time and money and center the bolts in the bracket and WELD THE **** OUT OF IT!!! You won't have any issues of vibbration or need for rubber insulators.

 

Most generally you can find the bearings at any good bearing suply