steering box with an upward pitman arm on 32 frame?

instead of the arm hanging down and having the drag link on an angle, has anyone ever used a box that the pitman arm goes upward and turns to the rear when steering to the right? model a on a 32 frame, no fenders, dropped axle, split 36 bones.

 

Early Volkswagen microbus. Depends on your application but you want to keep your drag link parallel to the ground and the radius rods if possible.

 

I've seen it quite a few times, but it is a recipe for bumpsteer. That puts the pitman arm end of the drag link way too high.

 

six of one, half dozen of the other, eh?

i was thinking that with a 4" dropped axle and adjusting the height of the hairpin steering arm, it might be feasible. highboy style model a.

 

i heard the vw bus one might work. just a matter of prying one out of the vw parts hoarders.

 

Early mustang box used to be the hot ticket, usually mounted to a bracket below the frame so the arm wasn't waiving around beside the hood... I have also used 37-48 ford steering box mounted on its side.

 

37-48 Ford box mounted on its side thru an unboxed frame. The two mounting holes bolted thru the top frame rail. With a flat crossmember, RE spring and 4" drop axle the draglink will be pretty close to parallel with the ground.

 

anyone in the seattle area want to part with a 37-48 box and arm?

 

Early mustang for sure...used one on a '34 sedan, worked great! tim

 

i googled a picture of a mustang box. looks kind of big and long, like it would be mounted below the frame. i need something through the frame, normal style.

 

My previous Model A on original '32 frame with pitman arm pointing up...no bump steer problems...1962 Willys Jeep 4x4 wagon Ross steering box...

 

local hamber Moses has one.

 

i also have one of those, not sure i want to part with it though...

 

Allegedly
You can install the guts from a 35 or 36 box in a 32 box … basically reveres it / arm pointing up

 

We went up on this one (warning, O/T I guess...).

It's a Samurai box I turned down in a lathe to fit through a sleeve in the frame. Not your application, I know, but the box worked out great...

 

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It amazes me how steering angles and pinion angles can have so many people confused. There are some great threads on here that do***ent how they should be and some people still don't get it. Just saying...

 

I know. I have explained it several times and I know others have too, but I continue to see guys changing things and making them worse. The best example is the common myth that the drag link should be parallel to the wishbone or radius rod. That is absolutely wrong, but fortunately, most of our early iron doesn't have a whole lot of suspension travel, so it's not such a big deal I guess.

 

My buddy Rory put a 40 box in his 34 roadster with the Pitman arm pointing up. He says it works great. He's on here and may chime in if he sees this thread. He's got the most *****in' 34 roadster I've seen. Nailed it!

 

You are right. Really the only time when a pitman arm pointing up is geometrically correct is when it's used with a four bar kinda deal and all are moving on complimentary arcs. But as you said most of our suspensions travel in such small arcs that I guess that's how people are getting away with it. I remember a deuce tudor I drove years ago that had a Mustang box and longish split wishbones that humped all over the road. It wasn't too low, and I guess there was enough drag link and wishbone length, plus enough suspension travel to magnify the mess.

For me it's easy. Geometrically correct wins everytime.

 

The 35-36 guts fit in the 32 box. Bearings and bushings are all the same from 32-36. I'm not that computer smart, or I'd show some pictures of my coupe. The way everything ended up, the drag link and split bones were parrallel. I mocked it up with an empty box, then decided on what parts to get. If you can find the parts, it's another way to go. Depends on what you're after. As for what Metal man said, I don't know if the parrallel items were the reason, or a happy accident. I cycled the axle through it's travel, and the arc angles seem to compliment each other well. More than likely it has to do with the limited travel.

 

My truck runs what I'm told is a 40 Mercury box mounted on a bracket below the frame. Works good.



It's my understanding that if you draw an imaginary line along and past the drag link it should intersect, or pretty near, with the rear mount of the wishbone?

 

^^^you're correct. Yours looks really close to that,even though the pitman arm is up, because you have the box mounted so low.

I'm guessing the Mercury box is the same as the Ford of the same year? Can't tell from the picture.

Nice setup.

 

i just found a '37 box and i have an F1 and F100 too, so when it gets mocked up, i have some choices in order to clear the wishbones and exhaust.

 

Having the box below the rail and the arm sticking up, while not perfect, is a lot better than the box in the conventional location with the arm up. Having the business end of the pitman arm 3 or 4 inches lower helps a lot.

Mart.

 

I would like to see more of these. I either have to go this route or cross steer on a project Im building.

 

This gives me a idea.

 

This one is a V/W bus box, and with the box mounted under the frame, they drive great! If You move the drag link to the top hole (which is used for dirt oval track), you will notice a slight amount of bump steer. I have built a dozen of these cars, some with 20,000 miles without a complaint.

 

Thanks for chiming in Marty. Easier to fit with the hemi heads and still keep the engine at a reasonable height, is that why you went that way? I am faced with some steering box fit issues on mine, with the desoto.

 

You can do that with a Vega box, mounted under the frame. we do it all the time on Ts and Model A. We even keep the brackets to do it with.

http://shop.eztbucket.com/Vega-Under-Ch***is-Mount-3003.htm?categoryId=-1

 

George, most of the cars I built, ran flatheads, those V/W boxes mount real easy, they have a "pinch clamp" built into the mount, making the steering shaft angle adjustable after mounting. They also steer quick 2.75 turns, lock to lock. I have been using them for 40 plus years, this is the "Ross" version.