I'm using a steering box from a dodge pickup. They had a beam front axle and side steer up to 1971. Have no idea if it would help your situation.
No thats a steering idler Thats the bit that makes the orientation of the steering box work in RHD application .. Will look for a pic ..
here are a few images I pinched off ebay of land rover steering boxes . These are used a fair bit in the UK as an alternative to F1 or cross steer. All reports are that the steering is vastly improved .. There are posts on the VHRA website showing a complete installation but the web site is restricted to private use .. as far as I believe.. ?
So if that box is mounted on the LH rail on the inside and the arm hung down, when turning the wheel to the right, the arm would move to the rear I assume? Thanks I have to get out to the pick and pulls and start popping hoods.
I will look for pics of the instalation but as it is now the ones I have were old photobucket ad wont allow me to load .. Ref the Steering orientation. in the Question above , NO The steering box when mounted in the RHD land rover is situated with the pitman arm facing toward the engine . The pitman rod goes forward to a steering idler which changes the direction of the pull.. And also converts it from forward steer to cross steer.. This is only true for series 1, 2, 2a and 3 plus very very early defenders. Series 1 isnt as good as the 2 /2a/or 3 which are pretty much all the same box .. the difference between the 2 and 2a/3 is the steering wheel mount spline .. The early spline will take a 3 spoke banjo from the early landrover .. So, when you remove the steering box from a RHD landrover what you have in your hand is effectively a left hand drive steering box .. so turning the steering wheel left will turn the wheels to the left I know, it messes with your brain but its good old British engineering LOL The idler which you dont need does the directional change .. You cant use a LHD land rover steering box UNLESS you were wanting the car to be RHD
found this pic , it shows the land rover RHD box mounted on the left rail, atop the rail. its not the neatest instal but it lets you see how its orientated and that it works .. They also fit in the chassis channel but the inner edge of the rail needs a small relief to let the box seat on the inner chassis face .. second pic ( if it works) is the "in chassis" mounting .. and the third is just another way of doing it .. and a quote from the forum I pinched most of the pics from. Quote refers to a 34 ford pickup .. "If that's the steering box that was on it Pete, it's Land-Rover btw... Bloody great box it is too, about a kazillion times better than the stock F1 one in every respect..."
The downside over your way is finding a RHD landrover, a bit like us at this end stumbling over an F1 box in a breakers.. Although early Landrovers seem to be regularly shipped to the USA these days .. But thats enough about landrovers .
I and kind of new here and just want to share my experience with the F1 steering box. I am in the mock up phase so keep that in mind. Like others have said spend the extra time reading posts like I do and see what others are doing. It saves so much time not having to do it over. Which brings me to adding something about welding on the F1 housing if you go that route. The housing is cast iron. So when you are thinking about adding a new flange to it for better fit up with lake headers or wheel placement just keep that in mind. Yes it can be welded but with a very special process that most of us probably don't have or perhaps don't feel comfortable welding on a steering component. I found out the hard way after the first tack. View attachment 4970495 View attachment 4970495
Ive never heard of problems welding the F1 flange, but MIG brazing might be the way to go.Do both sides.
Why do you insist on putting a giant ugly box beside your engine? You have been offered a lot of options. And those motor mount biscuits are the junk ones Glen mentioned that collapse over time
ford steering boxes are cast steel, not cast iron. folks have been welding them for decades. done a couple myself. it is recommended that you warm up the whole box prior to welding, and let it cool slow.
I guess oil pan clearance isnt worried about in this build either with that motor sitting down that low? Oh well... Vega will drive the best hands down. But for what you want, hell just throw a stock model a box back in it then... or upgrade to a ford F1... but whatever...
Apparently you are incapable of understanding that a vehicle is not just a collection of parts but a system, and for the system to work well all components have to be taken into account when building the vehicle. If you would just use the FRPP kit I mentioned the special shortened water pump and water pump housing would shave several inches off the front of your engine, that would allow you to move your engine several inches forward, which would not only solve the interference problem between your engine mounts and your steering box but also allow you to move your firewall back to where it was, which would give you several precious inches of leg room. Like I said, it's a system and your unwillingness to accept the advice of more experienced builders is blinding you from seeing the solutions you desperately need.
Nothing wrong with brazing the flange either. Check out @Andy thread on his F-100 conversion. Good box and it is the down and out of the way of engine stuff. I don't see why it wouldn't work out good in an A frame as well. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/f-100-box-to-32-frame-conversion.862086/#post-9524422
The grain structure of cast iron when welded crystallizes and doesn't flow well with the mild steel and can cause cranks if not done properly. That is why furnace brazing worked so well over the years. I dont have and pictures sorry. I rushed it over to welding friend who knows how to cast iron properly.
Maybe I am all wet about it being cast iron. I have read other posts here on this forum that it was. Cast steel is a different animal but still requires a preheat and postheat process. The filler rod just doesn't need to be so special is all. Like a ER-70 mig wire Would work fine in that case. Sorry...
My "A" V8 roadster has 40 Ford steering box mounted under the frame on its side so the pitman arm is pointing straight up, works great.
hedman 88420 or, if you can find a set, sunbeam tiger......... sbf water pumps 1960's outlet to passenger side - shortish - open turbine, timing cover matched pump, seal on back 70's enclose turbine, longer pump - drivers side, seal both front or rear edelbrock passenger short pump available to fit later timing cover -passenger /chevy side out last incarnatoin serp belts timing cover and pump - real short, reversed rotaion, but reversed back at the timing cover - not lt1 chevy corvette style
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