Looking for some ideas in getting a power steering unit installed on my 52 Dodge truck. Has a 330 Desoto Hemi. The challange is the actual mounting. Currently I’m running a manual rack which might guess is really hard to steer.
There are several electrical power steering units that mount onto the steering column, under the dash, on modern vehicles. Some of these units have been installed in several domestic and foreign vehicles for over 10 years and seem to work well. They don't take up much space and don't seem to be that difficult to install and are pretty much self contained. I believe I have seen threads covering their installations right here in this off topic section within the last year.
No enough room. Looking for ideas on more traditional mounting. I’m running the Hot Heads timing cover, Chevy short water pump
Mounting a pump. No bosses on the front of the head for bolts. Like I said I am running a short Chev waterpump
Use an electric power steering pump from a Toyota MR2 [or Volvo S40] And a power steering rack from a Dakota should bolt in place. Electric power steering pumps can be mounted anywhere [in the rear] But it can be noisy so mount it on extra rubber isolator mounts [through the existing rubber holes] Basically 2 cables for battery hook up via a 100a continuous duty relay
I built this one for my wife to drive. She never learned to drive a stick, needed AC, disc brakes, radial tires and has absolutely no upper body strength so no "arm strong steering". 330 Desoto Hemi, 46RE trans, 9" Posi. Electric ***ist on the steering column hiding behind that ray-o-vac. I thought it was silly to add all this stuff to a hotrod pickup, but I have to admit, I love driving this thing. And I can do it with my arm around her even in parking lots (when she lets me drive).
Uni Steer (sounds like a straight head of cattle), Electra Steer. I mounted in a Ididit column. Has a brain that regulates steering via a signal form the speedo or in my case the electronic transmission shift controller. Full ***ist in a parking lot (unless you are doing cookies) and no noticeable ***ist on the freeway (unless you're on I-5 at rush hour). I have driven the truck without it hooked up, no different from a manual box with the weight of that Hemi. The brain is the size of a couple hard packs of Marlboros. 4 wire hook up. 12v, acc, ground, idiot light. Not sure why the light but it comes on for 5 seconds at start up and turns off. Maybe it comes back on if the unit malfunctions? No clue. I can tell you I can turn it peg to peg with one finger on the Crestline. My 68 442 has factory PS, it requires more effort.
I met a guy at Donut Derelicts with a 66 Chevy II with a complete front end clean up and conversion with a power rack. I couldn’t finf a pump and ask him about it. Everything under the hood was neatly paneled and he said he installed a Volvo electric pump an it was behind the left front headlight behind a panel.
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