Technical STEERING, F-1 Steering Box in 32 ??? av8 or anyone else?

A couple of additional thoughts: Several of the repro places now sell a real bearing to replace the upper bushing in the column. It seems to be sixties Ford stuff.
When rebuilding, consider the possibility of pressing the new gear onto an early Ford shaft and using the complete column assembly.
All '32-48 Ford pitman arms and many Ford and non Ford ones up into modern times will fit F-1.

 

Another quick question - is there an easy way to spot the difference between an F-1 & F-100 box when they're out of the vehicle & not side-by-side? Casting numbers perhaps?

I ask because I have what I think is an F-1 box, but I've had it for so long, I honestly don't remember!

TIA

 

F-100 is overshot--steering shaft at top of sector gear, F-1 (see pics above) is undershot.
F-1 has fully splined pitman arm shaft with threaded end for a big nut. F-100 has only a few splines on top of shaft, no threads for arm retaining nut, and has a groove across the top of shaft. Arm is a very bulky clamp-on device with a pinch bolt arrangement to holditon.

 

The diameter of the sector shaft is greater for the F-100, so the shafts are not interchangeable between F-1 and F-100. Otherwise, all other parts are, including the sector gear and pin.

The shaft can be shortened a couple of ways. You can press it out of the worm gear, cut it to length, and then press the worm gear back onto the shaft. Or, you can take a section out of the lower portion of the shaft, chamfer the ends, and weld it back together. With this method, it's recommeneded that the weld be ground flush and a sleeve slipped over the jount and welded to the shaft at each end. You might also want to drill several 1/4-inch holes along the sleeve and plug-weld the sleeve to the shaft on both sides of the splice.

You can shorten the mast jacket by simply cutting off the unwanted length at the bottom, slitting the end of the tube 1 inch, 180 degrees apart, slipping it onto the stub on the steering box, and tightening the clamp ring.

 

Thanks so much AV8! Let me know where to send the $ when its ready!! To bad this is not Tech Week...this would be a SURE winner!!!!!

 

Thanks Mike, excellent coverage.
Without realising it I did virtually the exact same job to adapt the Hudson steering into Old Rusty. The parts look identical, the 32 steering pitman arm fitted. Only difference is it's overshot like the F100, but similar in construction to the F1.
I spose Ford and Hudson both bought their steering assemblies from Gemmer.

Here's a shot of the box being machined in the lathe. The area that once had the flange has been turned down, it is the part sticking up in this pic. The steering mast attachment is now being reduced to fit the ford mast.


Here's one with the new flange in place.


Here's a link to the page with some more photo's.
Mart's hudson steering into model a page.

Mart.

 

OHH one more DEEP question what is the best way to extend the pittman shaft for a cowl steering set up?? Just taper it back and weld a extention on while its apart