I have a 1956 3100 and would like to put power steering in. I have been told that you can get a later chevy power steering box that will bolt right up but i do not know what year will work? dose any one know what year or a good kit i can bye and in stall? thank you for your time Mike
You can get an adapter kit from various sources that allows you to use the power steering box and pump from a '73-'87 2wd chevy/GMC truck. The kits run around $150 (pump and box not included)
Mikegw, I been looking into and I think this is the best so far, nothing I belive will bolt right up. But this uses an later model steering box. I been looking for quite sometime. http://www.brotherstrucks.com/techarticlesdetail.asp?techTitle=1947-1959 POWER STEERING INSTALLATION
I ordered this kit from Brothers over a year ago. When it arrived it was missing one spacer and had one other spacer that was either too long or too short, don't remember which. Brothers sent the proper spacers after I called them. Once the new spacers arrived I did some measuring and found out the four grade 8 bolts they sent to attach the box to the frame were too short. Once they went through the lock washer, flat washer, frame and spacer there would only be about 3/8" of thread into the threaded boss on the steering box. Cost conscience GM chose to make that threaded boss about 3/4" deep, so I figured they needed to use it. Instead of dealing with Brothers any more I went to my local hardware store and bought proper length bolts. My brother Tom and I installed the kit on my '57 GMC long bed half ton. We measured the famous 3 times before drilling, but in the end the supplied drag length was too short once the steering box was installed. Brothers insisted that I mounted the box in the wrong place, even after I sent close up pictures with a tape measure showing the mount points. I ended up taking the drag link to a machine shop and having them cut 5/8" from the link and deepening the thread. Put it all together and had a terrible case of bump steer to the right. The drag link was running up hill from the pitman arm to the steering arm. I bought the "lowered" pitman arm (another $50+ bucks, no break from Brothers) and it helped a LOT, even though my truck uses new "stock" springs from Eaton. The drag link now runs slightly downhill and the truck will bump steer slightly to the left in just the right situation. My truck is a GMC, not a Chevy, but Brothers says the kit should fit either using the same instructions. If I had to do it again I think I'd look into the R&P kit that mounts on the back side of the front axle.
I did not purchase the kit from any suppliers but rather fabricated my own and used the instructions online from Brothers, CPP, and ran into the same problems. Not sure I would go this route again. You are also limited in tire size, and backspacing because wheels or tires will rub on tie rod at pitman arm. The frame on the 55-59 is wider in the front than that of a 67 and up truck frames, placing the steering box closer to the wheels. Bump steer is a problem if drag link is not parallel to the ground and dropped pitman arms are costly. There will be less of an angle with steering linkage from the column to a rack and pinion due to the steering linkage staying on the inside of the frame rather than going across to the outside of the frame. Not an issue with 67 and up truck frames due to the narrower frame rails in front. Bump steer should not be an issue with a rack and pinion.
I have not done this on a chevy yet, but on my 53 ford I did a toyota box that mounted right in the pitman arm hole....it uses a stock chevy pump...It was wicked easy to mount and get working...you retain all the stock tierods and can probably use the stock drag link and the toyota pitman arm, but you would have to check it out before buying all the parts...it gives a great feel of the road and would don't cut your fenderwells - i would cut the column and use the little universal joint to mount it to the box. I will probably do this myself if I can get some napco running gear under the front springs...otherwise i may swap out the entire chassis to get it all in one shot ps, pb and modern springs....check out midfifty ford cataloge to see the kit and then think of buying just the bracket from them and source out your own toyota box and arm - i think this should be right on the money...good luck, sparky59
Stay away from the cheap adapter kit where you have to provide your own box and arm! They are a real pain and you will not like the results. If you are just wanting the power steering to help turn the corners with the old beast, then go with the Toyota conversion kit! Go to Classic Performance Parts to See the Complete Kit = Part number 5559PSK-T $699.00 http://www.classicperform.com But if you want a real modern truck feel, then consider a full IFS change! My 2-cents worth! 55-59 TruckNut
Yah, what TruckNut said - thank you for that link- now I know where to go to get the complete kit and this will make things much easier - like I said -I did the ford one and there was no cuttin or welding and it looked sweet -like original - good luck!
Is this a bolt in box? Did I read that article correctly from CPP, is that box a bilt in with no modifications to the fram of the truck? Just shorting of the sterring colunm? If so how sweet
check out this web page www.abspowerbrake.com they have a unit that will bolt to the factory location. you will need a different (or shorten the factory unit and put a bearing in the bottom of it)and a pump
Power Steering Hot Rodder, Thanks for the info, Kit 577 page 68 looks like the Toyota my be the cleanest mod power steering mod. Some say it may interfere with headers, I called CCP and they stated with a small block should be no problem.
I just finshed installing tne kit from CPP with the toyota gear box and it was a piece of cake.It will work with some headers. No mods to the frame.I attached a few pictures i hope they help
What Headers Thanks for the pictures! I like to ask what headers you have? What is the dimensions from the frame (of steering box) to engine. I need to make sure I have room for my headers. Are you going to used your original steering wheel and column?
hedmen headers.I used the aftermarket crossmember/motor mounts.had to raise the motor up a half inch to clear the fitting on the gear box and header. i massaged the fitting on the gear box a little just bit . just a me thing.I'll try and get some measurements for you tommorrow.cab and chassis is at the paint shop, bobby
Using a flaming river 32" tilt column and after market steering wheel.Not ready to pick out a steering wheel yet
Hey Bobby, Thanks for the pictures, I zoomed in on the headmen headers, mine may stick out a little more. The CCP wep page states may not work with some headers. In addition the fluid may heat and they also state the use of a oil cooler.
A hose fitting? I wonder if there is some sort of a banjo fitting available for the power steering hose that would give the fitting more clearance? I am planning on making an upgrade to power steering this summer (no garage in Utah makes working on my truck in winter no fun) and this conversation has just about convinced me to go with the Toyota box in the stock location instead of the later model Chevy box mounted outside the frame. I have the same header clearance concernes that Steve has. Right now my stock manual steering box is right up against the header and I'm sure the oil in it is cooked to black tar. I still have the stock front-of-the-block motor mounts, so I think I will make switching over to the side style part of my summer project. That way I can move the engine forward a few inches and hopefully fix my clearance problems. I wonder if that Toyota box is any bigger than the stock manual box? Stan
With all the time and money you guys spend on expensive kits and installing them you could have put amid 70's Camaro sub frame under those trucks and been done with it. They are very easy to do and can be done in a couple of weekends. The last one I did was 150.00 for the cost of the sub frame. The advantages are a better ride, power steering, disk brakes, better engine mounts and a better stance. Not bad considering all the problems and cost that are involved with those expensive kits. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148978&highlight=camaro+clip
yes that maybe true.but this way i'll always have the option of going back to original. I doubt if that will happen. there is a banjo fitting but the ones i found the largest I.D was 3/16 and i think that would be to much restriction.I do have a cooler ,once the truck is done i want to check fluid temp. to determine if i need it or not.
