uh oh ... One of Johnnie's hot button topics ... The ole "The only way to improve an original/unrestored truck's hard steering is the power steering modification" myth ...
Just a question ... Have you done anything to your current/original steering system? During the course of a resto on a '49 1.5-ton, I found that a complete rebuild of the original/stock steering system made steering incredibly easier. I could literally steer the truck, even at idle in granny gear, with one finger. Stopped, it required the whole hand, but it was still very easy. If I had added a "Brodie knob" it *might* have been just as easy as power steering.
Of course, it's your truck and only you know for sure what your physical limitations are, but over the years around here, we've seen a lot of guys put a lot of time, effort and money jumping to the conclusion that power steering is the only answer to "hard steering." Personally, my first hand-experience was that addressing the steering box (rebuild and proper adjustment), king pins (replace), tie rod ends (check, replace if required), spring pins (replace) and correct front end alignment did amazing things for steering -- it approximated the ease of power steering while preserving the truck's originality. Not to mention being less expensive, easier and (arguably) safer (in that you aren't altering the front end design of the truck ...). And then there's the issue of mounting a PS pump on your engine ... the 216 doesn't have a whole lot of power to begin with, and now you are going to require some of it to run the hydraulic pump? Or not, if you can afford the (admittedly very interesting
)electrical set up described above...
Why go to all that trouble and expense when merely addressing the set up you already have (that the truck was designed for) gets you 90 percent to the objective (my estimation)? ... Can you deal with 90 percent? Or do you really need to go all the way?
Just a thought as you seem hesitant to disturb your truck's originality ...
FWIW -- Having been married to a T-4/5 paraplegic (Complete) for 31 years who had her own car (until I sold it out from under her last summer ...
), I'm no stranger to adaptive devices or the need for them and I do not make the observations above glibly ...
Regards,
John
