The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks factory options??

Was power steering and front disc brakes even an option in 65?

You might find that information in the 1965 Chevrolet Truck Specification Manual (it is a large download, but you should have a copy).

Pimp65,
Welcome to the sight. Hope you are also looking at a 60-66 factory assembly manual. Both are good resources. Someone will chime in with first hand knowledge. To this point my search does not answer your question.
HB

I dont have either of those. Thanks for the feedback

They were not options on K10 series trucks in 1965.
(in the doc at the link above)

What size truck?

Power Steering, yes (2wd models). Disk brakes, no. Disk brakes were not available on GM trucks until '71, when they became standard equipment.

Page 162 for manual and power steering.

It looks like power steering was a dealer installed upgrade in 1965 (first year in light trucks)?

1955 2nd was the first year for power steering, RPO 350 (6 cylinder) and 351 (V8).

Thanks, Bill

It looks like the power steering in light trucks mentioned on page 162 in the 1965 Specifications Manual refers to a specific kind of power steering, "linkage type" (whatever that means), which was not available on earlier torsion-bar front suspensions (which must have used a different style of power steering)?

In high school and college I had a 66 c10 with power steering. That truck still had the options sticker on the inside of the glovebox. It didn't list the power steering but you could tell it was an early type. I always assumed dealer upgrade. Worked well. Had kind of a whine to it.

according to the shop manual for the '60, they used the linkage type power steering as well. It's more or less the same as the power steering offered on the ;55-'59 trucks, a hydraulic ram mounted to the axle on one end, and to the tie rod on the other. The differences between the early system and the '60-'66 system is that the ram is mounted to the frame instead of the axle, and the control valve is integrated into the steering box itself rather than in the drag link like the earlier trucks. Chevrolet Passenger cars use a similar setup until they went to the integrated power steering box (control and assist in the same housing), I'm not sure about what year they changed, but I'm pretty sure that Trucks went to it in '67. The Corvette stayed with linkage power steering all they way up to '82.

Power steering was introduced in 1963 as a dealer installed accessory. Slave cylinder style unit.