The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Power steering assist kit

Bolted on a power steering assist kit on my 3600 truck.
Now the tires are rubbing the kit.
Saw some pictures on SB where the kit was installed and it looked if it could work.
What's wrong with my set-up? Or is just not going to work?

Does your truck still have 8 lug wheels? You need less back spacing to move the tire out but don't know if 3/4 ton spacers are available or if 8 lug wheels with different back spacing are available. Stack washers on the lugs till the tire clears and then measure washers to see how much is needed. A machine shop could make a spacer and you can buy lugs in a longer length. The truck was designed with all the suspension and hub components to operate with the truck fully loaded so the little bit of extra stress put on it by off setting the wheels is miniscule in comparison. Unless of course your are also going to have it fully loaded.

Yes, still running the 8 lug wheels.
If I see how much rubbing is going on there will be quit some spacers needed.
I'm not sure if that is the solution. But perhaps it's the only solution.

No real load on the truck, just for fun driving.

Regards,
JP

Some pictures might help illustrate the situation.

One possible solution is adjust the steering stop to avoid rubbing, this will reduce turning radius in that direction (left turns I assume?)

Total number of turns of the steering wheel from left to right is about 5.
With the assist kit it's 2.5 to the right and only 1.5 to the left.
Took the set already of so I do not have pictures to show.
But I think that I have to look for a different solution for the power steering.
Whats wrong with this option? http://www.hotrodders.com/journal_photos/00002439/10821774171.jpg
I only saw this option here, any experience at the forum?

You can get wheel spacers already made and put them on.I had to do that when I built my 53 -3600 GMC and put a set of Ford 8 bolt 16 inch wheels on it.I wanted to get rid of the 15 inch split rims.Look for wheel spacers alot of places make them I used a set of spacers 3/4 inch thick.They came with all the lugs and wheel studs all you have to do is remove the wheel install the spacer and bolt you're wheel back on.


Pete

Finding de right spacers here will not be an easy job.
Could you give me a company name in the US that sells these things?
I would also be interested if anyone has any experience with, or opinion on, the set up in the link above. Looks so simple but it's the only info on it I could find.

US wheeladapters.com pick out the 8 bolt to 8 bolt spacers with the right stud spacing that you have on You're truck.You'res would be used as a spacer with the studs the same.



Pete

JP-NL

I believe what you are looking at is a Toyota power steering box. MAYBE from a Land Cruiser, but that is all I have ever read about it. Do a search here for Toyota steering, may find more info. I am actually interested in that swap myself. Looks like the simplest option to me. Looks Nearly stock.

Larry W.

My wife has family in Holland. I only know a few words, and don't read a letter so don't type any. LOL Her Mother was born in Utrecht I think.

JP-NL

This site looks promising for information on that steering swap.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/toyota-steering-box.303990/

Larry W.

Anybody have one of these on a 1 ton with dual style wheels? I guess the wheels wouldn't matter, but thought I would mention them.

Larry W.

JP-NL

I found the page your pic came from. Pretty good info there. I was right about it being a Land Cruiser box, at least in this case. There are other applications listed there too.

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/294884/


Larry W.

I do my best to write proper English.
I work in Utrecht and live close by in a small village. Utrecht is at the centre of the Netherlands.
I would be interested to know if the set-up given will work. It almost looks to simple and similar to the original set-up.
Which other steering boxs could be used because the Toyota one from the specific year are not easy to find or to expensive.

Small world.

Actually you type "american" very well, all except the "de" for "the". My wife's mother has been here FOREVER and she still says it that way. I doubt she could stop if she tried. LOL

The info I found so far says 82-85 pickup 4Runner but not necessarily all years. Just go by looks. As far as I can tell the difference is obvious between them. Obviously there are some Land Cruisers too based on the picture. What year I don't know, but would have to be a 4x4 WITHOUT independent front suspension (solid axle front end).

I also saw one that said 79-80 Toyota pickup.

Some refer to this as a "push-pull" box.

Larry W.

JP-NL

This is what you are looking for on ebay.nl, but I suspect it is not inexpensive, same as here. You would also need the pitman arm.

http://www.ebay.nl/itm/REMANUFACTURED-OEM-POWER-STEERING-GEAR-BOX-GEARBOX-FOR-TOYOTA-4X4-TRUCK-4RUNNER-/290654125450?hash=item43ac55fd8a:g:9ogAAOSwJcZWdGVw


This almost identical ad runs here on ebay too:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...oyota+4x4+steering+gear+box&_sacat=0

Larry W.

I just realized the NL ad says ships from CA. USA.

Shipping from the US is expensive.
But it is not only the shipping costs, after that customs also wants a piece of the cake. You even have to pay tax on the shipping costs.............
But, if the year is not important but it's all about the model than I already found several from the '90's which are, from apearance, the same.


By the way, if you need some Dutch words to impress your mother in law........

JP-NL

I would think you would be ok with any push-pull style box you could adapt that has enough travel.

Larry W.

Once you decide on which steering box to use, fabricating the mounting bracket would be the tricky part. The Pitman arm would need to point straight down, and the drag link needs to be parallel to the ground, with the wheels pointed straight ahead and the steering box at the center of its travel.
Jerry

Thanks for all the input.
Up till now there was nobody who told me that this will not work.
So I'm thinking just to go for it.
First by building a mock up to be sure that everything is there and fits.
One challange could be to get the pittman arm solved. A Chevy 3600 has a very long pittman arm.
And I'm not in favor of heating up or welding a pittman arm.

I would think you would be OK to straighten or weld and then have a machine shop heat treat, shot peen, stress relieve the part afterwards. Or whatever is appropriate. I am no machinist, but one will know what to do. The other option would be to have one made to spec. Here in the States, I know that custom pitmans are offered for lifted 4x4's and some I'm pretty sure are made from thick flat stock instead of castings. Any competent machinist could make what is needed. Cheap? Nope.

Larry W.

Here's a little input from an old circle track racer who has seen the good, the bad, and the very ugly sides of modifying steering system components. You are wise to be reluctant to weld, bend, or otherwise modify a Pitman arm, but there is a safe way to fabricate what you need. Start with a piece of 3/4" steel plate, and flame-cut a piece the right length and shape to make the Pitman arm, then bore holes in both ends large enough to accommodate the cut-off ends of the original Pitman arms from the upper and lower ends. Weld the original pieces into the holes with low-hydrogen welding rod such as #7018. Since a Pitman arm is forged, not cast steel in most cases, the weld should hold safely. If it's necessary to bend the arm for frame clearance, it can be done with a hydraulic press and the right fixtures, rather than heating and bending.

The lower hole in the fabricated Pitman arm could be drilled and taper-reamed for the mating drag link end, and only one weld would be involved for the spline that fits the sector shaft.
Jerry

So, here's a question. Could a FLAT billet arm be safely welded / lengthened? Or is ANY welding a no-no on ANY material?

Toyota FLAT Billet Pitman Arm Chevy Tie Rod (2010R-L) Tapered (TOY-BPA-001-2010L)

Page

Larry W.

"Billet" is simply a buzzword for "solid steel". The ones in the ad have been machined and swaged with the proper taper for the drag link, and the splines for the sector shaft. Any weld that carries the full load of the steering is pretty risky, such as cutting a Pitman arm into two pieces and welding in an extension.
Jerry

Yesterday I was Lucky.
I could buy the following sets:
https://www.brotherstrucks.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CPSK059
and
http://www.brotherstrucks.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SSK4759
It was almost for free so I would have been stupid not to take it. The set is completely new. The guy is going to sell his truck and was happy with some money for the set. The money I had to give for it would just cover the shipping costs for such a set from the US.
I think there are some good parts in it which I can use for my idea on the power steering for the 3600.

JP-NL

Looks like a Saginaw steering box maybe? Hope it works out well for you!

Larry W.

Looking at your picture, does the tire rub the aft end of the drag link? If so, one option would be, if there is enough clearance between the pitman arm and frame and steering box and exhaust manifold, would be to move the Box in(closer to the frame) one bolt hole, if that would help your problem?

Ed

Hi Ed,

The picture is not of the set up which gave me the problems. The problems were with the power steering assist kit. And that one you can't move anywhere because it's fixed to the pitman arm.
The pictures are of what I would like to try now. It looks easy but you can't find a lot about it. So also no: "this is the right way to go" or "don't even go there".

This is a little old now but found some more info on the Toyota steering that might be useful down the road.

As stated earlier, there is a flat pitman arm available for the Toy steering box but it is slightly shorter. I have now found out that there is also a drop drag link available. This could help solve some issues with the drag link not being parallel to the ground, as I was told is desired to prevent bump steer.

In my case, the truck is a 1 ton and may need extra pitman length, which is not available, but a drop drag link might help. I have not measured anything yet.

Just an FYI

Larry W.