The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 55-59 chevy power steering

I want to add power steering to my 56 chevy pickup. Im thinking of adding the 69-87 power steering box and use the kit that cpp and pol sell. Is this a good thing fo go with or is there any other options you can recommend. Thanks guys this is my first post. Im just trying to fix my truck little by little with minimal funds and time. Thanks for your guys help

Welcome Jbm. I prefer the Toyota conversion, it is efficient and smaller than the Saganaw unit. However, the boxes are becoming scarce and priced accordingly. Any PS conversion will require modifications to the column and related steering components.
Fred

I have a chrome steering column to put in the truck. But I heard moving the steering box to outside the frame causes some issues. Any info on this. And really how bad is the stock steering in these trucks. Can I get away with leaving the stock box and column until I can do it right

Welcome to Stovebolt Jbm. I have a 55.2 3100 with manual steering, and have no plans on changing it. You can get away with it till you're ready to change it over to power steering.

Can I still use my nice new shiny chrome steering column lol or do I have to keep the stock column.

http://s783.photobucket.com/user/jo...amp;_suid=136984631794102946178948415661

This is a picture of the linkage set-up we used on my '59 to use the chrome Famming River Column with a saginaw P/S set-up. (note the rod end - brass color - to hold the linkage from flopping)

Do you like how that power steering setup works. Or would you go with a different route. Also do you have to relocate the shock mount if you mount the steering box on the outside of the frame

I bought the CPP kit.....pretty much a bolt in install
CPP kit

Had to use a hole saw on the frame and drill a couple of holes, EZ install... Frame mod... new hole on right.

HOWEVER...I had to make some changes....my beloved headers had to go, replaced by stock rams horn manifolds....and the stock steering column had to go, replaced by an Ididit column. PS installed

I liked the look of the brushed metal column so painted both the u-joints and column with clear spray paint. I should have done this years ago, got rid of all the steering slop.


Don J

What kit is that from cpp.

The one mrduck shows is the Toyota kit. It mounts inside the frame. You can modify the stock column or use an aftermarket column. I enlarged the original hole in the frame for my conversion. I prefer ABS in Orange to CPP.
Fred

What year of toyota box will work for that. I have a local wrecking yard that deals with a lot of Toyota's. Also if I do find one what lines and pump do you use. The toyota or a gm of what year.

84-87 4x4 pickup. I used a standard GM pump (late 60's-mid 80's) with V-8 brackets. You will need to reduce the pressure on the GM pump to match the Toyota. 1300psi vs 900. If you have a 6 cylinder, there are guys on this site that have the brackets for sale. You will still need a mounting bracket for the box, a modified pitman arm, and a drag link. It is also recommend that you upgrade your tie rod. There are no standard lines for this application. You will have to have them made or obtain them from an aftermarket supplier. The folks that sell these kits have snapped up most of the boxes for rebuild/resale and no one makes them new - yet.
Fred

What I was thinking was if I find a toyota box ill get that and just buy the lines and bracket. The expensive part in the kit is the steering box. If I cant find one sounds like ill stick with the stock steering for now. If I do that can I use my new tilt column with the stock steering box. Thanks guys I appreciate the help

I installed from POL part# PS SA 5559 rack and pinion kit. Found it pretty simple to install on my 59 3100! Tilt wheel steering column being added now! So far I like their concept
.Pops the truth is out there

If your truck is not lowered way down by far the lowest priced and easiest to install is the tie rod assist power steering set up. This was used on Chevy up through 64, Ford up through 70, Corvettes up to the 90's, many fork lifts and other industrial machines, and on 4wd trucks forever. It has a valve that fits on the end of the drag link and a ram that has one end to the tie rod and the other end to a frame bracket. Everything else is left untouched (steering column, gear box, etc).

Evan, I've worked on a similar setup on a tractor. Is there a kit available for a 49?

Evan, I suspect you and your guys would just build a tie rod assist power steering system but for those of us still learning our craft can you provide a company name for a kit. A link to a conversion would help also. I'm familiar with the system, just not the specifics on how to go about getting one up and going.

Thanks, RonR

You could look into electric P/S and avoid the whole mess.

Post is 5 years old aye? He probably has 6 kids and a minivan by now.

I had one of the control valve/ram PS assist units for a short time. The kit was sold by Golden State Pickup Parts (and others) many years ago. I did not care for it. It was fine for low speeds and parking lots but was very sketchy on the road. I adjusted pump pressure several times, replaced the tie rods, and it still didn't have a good road feel. This system is an assist to the stock steering box, so if there is any wear it would be worse. My original steering box and all steering components were in good condition. Also, it is advisable to use the later type tie rods when converting to a PS conversion.
Fred

I would say there was an installation problem since Corvettes used this system up to about 1990 and they weren't known for ill handling. When we gets ones that are "twitchy" the first thing we do is put a 4 degree or even 6 degree caster wedge in them.
For Ron and others:
As Ron stated we never use a made up kit so not much help on if and where they are available. Went back in my pictures and found a REALLY CRUDE set up on a 40 International pickup the man brought in for new hoses and to have us weld a tie rod stud plate into the tie rod (bolt on bracket kept slipping). The 4 hoses are powers steering pump pressure, p/s return, move ram out, and move ram in. What this guy did was to splice the front half of an International drag link to the back half of one the control valve would screw onto, not our style but truck is never licensed and just used on the mans ranch. What is needed is a stout bracket on the frame for one end of the ran, a stout mount on the tie rod for the other end of the ram, and the control valve screwed onto the pitman arm end of the drag link---that's it.

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/mhskv2CN/straight_axle_p-s_003.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/9RV2n0KD/straight_axle_p-s_004.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/PpKgV417/straight_axle_p-s_002.jpg[/img]

I have driven and worked on many Ford's, Corvette's, 55-64 Chevy cars and mid 60's Chevy trucks with the control valve system and they all performed fairly well. (except many had a persistent leaking problem). None of these vehicles had a straight axle, however.
I picked up the assembly from a swap meet with all the brackets and parts as it was sold new. It did not work worth diddly on my truck. The seller probably got rid of it as it didn't work for him either.
I wouldn't use one of them again. My truck steered well with the stock set up and excellent with the Toyota conversion.
I installed the Toyota conversion in 2000 and here we are today with no problems. The aftermarket has redesigned the unit so it now bolts on without a bracket. I think it is called a 500 series by CPP and others.
Fred