The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop power steering for a 235

Does anyone make a power steering bracket for a 235? I thought about using an electric unit from a late model car. Has anyone out there tried this before?
Rob

GM offered ps on the 235 if you can find one....ele power steering ????doc

The power steering pump on the 235 was usually placed behind the generator. They can still be found. The generator and power steering have a tandom shared drive shaft. You will need to replace your generator If you go the stock route.

I think that CPP or somebody similar offers a kit for this.

There are lots of threads here on Power Steering, and there might even be a Tech Tip in the TechTip area.

Basically you've got a couple of things to figure out with the 235 to put powersteering in:

First, the power steering box and hooking it up to your steering column. The stock box the 47-55 trucks was an integral part of the steering column unlike the modern set ups that use borgensen joints and a shaft to connect the column to the box. So, you are going to have to decide if you want to keep your stock column. To do so you'll need to cut off the old box, put a bearing in the mast housing to keep the rod centered and then get the borgensen joints and a shaft to run between your power box and the column. The other option is to buy a used modern column from the junk yard or a 'flaming river' or other aftermarket column (expensive).

Next you need a power steering box. I have not seen one that mounts in the stock 47-55 location, which is ontop of the frame. What most people do is buy a kit to mount a later box on the outside of the frame rail where your driverside shock mounts. Then they move the shock mount closer to the cab on the frame. To make that work you also need a new steering arm, which is the arm at the other end of the drag link on your existing set up. The steering arm bolts to the wheel assembly. After that you'll need a new pitman arm and drag link. There are kits that have these parts. There are also kits with the box and parts.

FINALLY, you'll have to figure out how to mount the powersteering pump. That's what Bigbadwingdaddy was talking about. In the 50's some chevy cars had generators had the p/s pump mounted to the back of them. If you can't find one of those and don't have a/c you can mount it on the driver's side of the block pretty easily. If you've got A/C and an Alternator or Generator It's gonna be trickey to mount a power steering pump on the passanger side of the block. I have not seen one done on a 235.

Hope this was more helpful than remedial!

PS-

If you add power steering to your exisiting cross steering set up you should probably upgrade the tie-rod ends to more modern ones that don't need lubing every 1,000 miles.

Thank for the replies. I shoud explain that I want to use the mustang II suspension along with a camaro rear but still run the 235. I'm kina fond of the way the six looks!
Rob

Rob-

With the Mustang II front end you only eliminate the 'where to mount the steerig box problem' because the MII uses a rack and pinion. You could use a manual rack and pinion and it would be a huge improvement over the stock manual steering. If the tires you use aren't too fat you may not even need powersteering. I've got a friend with manual rack on the M-II front end and Chev 350 in his '40 coupe, and it isn't too bad to drive, especially when its rolling. Manual at a standstill is a bit of a problem, but not too bad.

With the M-II you still have to figure out what you'll do with the steering column- aftermarket or adapt the stock one using a shaft and borgensen joints.

If you go with power steering you'll have to figure out how to mount the pump.

I believe that you could make a two piece bracket that mounted to the timing cover and the side engine mount bosses on the 235. I saw a similar set up on a ford ranger with a I-6 at the bone yard the other day and would have taken the brackets except that the Ford I-6 is opposite of the Chevy, it has the intake and exhaust on the passanger side and the timing cover overhand on the driver's side. So, the brackets are the inverse of what I need to put P/S on my bolt.

Good luck!