The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks 4x4 steering

My steering box on my '63 k10 is just about shot. I started to try to adjust it and found out that the previous owner(s) have welded it on to the frame. So if I can get it off, has anyone ever converted over to power steering, if so what components and brackets did you use. Over $450 for a "rebuilt" box...ouch!

LMC has them for $250 plus yours for core.

I think all you need is a REZ Engineering bracket (or a homemade equivelant) and a mid to late 70's P/S box from a 4X4 truck to convert. It will need to be from a 4X4, the pitman arm location and shape is different than that of a 2wd. You'll have to adapt a rag joint to the end of the 63's steering column to connect the box to the truck. Then all you'll need is the pump, belts and hoses to finish it up. Maybe a front end alignment to re-center the steering wheel,
Scott

Thanks guys. I have a 78' 4x4 donor truck that I can get parts off of. As far as LMC truck selling a steering box for $250, that's for a 2wd truck. The 4x4's are $450 with a $250 core charge "if" the box is rebuildable.

Yep read it wrong sorry. But i dont think the price is to bad for a manual box. For your time and cost to power steering you will have spent all that. At least i guess you have a easier way to steer though.

/

I got my 4 x 4 box for $230.00 ex from a local auto parts jobber when I replaced
mine for worn seals and shaft
ron

OK got the old box off. Had to use the ol' blue tipped wrench. The box is now junk. The bottom rear bolt "leg" was broke is the reason someone welded it on. Wow I could have come up with a better idea than that! Now I'm trying to figure out if I want to go power or not. I have a '78 K10 that I can get the gear, pump and hoses off of , but I don't know what shape they are in. I think for $450 for a manual steering box I am better off going to power steering. It would be alot easier to steer those "33's I've got on there now.

you should be thinking about putting some better support to the inside of the frame when you put the p/s in esp if those 33" tires are wide. The reason is your frame will more than likely crack around the box even with the adaptor plate betwee the box and the frame. If you are running a 350 a/t that means that you have removed the crossmember that ran under the bellhousing. therefore you have no support from the small frt crossmember under the rad to the rear trans crossmember. a 2wheel drive has that heavy frt crossmember for the frt suspension which supports the frame in that area.
I solved that problem by installing the eng mounting crossmember from a 67 4 x 4, fits right in there.
if you don't there is a lot of stress in that area of the frame as the rear of the frt springs also mount in that area
I can supply a pic of the crossmember if you require to see what I am talking about
ron

Shouldn't have a problem. My buddie that had it before me (died in a car accident)was a fabricator. He built a front crossmember/engine mount that goes in between the bumpstop brackets and has the V8 mounts on them. Where the steering box mounts to the frame there is a 3/16 plate welded to the frame. I will try to post some pics later on of my truck. Thanks for all the ideas! I love this site.
Another question I had is, if I use a 2wd steering adapter plate will I have to modify it? Is the 2wd gear box's bolt pattern different?

if there is a 3/16 plate welded in that is already a sign that the frame has been repaired there.
I don't know why the 2 whl brkt won't work, but no one stipulates that it does work.
i made my own brkt
ron

Is the box all greasy from leaking for a long time? If it's dry it's probably in useable shape. Seals usually go bad from bearings allowing too much movement. It's a pretty easy upgrade to do, especially if you plan on running those big tires,
Scott

I've got to go take a look at it. You see the '78 is on my dad's farm about 45 miles from where I live. I got the truck from my uncle who was going to get rid of it. It had a sb 400 in it that I got out of it to rebuild for a spare. I'll get out there sometime and get all the steering parts off of it here soon. I'm pretty sure I'm going to convert it to power steering. If I have any trouble doing this I know where to get help!

Well it looks like I am going to have to make my own bracket. The old box was held on by only 3 bolts. The 2wd's were held on by 4 I believe. So the bolt hole that is missing on my truck is the one you use to line the conversion bracket up so you can drill out the new ones. Plus I don't know how the conversion bracket spaces out the gearbox so that the back of the box clears the frame. Looks like it needs to be spaced out about a 1/2in. to clear. I'm going to incorperate that into my bracket.

you can get a brkt here or look at one
ron
2 w/dr were also held on by 3 bolts

Thanks padresag. I wasn't for sure on the 2wds.

if you want some pics of my strg box on my 64 4 x4 just pm me you email address and I will send you some
ron

Just FYI. I pulled out the input shaft from the donor power steering , the inside of the body is scored pretty bad. Was going to try to rebuild it,but I don't know now. I'm wondering if I could hone it out somehow?

cheaper to get an exchange box. think mine was 225.00
ron

What year did you go with an what pump bracket did you go with padresag?

I take it that you have the long water pump so use the bracket that goes with the long waterpump. I have the old283 setup for the s/waterpump which should have the nut holding the pulley on. you will want the pump with the press on pulley which was used for quite a few years. somewhere in the early 80s they went to metric fittings. either will work, but just use the complete system either all metric or all whatever they used to called it other than std I have a hydroboost system in mine out of a 75 or 76 3/4 t suburban 4 x 4 that orig had a diesel in it. my 64 had a detroit diesel in it which is why the hyraboost was installed as diesels do not supply vacuum as in a std p/brake setup. so it goes from the p/s pump thru the h/boost which is a prt of the master cyl(which thereefore gives boost ) for the p/brakes and the travels on to the p/str pump. for std p/str it is the same pump and p/s box.. there are 2 sizes of shafts coming out of the top of the p/s box, mine is the larger one and I believe that the smaller one is the more common. just measure your old one so that you keep the same size for your new one to match the rag joint
I think that they will all fit up to 87 or 89 and up to 91 on suburbans
ron
I just have to put the pics into the computer and wuill send them to you later tonight

Thanks ron! I'll probably end up getting a new P/S pump bracket. The one I have is missing parts and I will have to modify it anyway because of my headers. I have the old pump from a '78 4x4 so I will end up using everything for that year model. '78-87 used metric on the hoses.