The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop New idea for power steering?

I was enjoying a ramble thru the local Pick-n-Pull yesterday and I noticed something that might be useful. I saw a GMC full-size van (a Savanah, I think) with a power steering box with a side-output like the ones on AD's. I was wondering if anyone has tried to fit one of these into an AD truck, especially with the original column.
GMC parts on a GMC truck always sounds like a good idea to me...

Did you take any pictures? Did you get the year, they were made from 1996 up to the current ones 2011, and what series was it, a 1500 or 2500?
There would be a lot of interst in that if it would work, I've got a need for one right now in a friends '50.
Denny Graham
sandwich, IL

Sorry, no pictures. It looked like a current model (>2005). The box wasn't very big, about the same as the one in my 49. There was a shroud around the column from the firewall to the box. Mounting will be a fabrication issue. The box appeared to be mounted inboard of the frame rail, but the output was straight back. The pitman arm went straight down to the tie rod set-up.
Next time I'm out I'll take a closer look.

Great, try to snap a few pictures if you get back there, you might have something there.
DG

Great, try to snap a few pictures if you get back there, you might have something there. One of the grill would probably id the year is you can't get to the vin.
DG

Well, I made it back to the yard today and took some pictures. I was wrong on the year, the Savana I saw was a 97. The 97 box mounts inboard of the frame rail, so if the box is turned 90* and tilted back to match the original box, the mount points will be on top.
I also saw a 93 van with a similar set-up. That box is mounted outboard of the frame, so when turned and tilted the mount points would be underneath. I think a bracket to mount that box would be easier to fabricate (2 plates welded at an angle and a brace would work).
I posted the pics on Webshots. Take a look and see what you think. One worry I have is the Pitman arms are very short, so the ratio with the longer AD pitman arm might be a problem.

Chev van power steering boxes

I wouldn't worry about the pitman arm. Your AD pitman arm might be able to be altered to fit the box and work. The spline pattern in most all Chevrolet trucks an cars has been the same for many years.
I'd like to see the unit mocked up by someone. This could be a really big deal!

I might grab one and see how it will go. I don't want to do too much to the original until I know for sure it will work. Maybe grab a tilt column and do a full transplant, and save the original column to put it back in "20 foot original... looks original from 20 feet. LOL!"
My concern is that the pitman arm on these boxes is only 4-5 inches long, so to get a decent amount of throw the output will move up to 150 degrees in, say, 3 turns of the wheel. If the original pitman arm full motion is only 90 degrees, that means lock-to-lock in 1 4/5 turns of the steering wheel... Pretty quick steering.
I haven't been able to check any of this geometry as there are no keys in the vehicles, so it may be a non-issue.
Can't wait to tear one out to look, though. :-D

I'll second that.
Saginaw steering gear boxes for the most part all use the same tapered spline.
There are hundreds of different pitman arms to choose from, and as 6cyl said likely the original fits (I haven't checked).

I do know that I used an IH Scout II steering box on my truck, and used the shorter pitman arm form a Chevy Astro van....
So if you need a longer one I'm 100% sure you can use one form an IH Scout II, and there are other choices out there as well.

Grigg is right. There is a guy in Dallas that does nothing but rebuild steering boxes for a living. He supplies one of the local Mustang restoration companies with rebuilt boxes and has tons of parts. Now I know Mustangs and Chevrolets will not interchange, but my point is that somewhere there is someone who will know which pitman arm will work on an older Chevrolet truck application.
Buy the way, speaking of Mustang boxes, an early Mustang box can be reversed and machined to fit a 36-46 Chevrolet truck. I had one once that the guy in Dallas helped me with.

A few years ago I thought about using the steering gear from a late 90's Isuzu Trooper in a 59 3/4ton. Nice size, and the price was right, free. The only problem would have been, when I turned the steering wheel to the right the wheels would have gone left. Make sure the pitman swings the correct direction.

John

How about just building the bracket for the steering gear so the unit can be flipped over 180 degrees? That will reverse the direction the Pitman arm swings to allow the wheels to follow in the right direction.
Jerry

I thought about that when I saw these boxes. Since the pitman arm is on the back and points down, when turning left the pitman arm swings left. If the box is rotated 90* clockwise (viewed from above) and the wheel is turned left, the pitman arm should swing forward, pushing the drag link and steering arm forward and turning the front wheel left.
I think it will work.

Check the boxes that are built to be reversed from the way we need them because it is possible to tear them down and build them in reverse to function as we need them. That is exactly what was done to the Mustang box I referred to a few posts back.

He's saying it works as is, no need to try to find parts to reverse the action if it...

check out a p-30 box van, they have correct setup for pitman arm and being 2wd turn like you need.

I have a gear box off a P-30 step van, and it's not much use to us for AD trucks.

On the step van they mount completely outside the frame, and the pitman arm is on the right side of the gear box moving forward and back. to use it on an AD truck would take some reasonably complicated brackets, and might get in the way of the tire on a right turn.

Grigg

I have one of these boxes. They mount to the side of the van frame with the input shaft pointed just about straight up. Making a bracket like Jerry mentioned to mount on top of the AD frame it could be used in a side steer application. Here is a photo of the van box mocked up next to a stock one. The stock pitman arm will not fit on the newer Saginaw.
The arm in the photo is from a Scout II power box and is the longest Saginaw pitman arm that I know of. Probably the same one Grigg took off of his Scout box. It is 1/2" shorter than the stock Pitman arm.