F1 Steering Conversion

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Pete

Do you have enough room to install it with the pitman arm up instead of down?

There would be nothing to prevent the pitman arm being rotated 180° on the sector shaft so it points downwards. The big problem would be the misalignment of the mounting holes between the steering box and the chassis.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

There would be nothing to prevent the pitman arm being rotated 180° on the sector shaft so it points downwards. The big problem would be the misalignment of the mounting holes between the steering box and the chassis.

How about welding the existing holes up and drilling new ones? Would that pass your government engineering inspection?

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Pete

How about welding the existing holes up and drilling new ones? Would that pass your government engineering inspection?

Thanks for exercising your grey cells on this but no, it wouldn't pass but I figure what they don't know.... The problem is not just the location of the holes but the flange in which the holes are drilled. It would be at entirely the wrong angle to fit inside the chassis channel. To overcome that, we start talking about cutting the body of the steering box, rotating the ned and welding it back on - an even bigger no-no in the eyes of officialdom.
Another problem is the angle of the steering column. With the worm under the sector, the column would be much steeper than the other way around. We then run into trouble with the top column mount and interference with the pedals.
If it were easy, I figure Ford would have done it that way to save costs.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

Thanks for exercising your grey cells on this but no, it wouldn't pass but I figure what they don't know.... The problem is not just the location of the holes but the flange in which the holes are drilled. It would be at entirely the wrong angle to fit inside the chassis channel. To overcome that, we start talking about cutting the body of the steering box, rotating the ned and welding it back on - an even bigger no-no in the eyes of officialdom.
Another problem is the angle of the steering column. With the worm under the sector, the column would be much steeper than the other way around. We then run into trouble with the top column mount and interference with the pedals.
If it were easy, I figure Ford would have done it that way to save costs.

Ok on the officials.
If you use an F1 box and turn it over to put on the right side, the shaft is on top now, similar to an F100 on the left side.
I have put several F100 steerings in model A's and 32's by cutting a piece out of the frame where the box mounts and fabricating a new section where the box bolts on. I would never weld on a steering box or associated parts.

[Synchro909]

Welding the chassis is a no-no here too. They don't let us do anything imaginative.

[Oldcarbearings]

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Are the needle bearings caged rollers?,
Or needle roller thrust (washers with needle rollers)&use various thrust washers to take up slack/i.e. shim?.

[rotorwrench]

The Bishop/Tardel book describes how the F1 steering box was modified to fit the model A frame. The end of the sector shaft housing was cut off the F1 box and the stub beveled for welding. A model A sector shaft housing was cut & beveled for welding. The box was set up with sector shaft in place and model A stub installed with bearing for alignment. The stub was then welded to the box so that the box would bolt up to a model A frame. Adjustment of the length & position of the final welded box housing was done prior to welding to give the needed dimension for clearance and a decent fit of the steering column inside the cab. This was a lot of work to put a roller sector steering box in a model A but this was being done before the F100 came out in 1953. Hudson/Gemmer steering boxes were also used and I've heard that they were easier to get a fit. The F100 box usually requires a wedge plate as an adapter but I don't remember if that was for the model A or the 1932 model B/18 type frame.

[Keith Alvin]

I believe Wired customs on youtube had a how to on installing the rebuilt f1 steering box in a Model A.

[Chris Haynes]

Randy also sells restored steering column covers with fresh plated levers.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

Hudson/Gemmer steering boxes were also used and I've heard that they were easier to get a fit. The F100 box usually requires a wedge plate as an adapter but I don't remember if that was for the model A or the 1932 model B/18 type frame.

Roger on the Hudson. 1937 was the year of choice. That was before the F100. Early users of a cross steering roller sector box (37 and later Ford) quickly noted that it steered backward if used as a side steer box with the pitman arm down. The 37 Hudson was identical to the cross steer Ford box but the gears were cut the opposite way and were a direct bolt in to the Ford case. Lots of early race cars used Hudson gears in the steering box.

Yes an F100 box requires a wedge plate in a model A frame or cut the frame and make the side rail fit the steering box. Much cleaner and no welding on the box. If done right you have to really look close to see the mod.

[Mel Gross]

FYI

The F100 steering boxes that we sell, do not require a wedge plate.

Randy Gross
714-292-8660
[email protected]

[jeepguy1948]

You can count me in with those that are happy with their F 100 box and Doin Business with Randy both top notch. In my opinion, unless you really, really like messing around with such things, you would be well ahead to get one of Randy's. Although it is a perfect fit when finished there is a great deal of skilled work to get there and I'm willing to bet that in the end you will also have spent more $$. Just my $0.02