58 Steering Box , Still Looking

[JimDirt]

Its getting close for me to start working on my dads 58 (as soon as the weather starts warming up) , so i am starting to gather parts i will need to start on the project

I am still looking for a "replacement" steering box (will be using tilt column and not reusing the stock column) without spending $500 , either a Wrecking Yard find , or a "Kit" to completely rebuild my box including gears , as my box is worn beyond adjustment and then i will need to adapt it to the new column

I will be retaining the stock straight axle so i need a box that will be as close to stock mounting/hookup/function as possible , as i do not want to have to figure out steering geometry issues

I have heard about the Vega box , but from what i have read , its not recommended for vehicles over 3000 lbs , and a Vega box from what i have seen are very hard to find used (power or manual ?)

I have heard about Toyota boxes (power or manual ?), but i have not found what year/make/type box is used , and what other components are needed if any , or if this also creates any steering geometry issues without "building " specialty components , again , i want as close to "bolt up" as possible

Or if available at a decent (cheap) cost , a complete kit to rebuild my original box from end to end , as its beyond adjustment and has half a turn slop , and is not fun to try to keep the truck straight at anything over 30 mph (this was how it was 40 years ago , it has not gotten better with age)

I just have not been able to find anything in the $50-$300 range ($50 price , meaning used wrecking yard/eBay parts) ,, which is where my budget lies , i will be picking up a welder before too long (as soon as i find one within my price range , as i am looking now)

Any guidance within my specific needs would be appreciated ($500 or anything close to that is too much for my budget ,period) ........Thanks ........ Jim

[Apachemike]

I used the CPP box and pitman arm. PS pump was from a tahoe and I had the lines made but it would exceed the 500 limit. I think it was the 400 box, direct bolt in

[JimDirt]

Yea i have seen that box as it seems to be the most common , but its out of my price range to keep the rest of my build on track , which is why i need something more affordable

Question , does anyone know why a bottom arm box wont work and just have the arm point towards the outside of the frame so its in the same location as the stock arm , but just working from a different angle (instead of going thru the frame , its coming from underneath) , the pivot point would be about the same , has this been tried ?? (like a later model truck box or a car box ??) , i see 58-60+ Belair steering boxes for $150 on EBay brand new(reman) , if one of these would work it would solve my issues , i don't really care if its power steering or not , i just need a box that does not have slop and i can use with a modern tilt column , if its a TF box/column i will be cutting off the column anyway , so all i care about is something that will work without re-designing the steering

Everything i find on Google is for everything but a 58 , even LMC Truck , and places like that do not have a new/rebuilt box for a 58 , from what i am seeing the Toyota box is for the 49-55.1 trucks , i just dont get it , there has to be something that "fits" without re-designing the truck , and that does not cost more than $300+/-

[mr48chev]

I saw a photo of a power steering box laid on it's side and mounted to a bracket that mounted to the top of the frame rail the other day but can't find the photo now.

You have to use one that has the pitman arm swing in the right direction when you turn the wheel or you end up going left when you turn right.

[mr48chev]

Here this is on an AD belonging to a gent named Scott Franke and is his photo.

Well I've got AD truck on the brain and don't think that is going to work on a TF truck


If you are going cheap, you just have to start looking at steering boxes and figure out if you can make one work or not.

[JimDirt]

Thanks , thats intriguing looking , it would be nice to know what box it is , thats a lot of the problem is not knowing what would work , and i understand about it needing to be moving in the right direction so the steering is not backwards , the setup i was thinking of would be a box with the arm on the bottom as that is the most common , so it would hang below the frame and the arm go under the frame so it stuck out in the basic place the stock arm did

has anyone here used one of those "kits" that CPP sells that allow a 1969-87 Chevy 2wd pickup power steering box to bolt up to the frame ?? , if so , is it worth it , or a waste of time and money ?? http://www.ebay.com/itm/47-48-49-50-...5Rt51b&vxp=mtr

[1-ton of fun]

that kit puts the box outside the frame. i have never used it but heard it can interfere with wider front tires.

[meter swinger]

Heres a picture of Orrieg's set up from the 1st page of his build thread. Its a 73+ PS box and obviously a 4wd dana 44 axle. Maybe if you read through his thread it could give you some ideas.

[Clarance J]

JimDirt. This is what it will look like if you use the CPP kit and go this route. There are a lot of other parts to get that add real fast.

Earl

[JimDirt]

Thanks for the reply and pictures Clarance J , the welding and drilling i don't mind so much , but it looks to be for the price , the kit is largely incomplete , so i guess once you add up the "extra" parts plus the box , its back to expensive again , besides the fact that i was not aware the kit puts the box way up front on the frame

All i want is for the steering box to not have slop , i wish they made a inexpensive "kit" to rebuild the stock box , or just a rebuilt box that does not use the column and does not cost $300+ , up to $300 is fine , but anything over that is not going to work for me

meter swinger .... for some reason , i was under the impression that this kit was supposed to mount in the "stock" location , not way up front on the frame , maybe i was thinking of another kit , but i seemed to remember seeing pictures somewhere, with the box being located where the stock box mounted , but to the outside of the frame , or in the stock location , but with just a tab welded on the top of the frame for the 3rd bolt or something , i thought it was this kit , but maybe there is another kit that requires less "add-ons" , and is more like i just described , it was like 1 tab , the Y looking part , and the link and then you just supply the steering box ...

Also , Clarance J , can i ask what brand/model headers those are ??

[OrrieG]

Take a look at the threads in this search. Early Fords have the same frame and steering configuration as GM. CCP etc. got popular because the Toyota boxes were getting scarce. I have heard, but not confirmed that some 2000-2005 GM boxes are a good fit too.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...wer%20steering

[Stevetoxic]

I know you mentioned cost and the CPP kit is too expensive, but it's a very straitforward install and a complete kit - modify your stock column and purchase a used pump and brackets and you are in business.
People seem very happy with the way they steer.

[55dude]

toyota 4x4 85 and earlier, 86 up has independent front suspension you need box off solid axle. they are easy to mount.

[1project2many]

Stevetoxic... nice, clean install.

Orrie... we don't seem to be seeing the same reliability with the newer GM boxes in our fleet vehicles. Not that they're dropping left and right, but we have changed three due to internal wear before 100k miles has accumulated.

All i want is for the steering box to not have slop , i wish they made a inexpensive "kit" to rebuild the stock box

Is this kit too expensive? The bushing #12 around the output shaft is available separately and quite often that's where most of the uncontrolled motion can be found.

[JimDirt]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

Is this kit too expensive? The bushing #12 around the output shaft is available separately and quite often that's where most of the uncontrolled motion can be found.

That kit is plenty good on price , with the exception that i do not see any gears in it , i have not torn this one down , but i know for a fact the adjuster screw has been turned all the way in , to the point of no adjustment left , so it is my guess that the gears themselves are worn as well , as i am sure my dad would have rebuilt it if it was just a bushing issue , i would think , i know when i asked him why he did not fix it , he would say it was too far gone , and we had even talked about installing a Nova or Camaro front clip , just to get better steering out of it , after i showed him some articles from Truckin magazine , he had replaced the kingpins several times during those years and it did nothing for the sloppy steering

My dad stopped driving the truck in about 1995 , and it was his "baby" he drove it from the late 60's till then ,and he used to drive across the country from Southern California to Ontario,Canada , every year from about 67 to 74 in that truck , but said it wore him out just to drive it anymore and his shoulders would hurt from fighting the steering , so it sat till my brother acquired it in 2003 when my dad died , my brother quit driving it in 2005 , his last statement about the truck was , it was "scary" to drive (the brakes also failed around that time , and the cam went out , so that is why it ultimately got parked) , so after that the truck sat outside , till i got it this last June when my brother died of cancer

Sorry about the long story , but if i am going to take the time to try to rebuild it , i need a kit that is "complete" with gears and everything else internal , in other words , i want the box to be "like new" or its not worth it to me , i can't imagine the gears not being part of the issue since they are 57 years old , and some things , just do not get better with age , and i would rather go with something more reliable if i can't find a complete kit that is affordable , then to worry that in its current state , that it would fail at some point and either cause a wreck , or leave me stranded somewhere , i would hate to hit one of the many pot holes we have here in Idaho , and end up in a ditch somewhere or swerving across the street and killing someone because of the steering box (don't know if that can happen , but i would rather be safe than sorry)

If you have knowledge of a "complete" kit that is decently priced i might be interested , i know a "rebuilt" box/column is about the same price as the CPP box , which is why i was hoping to find a wrecking yard alternative , to get the cost down , but as i am finding , inexpensive boxes to fit the TF trucks are harder to come by than for earlier or later year trucks for some reason

[1project2many]

I understand that thinking. With the amount of driving your father did it's no surprise the box is worn out. It's a great story and it's really cool that your truck has personal history.


I purchased my truck with 57,000 miles. The bushings are worn in the steering box and need replacement. The gears OTOH are not showing signs of being worn beyond usefulness. I don't know of any overhaul kits with gears but if I wanted new gears I would start scrounging the net for NOS. More likely though I would find someone who was changing the OEM gear out and was willing to offer old parts at a fair price then I'd install the bearings, seals, and bushings required to bring it back to life.

[58SkuzBukit]

What's a used one worth? I've got a 58 that is getting the front steering/ suspension gutted for an IFS install with rack and pinion steering replacement. I drove the truck home and didn't feel anything abnormal with it. It's a manual unit. Trucks in relatively decent shape, odo reads in the 80k mile range.

[1project2many]

58SkuzBukit, you should probably contact the OP via PM.

[58SkuzBukit]

PM sent to OP....

[captn6]

Wow you guys must have some expensive yards I scored a 70 box with pump for $40 at the local bone yard had to pull it myself . I went with the kit from POL had no problems instead of welding the 1 mount just got a piece of 3/8 angle iron and mounted it to the frame with 5/16 bolts .

[JimDirt]

Originally Posted by captn6

Wow you guys must have some expensive yards I scored a 70 box with pump for $40 at the local bone yard had to pull it myself . I went with the kit from POL had no problems instead of welding the 1 mount just got a piece of 3/8 angle iron and mounted it to the frame with 5/16 bolts .

Got any pics of the setup ??

[captn6]

didn't forget you working on it just got to find a camera , tech impaired lol.

[JimDirt]

No problem , get to it when you have time

[DPowers]

Jim Carter shows a rebuild kit:
http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/cart/p...6&i=10379|||||

[JimDirt]

Originally Posted by DPowers

Jim Carter shows a rebuild kit:
http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/cart/p...6&i=10379|||||

The one thing that kit says it does NOT have is gear/s , which i am afraid mine are worn (90% positive as i have not taken it apart) , and kind of the same issue that the link to the kit 1project2many posted

I may end up having to take everything out and apart , and get a kit and TRY it , to see if its significantly better , if its not , then i am back where i started , i don't think i will be able to find out if it helps or fixes the issue till its back together and on the ground with a new column installed/hooked up , as that is the only way you can "feel" the slop is with the wheels on the ground , up in the air , the steering turns more or less normal , but when the load is on it (especially while driving on a long straight road) is when it really shows up , and since the adjuster screw will not go in any further , there is few options