CrCrzy

Does anyone recognize this? I saw it on an Ebay listing on a 1961 Corvette. It is an older listing but the add says power steering, and if you look at the pictures you can see the different steering box

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...86841186#v4-40

wmf62

i can see the pump, can't tell what the box is though.

i heard once upon a time that someone was adapting a Ford F250 box to fit a C1 but don't remember who. or, it just might be a homemade setup.
Bill

CrCrzy

I remember that post, it was home made and I believe they made a drag link that connected the pitman arm to the third arm where the inner tie rods mount.

This set-up is different. It looks like they use the stock drag link. I cannot tell what the box is but the pitman arm definitly looks like it is made specific for the application. Perhaps designed for the 49-52 passenger car?

x0000rgw

I don't know what steering box was used, but the stock
61 motor mount is gone. The Saginaw pump is mounted way
up high to clear the drag link and pitman arm. I used the round
type 2 pump in the normal spot for a power steering pump.
The F250 box and drag link under the car to the 3rd arm
worked best for me. Required a remote fill tank, but I kept the
old engine mounts.

Ray

CrCrzy

I checked the link again and it looks like the stock engine mount is still there. There is a picture taken from below the front driver side control arm, from the front taken toward the rear. The side engine mount castings are visible and not being used. The top side view of the engine where the pump is visible, it looks like the top engine plate is visible.

Still trying to find who makes this conversion. In the questions and answers section, someone actually asked about the power steering and the seller says a company sells the kit

wmf62

as i remember, it was a 79ish F250 4wd box and it was being offered as a kit.
Bill

try this link;

http://www.corvettebrakeparts.com/products.asp?cat=13

Viking427

Here's Ray's original post on using the F250 rudder;
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...-steering.html

Another brethren used an Omni or Chevette rack & pinion setup. We have some real engine'uity on here


PS...that kit is probably this setup; http://www.corvettebrakeparts.com/products.asp?cat=13

CrCrzy

I just viewed that link. It looks like that kit mounts on the inside frame rail. The one on the ebay listing mounts to the outside

Loren Smith

ABS power brake sells one, per its website, but I didn't see a price listed:


http://abspowerbrake.com/maincatalog_frameset006.html



Also, Crane's sells a rather pricey one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/56-62-Corvet...sories&vxp=mtr

http://www.cranescorvette.com/corvet...em_1956-62.htm

wmf62

i suggest you pass on the Crane one.

the ABS one looks identical to the one i found.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...-steering.html

Bill

CrCrzy

I agree, the ABS one and the one WMF62 found are identical. I still think they are different than the one that is in the listing. I am a little surprised nobody recognizes it. I tried to call the person selling the car and so far nothing

HGW59

Dear all,

winter time is coming up and I am thinking about a power steering incl. a 15" steering wheel for my C1.
Does anybody have experience with it?
I will come to Kissimmee in January and want to order it at Ecklers.

Thanks in advance
Hans-Georg

Plasticman

Several options for adding PS to a C1, starting with band-aid type systems such as Crane (I would stay far away from Crane "anything") offers to changing the complete front suspension such as a Jimmy Meyers or TCI setup. In between is the Steeroids rack & pinion, which is about the best compromise, unless you want the additional disc brakes, revised front suspension from the Meyers / TCI type systems. And ordering from Ecklers may not be the best way to go (price wise).

Lots of options out there, but you have to decide what all you want to "change". No such thing as a "bolt in" PS for a C1. All of them will require some sort of modifications (or replacement) to your existing steering column. And most (if not all) require changing the front motor mounts to the later style side mounts.

Another option is going to the Rack & Pinion without Power Steering (using a manual R & P). Just reducing to multitude of pivot points of the original steering will make it easier to steer, but that may not be what you need.

Good luck,
Plasticman

HGW59

@ plasticman

Thanks for your comment. I just want to use my 62 Corvette more often as last summer. Whenever I had the choice, I took either the C3 or C5 or the new Grand sport my wife is actually driving.
Next year I am planning a 3000 km - trip through North Germany and down to North Italy with the C1 (my wife is already yelling...) but therefore I need a car which you can drive such a long way.
brakes have been changed to disc in the front axle already and a two way system has been installed.

So now only power steering has been left - I don´t think it is necessary to install power brakes, they are working as they are quite well.

Sorry for my english language I am trying to do my best

best regards
HGW

Plasticman

HGW,

Your English is far better than my German!

Here is a link to the thread that Speed Direct had on the installation of the Steeroids rack & pinion system. I think it is probably the best option overall.

If you have tube headers, then it becomes more complicated to get the steering col. shaft to the rack (requires 3 U-joint couplings, and is threaded between the forward header tubes). But with original cast iron exhaust manifolds, it is simpler.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ny-photos.html

Since you already have disc brakes, it probably would not make sense to replace the entire front suspension via a Jimmy Meyers or TCI, etc. setup.

Plasticman

Doug1964

I was looking at that photo of the 61 on eBay. It appears to be the same or very similar to an 85-89 Toyota land cruiser box or it could be a 1979 Ford F150 or Bronco 4X4 box, all which mount outboard of the frame rail. It would mount outboard of the rails and looks like you could preserve most everything including glass fender panel. Not sure what he used for a pitman arm or if it was custom made. Did anybody ever hear back from the eBay seller as to what his setup is comprised of?

Doug1964

That photo of the abs system shows a gear box that would mount inboard. So either the abs ad does not show the actual box you get with the kit or it mounts inboard. I think an outboard mount might fit better if you intend to tie into original drag link

Viking427

Pitman shaft points down and the column shaft points toward the driver, so that APB pic above shows an outboard mounted steering box. Their tech said they were fabricating their own pitman arm and using an outboard mounted steering box from an "import", so it may very well be from a Landcruiser (?) They also said cutting the column just below the VIN was necessary, they employed 2 u-joints on the steering column shaft and no fiberglass trimming is necessary (inner wheelwell etc.).

Doug1964

Correct except for the bracket is on the opposite side. The photo in the abs adv. is identical to an F250 4x4 Bracket which has the bracket on the opposite side of the pitman shaft as does the landcruiser or F150 bracket.

BTW, I emailed the guy from the 61 vette ad on ebay. He responded. All he said was that the system came as a complete kit from some people in Old Town Orange California. I asked for further details which are yet to be forthcoming.

Even without details, I believe I could easily fabricate a bolt on system using either a landcruiser or f150 bracket. The hardest part would be finding or fabricating a long enough pitman arm to go to the drag link. I was wonder how responsive a power steering system which retained the old drag link and third member would be? I assume if all parts were in good working out and not worn or loose, it would function well. Thoughts?

Doug1964

I just did some research on the internet. ABS Power Brakes, Inc. operates its facility in a warehouse in Old Town Orange Ca. Based upon the guy with the 61 saying he bought the steering conversion from a company in Old Town Orange as a complete kit, it has to be the ABS kit. However, the kit on his car looks nothing like the kit ABS currently advertizes. The pitman arm for example looks completely different on the ebay car from the Abs ad. Also the pump box bracket is on the wrong side of the box. Either the design has changed or as I suspect, ABS does not show the correct parts in its advertisements as it would be too easy to copy the design.

I think anyone with a toyota landcruiser or f150 box and the right length and shape pitman could make one. You could even weld bolts to a bracket so you did not have to drill bolt holes in the frame. The only hard part would be shortening the steering column to tie the box to the column. I still wonder how well the steering functions going through the draglink and the third arm and what kind of lock to lock turns you get?