so.....

I think my truck has been converted to integrated p/s by a previous owner..... I have power steering, but not the power assist cylinder like everybody hates. Am I right that 73 4x4s only came with either manual or power assist like the highboys?

I've got some play in my drag link, so its time to replace some parts. It has a T style linkage like the 78-79 bronco, but has small studs in the tie rods- is this, most likely, the stock manual steering linkage?

I've read on some other threads that people are running the linkage from 78-79s on the earlier trucks that have been converted to integrated power steering. Anybody have any experience with this? My front end from the knuckles out is from a 78 bronco (disc brake conversion) with bushings from bc broncos to reduce the diameter of the tie rod holes. The rest of the front end is stock. Will there be bump steer issues installing the later style linkage with the old track bar setup?

Any ways to id the integrated box that came on the 78 79 broncos/f150s? That way I can better report back what I've got now.....

I know that's a lot of questions, hopefully some of you guys with a couple of builds under your belts can chime in....

 

It was a Garrison power assist steering setup, similar but yet different than the highboys.

 

I have experience with it.. did the integral PS swap from a Bronco about a year ago.

Tie rods - I used the steering linkages from the Bronco but kept the 73 knuckles. The 73 D44 and 78/79 D44 knuckles have the same amount of meat but the 79's tie rod studs were much fatter, therefore stronger. I used a 7-degree reamer to replicate the same amount of "stick-out" as an unbolted Bronco tie rod before torquing them down. That's weird that it has small diameter tie rods so I am assuming that yes, for whatever reason, the PO kept the manual draglink and tie rods. I think you can just get the Bronco-spec T-style drag link and tie rod and move forward with replacing the old stuff.

IIRC, the 76-79 PS 4x4 steering boxes are all the same. The track bar and drag link should be parallel with each other. If not, they will swing on different arcs and cause bump steer.

 

Thanks for chiming in fellas!

 

Say, I got a question for you: What PS pump are you running? I am using a Ford pump but with the Bronco steering box. 1976 was the only year that half-ton 4x4s came with an FE and Ford pump used with integral PS box. It feels like my steering box is under-driven by the Ford pump and not until the revs are slightly up, around 1500 RPM, does it build enough pressure. It just feels, well, like a "lazy" steering system. What's your experience???

 

My truck has the Ford pump, same as was on my bronco before I did a saginaw conversion. Other than constant leakage, it works great- no problems with output. My bronco would lose power assist completely at the worst possible times before I did the saginaw conversion. There's definitely a little less assist with the saginaw pump, but it doesn't cut out like before. I wonder if some of the Ford pumps are just better than others.... it sure does seem like good rebuilds are just hard to find.

I've been thinking about finding a way to put a saginaw pump in the FE p/s mount, but its way down there on the to do list.

What are you running for a high pressure line? I'm using what Napa showed as the stock replacement, and it loops all over the place, since its really made to go a valve block. I think I've read that vehicles that came with plastic housing pumps use a different fitting. Will the line for a '76 work?

 

I'm using JY parts so the entire conversion ran me only $260.. I'm happy with that except for being slightly underdriven. It's more annoying than anything else. Given I have a 4-spd that needs to be revved to get moving, the situation is bearable. I was just wondering what others who have done the conversion are experiencing.

For the pressure hose, I took the Bronco's line and the Ford line to a local hydraulic shop and had a hybrid line made for $70 - one end is for the Ford pump and the other for the Saginaw box. I too saw that the stock pressure line looped across the crossmember .. waaay to long for my taste. I think Ford did that for cooling. I found a lil PS cooler off an FE what mounts to the FE PS bracket. For $5, it's an easy mod to section into the return hose... still gotta do that! The pressure hose for a 76 FE 4x4 will work. A potential option would be 2WD FE hoses. They too used the Saginaw box/Ford pump combo and should be alot shorter.

Borgeson just came out with a PS retrofit kit for early Mustangs that uses the Saginaw pump. I'm pretty sure they have a set-up for FEs since the 390 was offered in 67/68. Currently, prices start at $280 for the brackets and pump. I was thinking of making my own by cutting and welding the Saginaw bracket to the Ford bracket. It was low on my to-do list cuz the conversion is OK to live with... call it a project to satisfy my curiosity if you will.