Does anybody know if a 1955 Ford Sedan's power steering unit will transplant over to a 1955 F100? They both have Y-block engines, but I am not sure of the steering geometry for the lower power ram assembly. If anybody has made this switch, I would appreciate hearing about it. Thanks, Jag

 

I would find it highly doubtful the steering parts would interchange. They're two, totally different styles of suspension and steering, straight axle vs. ifs.

 

1955 (1953/64 full sized Fords) came with Power Assist P/S, have a separate control valve and ram cylinder. The manual steering gearbox is used, because it has nothing to do with Power Assist.

Two long P/S steering hoses, pressure and return, route from the pump to the control valve. Two short P/S hoses, pressure and return, route from the control valve to the ram cylinder.

F100's were not available with P/S until 1966.

Many moons ago, Preston Ledbetter (ex Ford partsguy and owner of F100 Parts Unlimited in San Jose) converted 1953/56 F100's to power steering by using 1953/60 Ford Passenger Car Power Assist P/S.

He cut the trucks draglink, threaded it to accept the control valve (has large female threads that 1961/64 control valves don't have), then mounted the ram cylinder within the linkage.

Used 1953/64 (1965 Mustang w/a generator) Eaton P/S pumps with Y block brackets and P/S pulley. Used the Y block accessory outer pulley that bolts to the harmonic balancer for the P/S belt.

Eaton P/S pumps have a separate reservoir that mounts atop it, or when installed on 1955/57 T-Birds, have a remote mounted reservoir on the left fender inner apron. This reservoir was also used on 1960/64 Galaxies with A/C.

Preston died 10 or so years ago, and it's been too many moons for me to recall what else the conversion entailed. The only other person I'm aware of in this forum that knew Preston was Julie, but he's no longer an FTE member.

 

Thanks for the responses. ND, I appreciate the info on the required transformation. It sounds like I may have an easier time going with the common toyota box installation. I was hoping to keep all Ford as possible. Jag

 

I had a '67 Mustang with that same basic system, and it sucked big time. Aside from leaking no matter how many seals I put in it, the steering was so vague it scared me.

 

Ho hum, so what else is new. While you were busy replacing the seal kits, if you had installed the following, your steering woulda been "Titus Canby" for a while, anyway.

C2AZ-3A533-A .. Control Valve Ball Stud Repair Kit-All 1961/80 FoMoCo Passenger Cars with Power Assist P/S.

 

I did, Bill, and it helped reduce the slop, but the steering would overshoot on any thing more than a lane change.

 

Be thankful that the NM roads weren't all that crowded. If you lived here in trafficland, you'd probably have apoplexy as people don't use their turn signals, weave in/out of lanes like drunken sailors.