Has anyone used the new bolt in bracket in the Mid-Fifty catalog? They said it was a real nice fit w/ the stock steering column. Am I the only one who thinks $300 for a used box is a little high? They shouldn't be that hard to find in the junkyard, should they?


Thanks,

Ron

 

Try E-bay...I have seen the whole set up sell there for anywhere between $50 - $175. I found mine on in the classified ad section of a Toyota 4x4 website for $50.00.

 

Got mine at a wrecking yard for $30.00. I am waiting for a picture of either bracke so i can have one made.

 

E-mail me and I will send you a picture of the bracket I used. I can't figure out how to put it on the board. Mine was the first ones to come out that bolted in I think they have some that are ment for welding now. I used the original steering column however there is a plastic sleeve and a steel bearing with a screw in the side that you will need to keep the shaft centered and from moving up/down. You can probably get something frabricated at a machine shop or buy one from Bob's F100 for about $30.
Jaye

 

Jay
Give me an e-mail address. Where i work has a great machine shop and they like doing government jobs.

 

KK,
What I have is a scan of the one from Mid-fifty.
bljoh46230(No Email Addresses In Posts!)
Jaye

 

I put the Mid-Fifty kit (minus their rebuilt box) in my '56. Bought the Toyo box for $40 and had a local shop fab the line (Ford fitting at the pump, Toyo at the box). The bracket matched the pattern of the stock box's mount on the frame, but the output shaft placement required slight enlargement of the thru-hole in the frame (as the instructions said). The only wart with the job was maneuvering the box in alongside my FE engine---had to remove the left exhaust manifold to gain wiggle room and had to aim the pressure hose back to driver's left foot. If you have a narrower engine, you'll be spared that aggravation.
The fellow who sold me the box had two: one from a straight-axle 4x4, and one from an IFS 4x4. The former had a smaller angle between the mounting surface and input shaft. When installed, it was a rifle-shot down the column to the shaft. It turns out I could have used a rag joint at the connection, but I had already cut the column and had the Flaming River U-joint welded on.

One parting thought: pay attention to the drag link. I found the previous owner had not screwed the plugs down on the springs and ball-seats, leaving 1/4-3/8 slop at both ends. It was a hairy ride. The manual tells you to screw the plugs in 'til the spring binds, then back off only enough to align the plug's slot with the cotter pin holes (you want minimum slop in your linkage).

1stoldtruck

 

can you send me the pichure of the bracket
glen
mijozack at earthlink.net

 

could someone please tell me where and how the steering tube then connects or mounts to the box. Can understand all of it ecept how the tube over the shaft connects I am going to ust the stock steering wheel shaft and all from my 55 going to order the mounting bracket and pitman arm and sector not. But can't figure out how the tube wil mount to it all goes directly to the steering box now

 

This is easier if you can compare diagrams of a stock steering layout and of the aftermarket kit, but I'll try to do it in words.
The stock column's outer tube won't butt to Toyota steering box for a water shield, as it did on the stock box. You'll have to do some careful measurment: leave enough to have it still pass through the floor (seals there as before), but shorter than the shaft. The steering shaft requires adaptation to mate with the Toyo steering box's input shaft. My MidFifties kit came with (1) a Flaming River U-joint (slick bore matched the steering shaft OD, splines matched the Toyo inout shaft), (2) shouldered plastic bushing to center the column tube on the steering shaft, and (3) a lock collar which mounts on the steering shaft and traps the bushing in place...above the U-joint and below the floorboard.
Detail tip: The bushing ID had a few thousandths clearance on the stock steering shaft OD, so it could be installed from the spline end (steering wheel mount) after the U-joint had been installed. NOT SO with the locking collar. I had to dress the shaft OD back a few inches, put it roughly in position before welding the U-joint (carefully, to avoid frying the bearing seals).

1stoldtruck

 

Thanks to all in here and the great articles and 1stold truck for describing the column tube. Can visualize everything now and have one more question. How much play and how easy does the new box set-up work and after installation can you plug up the hose connections and use it temporarily as a manual. Went to a junk yard the other day looking for a toy steering box and bought one for 10.oo it is a manual one so might continue my search. Didn't know they made a manual one but have one sitting on the bench. So can you drive temporarily with the power box as a manual unit till you get the pump and pulleys you need Thanks crowebar excuse my typing took shop classes

 

David the Toyota box has to be out of a 79-85 4x4 with power steering and yes you can drive it with out hooking up the pump I drove mine around for awhile until I found some double groove pulleys.

 

Bob A. Thanks for the advice I went to the junk yard myself and removed the box from a 1982 and it was a 4x4 but was a manual unit which I didn't know they made. afterlooking through here some more found a posting by zeener96 and a site http://www.geocities.com/zeener96/TruckProject.htm that shows his installation and an identical box as the one I found. Does anyone know if these boxes were interchangeable to the power box and if I could swap them out when I find the hard to locate brackets and pulley set-up for a 292 y-block. Good pictures of his installation thanks David

 

David, I went to the site and I agree with him, that bracket was a piece of junk mine looks different and the pitman arm he made is the same one I bought from No Limit only mine is 5/8 thick. I'm not sure if the manual box and the P/S box have the same bolt pattern but the guy said the splines on the pitman arms were different.

 

Thanks Bob and all have been a lot of help located a power box this evening at a junk yard for 75 and have the other parts coming from mid fifty will keep you posted and hope to get a lot done this weekend. Looked at the site of the manual box again and don't like his bracket and believe he installed it backwards to fit a stock shaft the small bend should have faced the cab and the box should be pointed up more with the case bolts in a plumb vertical line. Later have other things to work on