I can see a couple things I dont like in those pics.... that steady bearing on the shaft is downright just not so cool. As well as the other issue is if you ever wanted to run big wide tires they will hit the steering box limited your steering to the right. Trust me I did the same upgrade with a chev box years ago being Dumb and hillbilly fabbing it. Second of all do you wheel your truck or drive it hard. The motor mounts on FE's suck!! my first trip out in my truck I hammerred on it up a steep snow covered hill and lost the clutch linkage after the motor jumped out of mount. Pic of when it happened...

I managed to pull it somewhat back and get my clutch linkage intsalled to limp home. For the permanent fix you need to make the plate that bolts to the block on the driver side only and make it a box with a 1/2" bolt through the portion that will go through frame mount for a bolted connection. If you make the bolt pin long enough you can use a rubber bushing and a washer under the nut so you still have some vibration dampening. This entirely stops the motor from wanting to roll under load and bounce out of mount. Its a stupid design and I see it will be a easy fix for you for the state your truck is in for easy acess!

 

I converted my 73 to power steering as well. I took mine to be the next best thing to hydro. I started with a 2wd style box which is ideal for a lifted truck, boxed in the frame rail with a 3/8 plate to bolt it to, ran a custom steering column rod eliminating the rag joint connection on the box as those SUCK and used a splined ujoint connection on the box end. The tall style box allows for a better draglink angle as it drops down lower for a lifted truck as well as the 2wd one has a better turning radius. I run a Northwestfab crossoversteering kit on my 79dana 60 front axle as well with my boxed tapped for hydro assist with a custom p/s bracket made to run a saginaw dual belt pump with modified/drilled passages to run a higher gpm and a 1500 psi that was tested on my professional p/s tester. Its badass being able to turn my 44 swampers from lock to lock on dry cement with awesome power. The other thing the hydro assit ram did was made driving at high speeds SOO much nicer. It acts like the best steering stabilizer you can get and locks it in deadly straight down the highway with no wondering even with 44's. heres some pics






I dont know if you've seen any of my other threads but my truck is in pieces as well

I recently built custom bumpers with outrigger arms to be able to self recover myself with my front and rear winches to roll my truck back on all fours.


heres a link to the build if your iterested...https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...per-build.html

 

well truck stays on the road . its a work truck







as for the steering shaft that bearing sleeve i got from the tractor part store the only thing it does is hold the shaft in place . i used a dodge gear box with plate it bolts to . i did do a lot of research an base everything from a kit you can buy at least a few years ago . its got the biggest tires on now that im going to run. i do understand that this might not work for serious offroading .i do appreciate your comments thank you by the way nice truck . i have a years worth of driving with this set up with no problems . i know what i did is not the golden rule an there are a few things i would change an do differently but that's part of learning to fabricating things up.

 

O I thought it was in a 4x4...

 

it is a 4x4 it started like as a f250 high boy 4x4 . I built the truck that ford didn't make. f-350 4x4 high boy. its all good i don't mine the feedback . I just my blood sweat an tears in to her . i love these trucks so much it took over a year to put together with hardly a budget . but again thank you

 

I just like building these old trucks but at the same time modernizing them with the newer better and sometimes safer parts neccesary to make it work to the best!

 

same here love theses truck to and love modifying an upgrading things to modern parts to make life easier an safer now i'm working on my bronco 78 here is the link



https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...o-take-it.html

 

Congrats, I think thats very creative. However I do feel that the joint at the gear box has a little to tight of a angle and the use of a bearing insted of a tube and a eye bolt would have been better. just my opinion. with that said a whole year with no troubles?? I'll stamp it "Passed"

 

thank you mudshovel-009 the middle joint is out of a front wheel drive honda accord . it connected the column to the rack and pinon it was well past a 45 degree angle in the honda so i figure it would work for me . the joint at the end it can take a lot of angle before binding . every joint has a set screw in it . i do appreciate the comments good or bad .

 

A few yrs ago, I converted my 72 F100 4wd to power. The only complaint I have since, is that it steers too easy now. Still trying to figure out why they offered power brakes, but no pwr steering back in the day. someone should look up that idiot, and make him drive a manual steer 4wd thru the woods til he passes out.

 

thank you baitmaster. i agree its to easy to turn an who knows about the idiot lol

 

I dont frequent the older truck forums much, but once in a while I do like to see what everyones doing... Thank you! You just solved a problem for me on my OBS.. Right on design! I wanted to comment on your creativity.. It has helped more then you know!

 

My 69 F100 4x4 came with a power steering conversion. All I can tell you, is the box says Ford, it sits flat on top of the frame right up to the radiator, and it has a drop pitman arm. The two conversions look very different.

 

Those 4" tubes are bolted with longer grade 8 bolts in in original holes in perches as well as welded. For a cleaner look it is capped across the front with a 5x5 x3/8 angle iron spanning across the two. It's a perfect spot to now attatch a tow rope if needed. The back of the blocks were capped so it wasn't hallow. Just keep in mind if it's used for a front lift you'll have to make longer shackles on the other end of the spring otherwise it won't give you a 4" lift it will actually flatten out the front spring somewhat giving you maybe 2"s. You need to get shackles that are at least 2"s longer than your stock ones to even everything out! Glad it helped someone

 

want to install a fuel injected 5.0 in my 75 F700 4x4, is there a stand alone computer run it?