I've recently acquired a 76 highboy that's had a lot of previous work done to it. One if the current problems is it can't turn right very well. The steering has been modified and I'm trying to find pictures if what a factory steering set up looked like. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to FTE

Manual steering or power steering?

 

Thank you for the welcome. I've been lurking for a while. You were the exact person I was hoping to run in to. I have a vin# that seems out if place. I'll either re-title this thread or start a new one later with some pics and modifications that have been done so far.
Anyway, I currently have power steering. But I'm not sure what the truck originally came with. The motor has been swapped and I was told the steering box is off of a bronco.

 

Aloha!

1973/77 F250 4WD (High Boys) came with manual steering, Power Assist P/S was optional.

1973 F250 4WD, 1974 F250 4WD before serial number T80,001 were available with optional Garrison Power Assist P/S.

1974 F250 4WD from serial number T80,001, 1975/77 F250 4WD were available with optional Bendix Power Assist P/S.

With either Power Assist, the manual steering box is used because it has nothing to do with the Power Assist.

Two long P/S 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 hydraulic ram cylinder.

Garrison is a different setup than Bendix, all the parts for both systems are obsolete.

So, what some people do is...they swap Ford integral P/S from a 1978/79 F250 4WD or Bronco into their High Boys.

The thing is, this is not a "bolt in" procedure, they have to modify the Ford integral P/S parts to work in their High Boys, and some do a butcher job.

1976 F250 4WD: 300 I-6 was standard equipment, 360 2V was optional. The engine code is the 4th digit of the VIN: B = 300 I-6 / Y = 360 2V

The first 3 digits of the VIN is the series code: 1973/77 High Boys: F26 = F250 4WD Regular or Crew Cab Pickup / F28 = F250 4WD Regular or Crew Cab Chassis & Cab (no pickup bed).

 

i got the whole setup if your interested. i dont need it anymore, needs rebuild and new lines but i have it.

BTW welcome to FTE. Great place to soak up input.

 

This is what it looks like underneath:




And the vin. It starts with: F25BRA

 

Better shot of the steering box:


From the top:


What the rest of the truck looks like:


Rear disk:


This supposedly came from an 88:





But does anyone have a picture of what the original steering is supposed to look like?

 

Thanks, I'll let you know. My steering works, from what we understand I just need to lengthen the upper link, so it can push to the right farther. But I'd like to know what it's supposed to look like.
I also picked up this 79 for parts. I know it's not a highboy, but it came with a ton of new interior parts. 2 new doors, grill, carpet, door panels, wet okole seat cover, some chrome trim for the body. The tires are also new, but I'll need to replace one because the sidewall cracked from sitting so long.


And the reason I'm not looking what the steering looks like on the 79, is because it's on the other side of the island from me.

 

parts truck? i would like just to start with something like that.

 

Everyone says that when they see that pic. But it's deceiving. I'll take better pics when I get back to the truck. But the body is Swiss cheese. I'm surprised the body held up from being towed to my moms house. I was expecting to see the bed sides missing when the tow truck pulled up.

This was the score on the spare parts that came with the 79. My entire cab was filled too.

 

That looks like a bronco or f150 box to me. Its different than the 78/79 f250 box. I wouldn't even consider going back to the stock highboy steering, it sucks with a lifted truck and big tires. Its a power assist, not true power steering. I would spend your time trying to make the current set up work properly. Its set up with a crossover steering which is nice too.

Very nice looking trucks too.

 

Where did you get this VIN from?

Off the Warranty Plate located on the left door face below the latch?

Or from the registration/title?

F25 = F250 2WD Pickup.

B = 300 1V I-6.

R = San Jose CA Assembly Plant.

AXX,XXX = 1976.

1976 serial number range: A00,001-D25,000.

Left: F250 4WD Manual Steering / Right: 1973/76 F250 4WD Garrison/Bendix Power Assist P/S.

 

Thank you. Exactly what I was looking for.
I got the vin from the door tag. Is it stamped someplace else on the frame?


It's not attached because the door was replaced a year ago or so from an accident.

 

And I guess I'm going blind...that's a F26

 

VIN on Warranty Plate known as the Warranty Number. FoMoCo says it's not for title or registration purposes.

The reason: The Warranty Plate could be changed.

The usual reason: People replaced damaged left doors with used doors. 99.9% of the time, they failed to install the original Warranty Plates on the replaced doors.

So...is this pictured Warranty Plate the original from your truck...or not?

Look on the registration/title to see if the VIN's match. The VIN is also printed on the Certification Label, glued to the B pillar (door post) below the striker plate.

But, when this label got wet, its clear outer layer could peel off, taking some/all of the printed codes of the inner label along with it.

Hidden frame VIN is what Law Enforcement, DMV go by, not VIN's on labels.

DSO 74: Seattle WA Ford District Sales Office, where the original selling dealer ordered the truck from.

There has never been a Ford District Sales Office in Hawaii, vehicles are ordered from the offices in WA (74) and CA (71 SoCal & 72 NorCal).