So, I am going down this path of getting my 1970 F100 Sport Custom (302, Auto) on the road, but prior to that I would like to change the front drums to disk and fix the steering column/power steering. I have found a lead on a donor truck which is a 1978 Ford F150 with power steering and brakes. I have searched the forum here and elsewhere. I understand that I can use a front suspension and brakes from this F150 and swap it into my truck with minimum problems. For the power steering, the PO did/try to add power steering to the truck.


Steering Column

And yes, that is a galvanized pipe for a shifter. It has a "pencil neck" pump with a "Bendix" steering gear coupled to the steering column shown. I was hoping that the all/some of the steering system could be swapped into my truck with the Ford/Saginaw steering gear from the 1978. Also, I understand that the wiring will need to be modified to make the new column work in my 1970. Does anyone have some pics or diagrams to hope me with this task?

Thanks, LACzar

 

My '69 F100 (like all Bumpside F100s) didn't come with front discs. My truck has an automatic (behind the 240). My truck also didn't come with power steering or power brakes.

I added the front discs/suspension from a '77 F100. The dual diaphragm booster/mounting brackets came from a '75 F350 (I traded the booster in as a core for a newly rebuilt booster p/n 54-73112). I added the Ford C-2 power steering pump/brackets/pulleys from an '82 F150 that had a 300 in it (I traded the pump in as a core for a newly rebuilt PS pump). I got a Saginaw PS gearbox from a '78 F150 (traded it in as a core for a newly rebuilt box, saved the pitman arm from the core to put on the new gearbox). I added a tilt wheel column from a '78 F150.

I made a 'patch' cable to plug in, in between the main underdash wiring harness and the connectors on the steering column TSS connectors so that I didn't have to butcher up my truck's original wiring harness.

Connectors/pigtail off of my old TSS from my original '69 steering column on the left. Female connector/pigtail from the main underdash wiring harness from the Dentside donor truck on the right.



I crimped/soldered the two connectors together to make the patch cable.





Patch cable plugged in between the TSS connector coming off of the '78 column and the original connectors of the '69 main wiring harness under the dash.--the patch cable was tucked up under the dash and securely wire tied in place after I took this photo.

 

No 1970 came with Bendix P/S, if it has Bendix P/S, it was swapped in.

Bendix P/S: 1966/68 F100/250 2WD; 1969 F100/250 2WD before serial number D96,001.

Ford/Saginaw P/S: 1969 F100/250 2WD & F350 from serial number D96,001; 1970/79 F100/250 2WD & F350.

Ford/Thompson 'pencil neck' P/S pump used 1967/77, has a steel reservoir. The P/S pressure hose threads onto the pump.

1978 and later use the Ford C-II P/S pump, has a plastic reservoir. The P/S pressure hose connects to the pump with a qwik connect fitting.

 

What is the grey wire loom connected to?

 

The truck was non-power brakes and steering, but was added by the PO. The current steering gear has a four bolt cover (assumed Bendix) versus a two bolt cover (assumed Ford/Saginaw) that I should have in the truck. What I can tell the PO just bolted the existing manual steering column/shaft to the gear box.

 

Future modification. It will be the signal wire to the speed (cruise) control module that will be installed when I swap in a fuel injected V-8. I already have the CC switch bracket and switches mounted to the steering wheel.

 

Steve,

When you added this to your truck...
"I added the Ford C-2 power steering pump/brackets/pulleys from an '82 F150 that had a 300 in it (I traded the pump in as a core for a newly rebuilt PS pump). I got a Saginaw PS gearbox from a '78 F150 (traded it in as a core for a newly rebuilt box, saved the pitman arm from the core to put on the new gearbox). I added a tilt wheel column from a '78 F150."

Besides the wiring harness modification, did you have to shorten the steering column or do anything special to marry the F150 parts to your F100 or was it just a bolt-in replacement?

 

From mid-'69 through 1979, any 2WD truck that came from the factory with power steering would have the Saginaw PS gearbox and the corresponding correct (shorter) length steering column for connecting to the gearbox.

The concentric column support bracket that mounts to the engine side of the firewall is shorter for the Saginaw gearbox than the concentric bracket for a manual steering/Bendix gearbox column.

My old bracket for manual steering on the left. Shorter bracket for use with a column coupled to a Saginaw gearbox on the right --notice the lower holes in the bracket are also slotted.



The shorter concentric PS column bracket from a Dentside will be just like the bracket from a Bumpside with one difference --the location of the top bolt hole on the Dentside bracket will be located at the 1:00 o'clock position. (the top hole on the Bumpside bracket is at the 12:00 o'clock position).





The older Bendix box will take the longer steering column like the column that would be found in a truck with manual steering.

Smaller manual/Bendix column-to-firewall seal on the left (that would be inside the cab). Larger seal on the right that would be used with a steering column coupled to a Saginaw PS gearbox.

 

Steve,

Thanks for all the great info and answering my questions to my project so far.

Regards,
Tony

 

The 1978 column will not have a NSS switch on it. 1978 was the 1st year Ford put that switch down on the tranny. It will also have a lamp wire to light up the PRNDL shift indicator. And it will have the 4 way flasher switch mounted in it. You can use it of keep your Bumpside one as it is.




I borrowed the below from "the other site".


The horns don't work without modifications after '73. (the late model trucks ('78-newer) use a two-wire horn contact. Up to 1977 the horn was a single wire grounded in the wheel. On a '78-'79 they went to a two-wire through circuit. In order to make this work one of the wires needs to be grounded.)
The Ford part number for the tilt turn signal switch is D8TZ-13341-A with a list price of $100.87. They are identical to any 1970-1979 Ford car with a tilt except the car versions have different length wires and an extra wire for the key buzzer. Go get a switch for a Lincoln, it works fine. The Ford pickup tilt column shares the same bearings as the Ford van tilt columns (which are longer and do not work well in a truck...but the van columns are great for parts!)
To get the '78-'79 units to fit, you will have to do some wiring changes. The hazard lights are integrated into the column. You might also have to rewire the neutral safety switch...it changed in '78 from the column to the transmission.
The '78-'79 columns themselves are the same with auto tranny...the difference is how it hooks up at the end of the column. The 4WDs have a knuckle shaft & rag joint, whereas the 2WDs just have a rag joint. All automatic columns are the same and all standard columns are the same, each fitting F100 through F350. If you get a 4X4 column it will not have the 2WD coupler but you can use one from a '78-'79 van tilt.
To have the ignition switch in the column you can get parts from a van or a Lincoln. The tilt part is all the same. Just swap the top part of the column that tilts with the key to the other column. But if you want the wheel to lock you must use the wheel from the locking column, because it has holes drilled in it for the pin to lock the wheel. Also, the van and pickup tilt column turn-signal switches all the way to '86 (and possibly up through '88) will fit the '78-'79 tilt columns. The wires may not be the same, but it's not too hard to figure out.


AND THIS ALSO.




(by dablack00)
I finally finished wiring up my 79 tilt column in my 71 F100. The only reason I'm finished is because the inspection is up and my horn hasn't worked since I did the switch. Now all is working.

I saw the post on the 67 wiring, well the 71 wiring is even easier. My column doesn't have cruise. Just tilt.

79 white red is hazard switch. I didn't use this one. I kept the hazard switch on my dash. You could easily wire the 79 column switch in if you like.

79 Blue/red is the indicator light. I didn't hook it up. If you want to hook it up, just splice in to your dash lights. No big deal.

79 yellow = ground for the horn. The 78/79 horn has two wires. The yellow is the ground, so ground it out.

79 dark Blue to 71 Blue yellow
79 light green to 71 light green
79 orange blue to 71 orange blue
79 light blue to 71 light blue
79 green white to 71 green white
79 green orange to 71 green orange
79 white blue to 71 white blue

Thats it. No big deal. Just took me a while to figure out the horn thing. All the other wires match up color wise

 

1978/79 F100/350, Bronco & Econoline: There is no horn relay unless these vehicles have factory installed Speed Control.

With Speed Control, the horn relay attaches to the Speed Control amplifier, located on the inside of the firewall adjacent to the fuse box.

1978/79 F100/350 & Bronco: NSS located on the trans, C4 uses a different NSS than C6.

Tilt wheel operates on the following vehicles by pressing the T/S handle forward. 1965/79 Passenger Cars; 1978/91 F100/350, Bronco & Econoline; 1980 Granada/Monarch/Versailles.

 

The original '69 horn relay is still mounted near the starter solenoid, in the engine compartment of my truck.

There is a single contact/wire under the steering wheel, for the Bumpsides through the '77 model Dentsides, that activates the horn

On the '78/'79 column, there are two wires (a blue wire and a yellow wire) and two contacts under the steering wheel. In my application, I wired the inboard contact (blue wire) to the horn circuit. Currently, the yellow wire/contact doesn't go to anything but, eventually, it'll go to the speed control module/servo from a '90 5.0L Mustang GT donor car.

 

I pulled the front disc brakes and suspension parts from the 1978 F150 this morning. The steering column is a non-tilt and had the buttons for cruise control. I will need to make a return trip to pull the rest.

 

Steve,

What paint did you use on your suspension parts? Anything special used?

 

I use Dupli-Color primer (p/n DAP1692 Gray Hot Rod). For the black top coat, I use Dupli-Color Ford Semi Gloss Black p/n DE1635

For objects that I'm trying to replicate as close to bare steel as possible, I use Dupli-Color DE1651 Cast Coat Iron.

Aluminum brackets/parts, I spray with Dupli-Color Cast Coat Aluminum p/n DE1650. All of these paints are available through O'Reilly's Auto Parts stores.

Examples of parts sprayed with the above listed paints.














.....however, having one of these goes a long way towards making the parts turn out like the examples shown above.