I know, I know there are some out there who get tired of all the progress threads, but its been so long since I made any signifigant progress that I just had to tell someone.

I've been working on patching holes in the firewall and getting it cleaned up so I can set the engine back in. I got the frame boxed, managed to fill all the unnecessary holes in the firewall, get the front half of the frame primed, get the firewall relatively smoothed and primed and then got color on the frame and firewall.
I used Rustoleum primer and Satin Black paint on the frame and I went ahead and painted the firewall the same. I have no idea what color the truck will eventually be and I know it will be years before I get to that stage of the game so I decided to go ahead and paint the firewall the satin black for now. All in all it came out pretty well and it even looks like I did something (at least it was progress the wife noticed without me even having to point it out)

I added a couple of pics to my gallery of the progress (what good is bragging without proof)

Okay, I patted myself on the back enough for now

Thanks all

Bobby

 

Looks good! One question tho, with your steering box ahead of the axle, doesn't it steer backwards?

 

Ax,
Thanks
The steering works just fine. The orientation is that same as behind the axle. When you turn left, the pitman arm moves forward but instead of pushing on the steering link it pulls on it. The net result is the same. I might have to make the pitman arm longer, but I won't know for sure until I get everything bolted on the truck and do some serious driving (i've only driven it around the block a few times so far)
I had to mount it in front of the axle to give me room for the big Caddy engine, either that or cut a tranny tunnel into the cab and raise the engine up a couple of inches

 

For the least amount of bump steer the pitman arm should be located directly in a vertical line with the spring eye and the drag link should be horizontal with full weight on the suspension. I can't tell from the pics but make sure you've phased the u joints properly on the extention shaft so you don't get binding.

 

AX,
Thanks for the tips. This forum is great for tips and advice!
I might be a little off on pitman arm length. I won't know for sure until I get engine/trans back in and front end bolted on and determine where exactly my ride height is (or where I want it to be)
For the steering shaft I have 2 "u" joints mounted back to back (phased correctly) at the base of the steering column and then a rag joint at the box with a steering support bearing between the rag joint and the "u" joints. The steering was major hurdle for me and took quite a bit of time and energy back in 2003, hopefully I won't have to reengineer it too much.
I always try to consider every angle and how the modification effects/interacts/interferes/etc with everything else but something always slips by thinking

Bobby

 

Now this is very intersting.. Is the box bolted to the frame without the adpter bracket?


And how did you fig. the swivels out? and how did you support the ext. steering rod?

 

Mad,
I had to fabricat a 1" spacer that fits between the box and the lower lip of the frame rail, I also fabricated some spacers to go between the top frame rail lip and the steering box. The steering shaft has the toyota rag joint at the box and 2 u joints at the column. I fabricated a bracket for a steering support bearing (heim joint) that is located between the rag joint and the 2 u joints (you can barely make it out in the above pic...its the only clean part near the original location). I kept the 2 piece compressible shaft from the toyota also.
In the above pic you can see the redneck drag link....I was just using that chunk of flat bar so I could roll the truck in and out of the garage. I fabricated my own drag link using the drag link from the toyota. I cut it down a few inches and sleeved it and rewelded it. I used the toyota pitman arm(cut and rewelded with the ball end rotated 180) I used the ball from the steering arm from the toyota. I pressed it out of the toyota arm and pressed and welded into the Ford steering arm. Like I said, the steering was as major hurdle for me and I sure hope it works out allright. Hopefully I'll find out in a month or two. The initial trips around the block were pretty cool but I couldn't run it long with only 12" of straight pipe for exhaust (the neighbors werent too appreciative)

 

This may be the way I take on the power steering on my truck.. I could put the box ferther forward and make the drag link longer.. that would give me more room for the larger tires Im running( right now when I take a hard left I hit the Pitman on mine.. ) Can you when U have the time get more pics of the whole set up pls..

 

Mad,
I'll try and take some pics this week but probably won't get any posted until next week. You might be facing the same issues with tires rubbing except with the box up fron tlike that it would be on a hard right turn. I'll try and get some pics with the wheels turned both directions.

 

I know it just reverse.. But what Im thinking is it I went forward more so only the drag link was there.. it wouldnt rub as bad as it does where it is at right now..

 

Mad, It might work, especially if you have room to move the box that far forward. Can you mock it up with a dowel and get an idea of the clearances?

I'll try and get a pick or two in the morning, probably won't be able to post them until late tomorrow or the next day

 

I can mock it up easyly.. And I can machine a block to make the box lay flatter.. Did you buy or make the end swivel for the stock steering to the toyota linkage?

 

Mad
I created a gallery labeled steering details. The pics are so so as the lighting was working against me. I snapped a pic of the wheels turned in both directions.
At the Steering box end I used the stock Toyota rag joint and the 2 piece double "D" slip style steering shaft. At the column end I used 2 "U" joints that I had laying around form a previous project. I believe they are from a GM van from the late 70's or 80's.
The 2 "U" joints were originally mounted on either end of a 6" shaft. I pressed them off the shaft and shortened the shaft so they were back to back, then pressed them back together and drilled and installed roll pins to keep things together. Because I basically have 3 "U" joints I had to add some support, so I added a Heim joint in the middle to keep things in place.
Hope this helps

Bobby

 

Thats cool..




On this pic I see you have a engine mount.. I dont on mine so I can make the steering a stright shot and I think it will work out much better.. thanks for the pic they will halp big time

 

Mad,
Glad I could have been a help. In that pic you can also see where I ran out of paint, hopefully this weekend I can go back in a hit all the spots I missed the first go round.
If you could run yours as a straight shot then you could dump the third u joint and the support bearing..........cool
Good luck with it, let us know how it works out for you

Bobby