I am keeping my straight axle on my 53. What would be best to use, a power rack and pinion setup or the toyota power steering set up? I am keeping my stock steering column.

 

When I first installed the Toyota box I used my stock steering column & you couldn't tell it was power steering. In my opinion the Toy box is simple & easy to install it will take one person a few hours, depending on your bracket just drill four or less holes. I think they are some brackets that use the stock holes from the stock box. The only thing is you need to get the hoses from the Toyota also the box is 17mm & 18mm however, its best to just get them off the donor vehicle. Midfifty also sell hoses & hose fittings

 

I used the toyota box it worked very well.I made my owen mount and had a local shop make up the hoses from the toyota and ford hoses .Also got the pitman arm from midfiffty.All worked very good with the stock collum.I did use a lokar shifter for the c6.I am really happy with this steering setup,

 

Another vote for the Toy box. Works like it was made for it. I like Mid Fifty's hefty barstock mount over the strap iron ones some others sell. MF even sells a kit with everthing you need included.
To use the stock column (floor shift model) you will also need (not included in the kit but also available from MF) a lower column floor mount, a column/shaft lower centering bushing, and a horn button conversion kit or an aux. remote horn button. The stock horn button cannot be made operational without the ($$$) former unfortunately.

 

Anyone put on the rack and pinion setup available for the straight axle? I have been leaning towards the toyota setup but I will have to change my headers and put in a cross member with motor mounts for my chevy engine. Whoever put the engine in mounted it in the front to the front cross member. The mount will be in the way for the power steering bracket. THe rack and pinion setup will give more clearance for the headers that are installed now.

 

the toyota bracket from classic performance products mounts the toyota box in the stock location and even uses the existing holes in the frame. i have seen the rack&pinion setup from no limit eng and seems kinda hoekey the rack moves up and down with the axle the steering shaft moves in and out. i think its a poor design. i have a 350 chevy in my 56 with lots of room......

 

Fastfew, there is a lot of room in my 53 except where the header on the driver side runs. It is right in the way. I think I will go the toyota setup, but I will have to replace the headers with the shorty ones. Then I will have to put in the cross member to get rid of the front mounts. Thank you all for your opinions. It help me make a decision.

 

I installed a 3" Dropped Axle and because I'm still running and original Flat 6 I decided to go with the Toyota Manual Box. I had a little trouble with Bump-Steer but once I got the pitman arm bent right it is OK now.

 

I have a CSB in my truck with the Toy box, the engine is mounted to one of the tubular universal mounts like MF sells. The only interference I ran into was between the header and the return line at the box. I went with Gotta Show SS braid lines with their low profile fittings. I could have used block hugger center outlet headers or offset the engine to the pass side an inch or so, but since I bought the truck with all that already in place I didn't change it.

 

AXracer what kind of headers do you have? Mine are the long tube style. It looks like they would be in the way because I am assuming the Toy box is larger then the stock box and therer is not that much room between it and the header already. Can you post some pictures of yours? I will try to get a picture of mine on here.

 

Pappys53,
I bought my Toyota power steering box from CPP. I took the 17mm and 18mm
fittings that came with P/S box and cut the AN fitting off each end of fitting.
I then drilled and tapped with the appropriate size. Then purchased the 90
degree fitting and installed. There are pics in my gallery. This was the only way I could clear the headers. Good luck with yours.

Gary

 

I went to a local hydrolics shop and had them make a 90 degree SS pipe using the Toyota fitting ($15) now I have lots of room before that the return line was less than an inch from the manifold. I wasted $$$$$ on the fitting & hoses from Midfifty but the line was still close to the manifold now they sit in my toolbox.

 

I have long tube center outlet headers that came on the truck. A shorty block hugger style center outlet like Sanderson sells should give plenty of clearance, the Toy box is not substantially larger than the stock box.
Just for clarification: the pressure side fitting on the Toy box is a 16mm inverted flare like is common on many boxes and pumps. The return side is 17mm. This is not a standard manufactured size from any manufacturer so be sure you get the fittings with the box. The MF hoses are all 16mm but come with a custom made adapter that converts the 17mm port to 16mm adapter plus the 16mm hose fitting is as long as the stock fitting so it didn't help me either.

 

Sorry ax
Meant to say 16mm and 17mm instead of 17mm and 18mm. thanks for the reminder.
gary

 

I would only use the Toyota Box on an F-100 as it is not a heavy duty box as would be optimum on an F-250 or larger. It is also much more complicated than the power rack installation.

There are a lot of better GM Truck power boxes on drag link type steering, however, all are mounted in front of the axle, not behind, but they by being mounted near the front spring perch, greatly eliminate "bump" steering that you get with the stock Ford (and Toyota) mount position. They require boxing the frame and cutting the inner fender panel and the air deflector and building a mount.

Now a power rack just bolts onto the axle itself and eliminates the stock tie rod, and only requires PS hoses from the PS pump to the axle which is very close, and u-joint and shaft fabrication to the stock column in which you add a bearing on the bottom when you cut the steering shaft off the original box.

A Power Rack is tremendously better than a ball worm and sector with a drag link.

Some Caveats on 53-56 Ford F-100 and F250s:
1. Stock tie rod is very weak. Not a good idea to use it with big tires and power steering. It is only engineered for manual steering and is still weak.
Conversions which do not make up a better tie rod are not complete.
2. Stock Ford Suspensions with drag link steering are subject to bump steer due to drag link radius being shorter than axle pivot radius. The engineering is compromised by having to mount the steering box to a fixed steering column.
3. Older 48-51 steering boxes were Gemmer worm and sector which where weaker than the Ross 53-56 boxes. They all have friction: two worm bearings, and one large sector bushing, and have built in play at the sector ends, as the sector is cut wider there. As the worm wears, it gets looser and you can only adjust clearance until you get a bind at the center. You also have friction at the drag link. So once the sector is too worn, you have to rebuild the box. Lots of play possible, and bump steering, and shimmy with off road type tires. Any tire must have a center rib to stop shimmy.

Were I doing a F-100, I would use the power rack also. Better and simpler. It did not occur to us to use it for a long time....Hence, all the other methods.
With rack and pinion, majority of trucks with lighter engines do not need power at all. Off road trucks definitely do not need power.

Alanco