1956 F-100 Power Steering Conversion
 

I just bought a 1956 Ford F-100 with a 272ci y-block and has a manual transmission. I am looking to convert it to power steering. Any suggestions on a conversion kit for this? Appreciate any help on this. Thanks!

Use the search function, and look For Toyota Power Steering conversion. Or check out Mid-Fifties catalogue. I'm going with the Toyota set-up. Good Luck, and welcome aboard.

Ditto on the Toyota, rack and pinion iffy at best unless you have a cross member, leave the rack that bolts to the solid axel alone! Mid Fifties has a kit, the Toyota PS sector is getting hard to find so you might as well get one from them that is rebuilt.
-Doug

I've done the Toyota conversion. I put it on a 223 and now on a 302 using the stock column. It's pretty simple. Go the midfifty route. If you have 3 on the tree, it's a little trickier cutting down the column. The power steering works pretty good. And yes, buy the rebuilt one from midfifty as well. You will spend too much time just looking and I have found my times worth more than the endless emails and hours spend trying to find a used one.

Go check with you local 4x4 shops...Those guys love the toyota trucks (79-84) but rip the front axle and power steering gearboxes out and put in IFS for rock crawling and off-roading. Chances are you can pick up a toyota ps gearbox for $50-$100. They will probably know someone who is has one. I've talked to a couple guys around here that said they just throw them in their scrap metal pile or the trash after they pull them.

read: Toyota Steering Box Swap For 1948-1960 Trucks .: Articles
4x4 shops and rock crawling clubs are good local sources. also you can do a search here: Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market scroll the search results for the lowest price, you should be able to find several in the 100.00 range. The boxes are practically bulletproof so don't be afraid of a used box.

What's the story on the rack that bolts to the solid axle kit?

Yeah, what AXracer said!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Guys has anybody used the steering rack conversion kit from performance on line

1948-56 FORD F-1 TRUCK and FORD F-100 TRUCK, RACK AND PINION STEERING KIT 19697

1948-56 Ford F-1 Truck and Ford F-100 Truck, Power Steering Rack and Pinion Kit 19697

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7%
+1
Bonus points
SKUPS-SA-4856
Weight50.00 lbs Oversized?yesMarket price$749.00Our price$699.99
Options Year of vehicle Column Type Transmission Type Engine type Size Headers
Quantity

Bruce

IMHO there are 4, well OK 5, major problems with the rack that bolts to the axle:

1. Adds substantially to the unsprung front axle weight.

2. Needs a constantly sliding joint in the steering column.

3. Price!

4. Pump hoses being constantly flexed

5. Lack of real world experience, acceptance, no advantages.

1. I dont see as major. Unsprung weight would only be the difference between a decent set of alloys versus steels. Especially given the nature of the vehicle.
2. Is this such an issue if built properly?
3. Subjective.
4. Should not be a factor in the slightest, if fitted with the correct hoses. How do flexi brake hoses survive and every hydraulic hose ever made?
5. There must be a perceived advantage if you do want a rack on your truck, and don't fancy the weld on M2 (etc) route...

Anyone here fitted one or used one personally?

thanks to you all for you replies. very helpful.

1. Alloys, unless you are buying boat anchors should be lighter than steels. Rack full of fluid and all the attendent parts weigh a fair amount. An extra pound of unsprung weight is noticeable.

2. I haven't seen any sliding joint offered that wasn't just one square tube sliding inside another without any provisions for excluding dirt and moisture or reducing metal to metal wear.

3. Maybe your build budget is larger than most to pay twice as much for no advantage, or maybe you have a vested interest?

4. Power steering hoses are not designed to flex that much.

5. A perceived advantage is not a real advantage. There is no real advantage to a R&P in this application. If you want to buy perceived advantages go ahead.

Right.....
Thanks for your clarity.... We'll have to agree to disagree on some of the above.
No vested interest. My front end is already done. Just curious about the system as hadn't seen it mentioned on here.

By the way, what's that yellow thing at the bottom of your signature thingy? What does it weigh?

It's a 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP ( factory turbo 2.0 L 260HP) roadster with factory ZOK racing suspension package. It weighs 2975 at fighting weight. The picture is from the cover of the 2010 SCCA Solo National Championships program.
I paid a lot $ for the wheels it competes on to save 6 oz unsprung weight/wheel, it makes a measurable difference!

I've only seen one person on here say he bought one of those, a year or so back, but no follow up.