steering box upgrade?

[212sparky]

I was working on my truck today and an older navy veteran stoped by. He was talking about how he had a truck similar to mine. I am buying a set of paper manuals from him. We got to talking and he said that you can use a steering box off an old 1970 school bus in place of the stock deuce one. Has anybody ever heard of this? He also has a spare fule tank with pump and beackets and radiator, what is a fair price to offer for the tank and radiator?

 

[gimpyrobb]

Is the bus box a PS box? Is the fuel tank and rad for a deuce?

 

[212sparky]

yeah the tank and radiator are from his deuce he had a few years ago. his block self ventilated by the #3 piston and rod. The steering box would be a power steering unit. I just was not sure if it was correct what he was talking about.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I have not heard of the PS box swap, but it is possible. Heck maybe its one of the hf54 boxes the guys have been talking about. A fuel tank(complete with pump and sending unit) and radiator depending on condition, $100-600. Sorry its so broad but thats how I see it. I wouldn't give much more than the lower end of the scale, but they could be in like new cond. which might warrant more.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Also, I might be interested in some parts if there is much left.

 

[m16ty]

Heck maybe its one of the hf54 boxes the guys have been talking about.

I bet it is. They will work but they aren't exactly "bolt on". Do a search for "HF54" and you'll get lots of hits.

 

[212sparky]

ok, I am not planning on doing the swap but also not sure if he was just some crazy guy making up things. I am buying some manuals in print form from him around noon today and i will see what he wants for the radiator and fule tank. those are the only parts he has left. His truck self ventilated a few years ago and he pretty much scraped the truck.

 

[Jones]

I have an HF54 and like it. Mine (all?) has the aux. valving to drive an assist ram on the pass. side so the box and it's single pitman arm don't have to shove both front tires around.
You'll have to build a bracket to mount the box as it's larger than a stock deuce steering box and crowds up over the top of the frame rail. See pictures.

Nor sure what the best power steering pump set-up would be for your application. Mine is a Vickers pump and bolts directly to the back of my air compressor.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Jones, you sure about that? That looks like a ross 5ton setup. The one we are speaking of would be inside the frame rails. The 5ton is too big for a deuce to use, unless you only turn left. hehe

 

[spicergear]

Some of the late 70's Ford medium duty trucks with the 3208 CATs had a steering box that bolted to a heavy bracket above the frame. The bolt pattern of box to bracket is the same as the stock deuce to the frame. So technically, it IS a bolt in and mounts inside the frame in the same location. Our SS friend down in Uruguay has done this exact set up on his very, very nicely built truck.

 

[rchalmers3]

Jones, that is an interesting system you have there with the aux ram on the passenger side. Did you install it and are the pieces rare to find? Also how is the tire clearance, Clarence?

Rick

 

[treeguy]

Bobbed engine swap and hydo powersteering

Its all here.

 

[gringeltaube]

...............The bolt pattern of box to bracket is the same as the stock deuce to the frame. So technically, it IS a bolt in and mounts inside the frame in the same location................

Not exactly Tom; I'm sure we all wish it was that easy...
There still is some frame-drilling, -trimming and reinforcing to be done to get it right in place.

Drawing below shows the bolt holes for the stock manual gear plus original reinforcement plate, vs. the new pattern required for the HF54. Only one of the existing holes comes close, at position #3. Sure enough this same hole (10mm, enlarged to 16mm) could be used as a starting point, which would move the gear little over 1/4" rearward. Not much of a difference compared to what has been done so far.

G.

 

[Jones]

Gimpy, yeah it's a 5 ton set-up (M-800 series) but the box was definately an HF 54. That fact is burned into my brain from dragging it around and all the contortions I had to go through trying to get it to work on the baby HEMTT.
It eventually was used as a core for the HF64 I ended up installing.

 

[Jones]

Rick, everything is available and is off an M-800 series. The stock configuration HF 54 box will work for conventional cabs. What messed me up was the baby HEMTT''s steering shaft coming in from the front like a cab-over. That required having a box custom built but it was a one time expense as the custom box is rebuildable with off-the-shelf parts.
I'm running 5 ton axles and 1600X20 tires and have no clearance problems on either side.

Gimpy, for cornering just use the old adage like I do; "Two wrongs don't make a right... but three do".

 

[m16ty]

Mine is a Vickers pump and bolts directly to the back of my air compressor.

I've never seen this setup before. Are you saying it mounts to the back of the compressor on a multifuel? Some pics would be great.

 

[Jones]

The Vickers pump mounts to the back of the Bendix TuFlow 550 compressor on my Cummins 6BT.
I'd think something similar could work on a deuce air compressor.