End all powersteering mod

[wehring]

I have been chasing the powersteering mod down for several months. Thanks to many RKIs here I believe to have the end all mod. I will have a test bed completed next week for side by side tests against several other kits.

I have tried...

air-o-matic: legal, safe, lacks at full stop, hangs down for possible damage.

Full Hydro: not legal, safe if hoses are protected, kicks butt in any condition, slight "float" in the steering wheel when going straight.

Saginaw 710 / HF54 : marginally better than air-o-matic and no hang down clearance issues

The solution...

HF54 with 4 ports and a hydraulic assist ram tied into the tierod. Removes stress from the 4 bolts that hold the steering arm on but multiplies your steering power. This "should" steer like full hydro in the muck but have good on-highway manners. Full mechanical set up so DOT is happy.

What say you???

 

[hole]

Projected cost ?

 

[wehring]

rough estimate

5 ton pump - pull off
5 ton steering column - pull off
5 ton reservour - pull off
HF54 box - $250
ram assist - $250
hoses - $100

These are approx...

Justin

 

[59apache]

build it, make a full documentation with many good pictures, make a complete conversion kit, earn tons of money......just kidding.

trial it, drive it. would be very interesting to see how it work and how much it is.

 

[ETHOS]

interesting

 

[hole]

5 ton pump - pull off
5 ton steering column - pull off
5 ton reservour - pull off
HF54 box - $250
ram assist - $250
hoses - $100

These are approx...

Justin

Thank you! I would be interested in doing this mod once you get any bugs worked out. I'll be watching for the write up

 

[tsmall07]

I had a friend that used a Redneck Ram system on his 4x4 and it worked very well for him. I definitely think hydraulic assist is the way to go.

 

[nk14zp]

It sounds like a great idea!

 

[wehring]

great minds...

Just found this... Spicergear has already made note of the exact same idea. The 9" redneck ram is a good match for the rockwell.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-modification-hot-rodding/15916-power-steering-deuce-2.html

Beat me to it...

Justin

 

[m-35tom]

there are 2 major discussions here in the past about this with LOTS of pictures, go search. and i disagree about the 710 being marginaly better than air o matic. you can steer 14.5r20 sitting still with one finger, but has very good feel when driving. i have built 3 of these now and gerhard has done the hf54 they both work great.

 

[73m819]

some years ago, i had a 48 longgggggg wheel base 3 axle mack with arm strong steering, i took the power assest steering off a 65 ford 500 dump truck, this attaches to the tie rod, has a senser valve, made a mount for the pump, after the install, i could turn lock to lock, standing still, with ONE finger

 

[KaiserM109]

I have an M109A3 (currently my avatar) with no PS. I have converted several civilian trucks to PS, including the Bronco behind my deuce in the avatar. If I had the $750 for the kits that have been going around I would jump on it like a duck on a junebug.

I scrapped out a '79 Ford F250 a year ago and kept the axles and steering from it. It looks like it would be ideal because it mounts on the inside of the frame and reaches out. The pitman arm will come out between the frame and the spring, but even fully compressed, it won't bump. I am seriously considering it.

My hesitation is this: Is the box off of an F250 really strong enough? It looks bigger and stronger than the one on the truck now, but ... Also the deuce has 5 turns stop to stop and the F250 box has 3 1/2. That would mean that if the PS dies, it would be REALLY hard to turn by hand by a ratio of 3.5 to 5.0.

Also it is going to be difficult to mount the pump and reservoir on the engine.

Anybody gone that direction?

 

[jesusgatos]

Yeah, I've thought about using a Saginaw box. I was trying to figure out whether it might be possible to convert to cross-over steering linkage (drag-link from pitman arm to pass side knuckle) to reduce the bumpsteer. If you install it with ram-assist, then the box isn't really doing any work. Not sure I'd want to rely on the box alone though. I'm leaning towards going full hydro though.

 

[USMC6062]

5 ton pump - pull off
5 ton steering column - pull off
5 ton reservour - pull off
HF54 box - $250
ram assist - $250
hoses - $100

These are approx...

Justin

Where did you find the HF54, 4 port box for $250? I got a price on a remanufactured unit, and it was $450 plus a $250 core charge. I haven't had any luck finding a used one.

 

[kochevnik]

USMC : Here you go :

http://www.usedtruckparts.ca/index.aspx?val=c50_m13_l653

Looks like a used 4 port for $175 in IA + a bunch of others.

 

[kochevnik]

USMC : Here you go :

Truck Parts Inventory Steering & Steering Parts | Steering Gears : Ford (HD)

Looks like a used 4 port for $175 in IA + a bunch of others.

 

[50shooter]

Please excuse my ignorance but why is full hydro. illegal?

 

[ALFA2]

Thanks for the update on the PS project, this is geting very interesting, as the two possible gear boxes come up in comparisson. The hydro ram assist that runs off of the box itself will sertaily be a strong contender, as I had expirience in diferent vehicles from 56' chevy with hydroram assist to 82' GMC Brigadier car carier also with hydro ram assist. Bouth had a similar set up, and bouth had tires much biger than stock for the application, and nither of the vehicles was any effort to steer, iven when loaded amd sunk in mud to the valvestemms. Also there was no box losening from frame or tearing out of or breaking of the steering arms, as has hapened on other designs, and heavy duty, offroad use. Also, this type has the most presise feel and respoce to the steering input at the Wheel. then other PS setups, almost as good as rack and pinion, but much more capable and stronger.
The availability of over the counter repair and maintenance parts in a big plus over custom made boxes, plus the reliability in already proven in the field, in a usually heavier vehicle, as in the GMC for example.

A cross over idea is certainly interesting, I just do not know an application from which to borrow correctly for doing one.

Keep posting on updates !


ALFA2

 

[tm america]

full hydro is illegal because there is no mechanical link between the steering wheel and the wheels.if you blow a hose you have no steering.several months ago i was bidding on a steering set up from a combine it went in the drag link and had a ram that mounts to the axle .looked like the hot ticket since to dont have to mod the frame ,steering colum or steering box yes it puts a ram and hoses under the truck but if the get damaged you still have reg steering.

 

[GoHot229]

whering good article from a previous post thanks......My thinking/concern is it was said that it was an application for a light duty truck, what a one ton or something? So I'm thinking that with the Deuce a 2 &1/2 ton of course, that with the additional stress of 6x6 ingaged, it will then become even more outside of the strength paramaters? But.... at any rate, were waiting with baited breath for some one to come up with a good useable configuration, so far it looks like yours is the best. Keep us posted, it will be interesting. I think many would want to do this conversion. Down-side, all the 5 tons stripped of these parts your suggesting. Upside, power steering on the cheap.