Power steering conversion for old push/pull box

[Detour]

Well I spent a lot of time pulling a steering pump, box and shaft out of a square body last week hoping to convert my truck last week. Got it home only to realize that my steering bod is a different style. Every truck saw a the junk yard had the pitman arm on the bottom of the box for a left/right movement. I have a Saginaw with the arm moving front to back.
Do I have any options?
Thanks

[Jason Banks]

Oh man, I almost commented when you posted the thread about Junkyard PS Swap a while back, that you have bigger problems than what you were trying to figure out then, but I thought you might have already figured that out.

I'm not sure there is an easy answer to doing this with a closed knuckle front end.

You would definitely need the later power steering gear, because there is no power option for the style you have. I have 67 K20 also. You will either have to dimple the 67 frame or get one of the adapter to allow it to bolt to the frame(or spacers). You'll need a different rag joint too.

Then you have to figure out if you can get a steering arm to replace the one you have on the top of your knuckle right now. I'm not sure the later 'open knuckle' steering arms will fir the closed knuckle.

If you are going all the way, you might consider a "crossover" steering conversion.

https://www.offroaddesign.com/steering/crossover.html

You might call off road design and tell them what you are doing and see what the recommend.

You could also call the guys at Torque King and see what they recommend. They have lots of parts for the old closed knuckle stuff and are very knowledgeable.

[geezer#99]

Have you checked out electric power steering.
Not cheap, but I’ve seen threads on other forums about junkyard cheaper (200-300 buck) set ups that can be used.

https://epasperformance.com/

[Detour]

Yeah, I have looked at my steering box enough times, I don't know why it didn't register that I had different geometry. Not the end of the world. I'll clean up what I have and toss it on the shelf in case I do an axle swap in the future.

Thanks Geezer, I'll have to research electric out of curiosity.

PS isn't a must, I'm just doing enough other stuff that it was tempting.

[Jason Banks]

There are some good threads in the 60-66 area about K20 power steering.

Here's one:
https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=766278

Or here's a link to a google search of this board, you will just want to look at ones dealing with 68 and earlier:
https://www.google.com/search?domain...hevytrucks.com

Seems to be find used later model open knuckle front diff and power steering gear box, draglink combo is a common solution.

I also had this saved:https://tuckersparts.com/products/67...ubber-hose-set

I would call Tuckers and ask them will their setup work with your closed knuckle front end and how. Seems like it has the same parts you already got.

I keep hoping someone more knowledgeable will come by and offer you some solutions too. I was never too serious about converting mine to power but looked into it briefly. What really kills me is the turning radius. I can barely get the thing in my driveway(without driving over the curb and/or in the grass), if cars are on the street in front of my house.

[Jason Banks]

I was looking at some more of the posts in that google search and came across this one:

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=789741

[68Gold/white]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Have you checked out electric power steering.
Not cheap, but I’ve seen threads on other forums about junkyard cheaper (200-300 buck) set ups that can be used.

https://epasperformance.com/

On one of Jay Leno's recent garage update shows, he had electric power steering on a American LaFrance fire truck. Works great!!@
The folks that make the system, installed it at his shop. The install guy said the cost for a kit was $700.00.

You may not want to spend that much money. He did mention a car or pickup brand that has the steering unit on it. I don't remember the vehicles that uses electric electric power steering... It takes some work to install, but works great! Electric power steering is being used on some GM trucks.

[71meangreenc10]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Have you checked out electric power steering.
Not cheap, but I’ve seen threads on other forums about junkyard cheaper (200-300 buck) set ups that can be used.

https://epasperformance.com/

Very interesting.

Smitty

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by Jason Banks

Oh man, I almost commented when you posted the thread about Junkyard PS Swap a while back, that you have bigger problems than what you were trying to figure out then, but I thought you might have already figured that out.

I'm not sure there is an easy answer to doing this with a closed knuckle front end.

You would definitely need the later power steering gear, because there is no power option for the style you have. I have 67 K20 also. You will either have to dimple the 67 frame or get one of the adapter to allow it to bolt to the frame(or spacers). You'll need a different rag joint too.

Then you have to figure out if you can get a steering arm to replace the one you have on the top of your knuckle right now. I'm not sure the later 'open knuckle' steering arms will fir the closed knuckle.

If you are going all the way, you might consider a "crossover" steering conversion.

https://www.offroaddesign.com/steering/crossover.html

You might call off road design and tell them what you are doing and see what the recommend.

You could also call the guys at Torque King and see what they recommend. They have lots of parts for the old closed knuckle stuff and are very knowledgeable.

I wouldn’t suggest crossover unless you are wheeling it every weekend and even then I still wouldn’t be behind it 100%. That opens a whole other can of worms with death wobble and other issues. Best bet would be to find a disk front axle and swap it over as far as my opinion is concerned anyway.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I went thru this rather painfully 25 years ago -- before Truck Forums on the internet existed. I bought a P/S Gearbox off a guy with a '69 C/10 Panel truck to install on my '67 K/10 Suburban.
It did not go well.
While the P/S went on the BBC 454 easy enough, then the plot twisted. We had to modify the OEM one piece Draglink. The Early Fore-and-Aft steering sector did not play well with the Later Side-to-Side Pittman arm swing of the P/S box.
I could turn Right OK, but Left turns were severely curtailled.
Turning 180* meant I had to [illegally] start from the Southbound middle lane to come over to the curb lane Northbound.
[While she had tugs to help her, the RMS Queen Mary made smarter turns when docking.]
Also the hydraulic power of the P/S was so strong -- even with bad geometry -- that Grade-8 1/2'' bolts holding the gear to the frame were shearing and/or coming loose.
Then someone said it needed Power _Assisted_ Steering in this vintage. That meant a Manual Box assisted by hydraulic rams. While this system was common to MY '67/'68 GM K- Trucks, it was also heavily used by vintage Corvettes. Thus prices for this system were inflated by a power of ten.
So we tried to restore the Manual Steering. I smeared JB Weld over the crack in the manual box. Because the original Draglink had been butchered, I had to get a 3-piece unit for a 1-ton. Once it was back together, the Suburban never had the same steering feeling it had before. I had screwed rthe Pooch.
The next year, a carb fire caused me to involve my Insurance. They totalled it, and I got the K/10 back with a Salvage Title.
It has sat fallow for decades.
But when my K/10 Sub does get rebuilt, it will get a newer Dana 44 Front End for a '71 or later K/5 -- with Disc Brakes and Power/Steering.
White Fang will rise again.

[kwmech]

Your description indicates you are pulling boxes off of 2wd trucks. The stock 4x box will be at the bottom and is also a push pull. Need to grab one off of a 4wd with the pitman arm and bolt it on. Then check that the tires are pointing forward and the box is centered. Then check the length of the drag link to the holes and adjust as needed. This is not that big of a deal. I've converted several of these to power steering

[Detour]

Originally Posted by Jason Banks

There are some good threads in the 60-66 area about K20 power steering...
... What really kills me is the turning radius. I can barely get the thing in my driveway(without driving over the curb and/or in the grass), if cars are on the street in front of my house.

Thanks for the search help on this. And yeah the turning is bad, I have double shoulder injuries so the slow muscling through a turn can be tough and I live on a one lane road with a power pole right next to my driveway, so it can be tight. So similar situation as you.

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

I went thru this rather painfully 25 years ago --

Sorry to hear about that grief and the fire. I wish you luck on finding time to get it back on the road.

Originally Posted by kwmech

Your description indicates you are pulling boxes off of 2wd trucks...

Nope this came of an 85' K10, front axle was still in it. I can't find any older metal around here, for this project and previous I have to source parts for top dollar on eBay or other shipping methods from down south. Definitely looks like I need to do some more research or parts hunting though.

Thanks everyone for the help. You've had some great information.

[kwmech]

Originally Posted by Detour

Nope this came of an 85' K10, front axle was still in it. I can't find any older metal around here, for this project and previous I have to source parts for top dollar on eBay or other shipping methods from down south. Definitely looks like I need to do some more research or parts hunting though.

Thanks everyone for the help. You've had some great information.

If it's out of a K10, I'm not understanding the issue with the pitman arm. It should be a push pull.