65 power steering conversion..

[FRENCHBLUE72]

I got a friend who has a 65 1/2 shortwide and would like to convert to power steering what part's do we need to look for???? 72 box,does the steering shaft need to modified or ????

[Lgriffin]

One of my 63's, had a 70 PS box in it. There was a 70 column also, because he put an auto in it. Problem was the steering wheel was about 2 inches closer to the driver, making things a little cramped, for a 6 ft. driver. I've been looking at converting my present 63 and it appears the stock column would have the same problem. You could cut an weld a piece of pipe over the cut, or look for another column. I think any of the 70's, early 80's PS boxes would work. The PS box was spaced out about a 1/2 inch from the frame. I understand one of the vendors makes a spacer to do this. Hope this helps.


Larry
68 C20 327 daily driver
63 C20 292 Camper truck
65 C10 ? Custom Cab AC,PB,PS,$flasher

[zenish]

you need a kit from"rez" availible from most truck parts suppliers.its about 70 dollars.if you use your stock steering column you will have to shorten it about an inch. i believe a 67-72 column can be used but the wiring is different.the 67-72 column has an inner and outer shaft.it can be shortened by heating the nylon pin that holds the shaft togetter or so im told.

[STEVE A WILBURN]

i have done the power steering thing on a 66 chevy. if you look at the frame of the 66 you will see it is stright at that time i got a new power steering box and the bottom steering rod. the 66 has a long steering rod. from the steering wheel. i took it lose at the box and pushed it , with the steering wheel on to the top of the cab and cut the rod until the wheel fit flat on the post, the cut rod will fit inside the rod on the new steering box and weld around it you will have to lay the new box flat and have some spacers made to hold the new box away from the frame ,where the point is on the back, have the spacers made just where the box wont touch the frame.all the front end parts fit. you will need to hold the box up to the frame line yor holes up i trace a round the old box. because there will be one hole you will have to drill. it was real eazy to do. i hope this helps you

[STEVE A WILBURN]

ALSO YOU CAN USE YOUR STOCK COLUMN IT WILL LOOK ALLSTOCK. JUST GET THE BOTTOM ROD ON THE NEW BOX AND GET YOUR SPACERS RIGHT AND 4 LONGER BOLTS TO HOLD IT ON WITH.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

tHANK'S FOR THE REPLY'S GUY'S IT'S APPRICATED..

[STEVE A WILBURN]

most new trucks has a dent on the frame so the steering box with the point on the back will fit with no spacers. all so be sure to line up your streering wheel before you put it into the new rod on the new box and weld. if i can think of anything you will need to i will post for you , have fun.

[Shorty Cox]

Steve, sounds like you did just what i did. no kit, I've caught flack on here for my "econo method", but it works.

[scottyd]

Originally posted by Shorty Cox
Steve, sounds like you did just what i did. no kit, I've caught flack on here for my "econo method", but it works.

i dont know why anyone would give you flack! i did mine econo with the spacers as well... i looked at a couple of high dollar kits that did the same thing! except there spacers were linked together with a thin metal plate(they called it an adapter) i guess some people think somethings not quality unless a ton of moneys dropped into it or professionally engineered

[Shorty Cox]

Scottyd, I did my conversion for a total cost of $160.00 and as I said before, when i talk about it on the board, I catch heck from other board members that sware by the kits. I'm not the sharpest tack in the box, but I'm just as sharp as the others. If someone else can do something, I feel i can also, to include things like, playing guitar, painting portraits, and converting to power steering. Is the guy that designed the "kit" that much smarter than the rest of us? NO. All this stuff is not brain surgery, heck, if you want to try something, do it, if it don't work, do it again.

Shorty

[Demmit_Hemmit's 65]

WELL SHORTY AND SCOTTY..... I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU CATCH FLAK BECAUSE OF YOUR ECONO INSTALL...............JUST THINK OF WHAT YOU CAN BUY WITH THE MONEY YOU SAVED.............I'M NOT RICH EITHER BUT YOU CAN BET I'LL DO IT THE ECONO WAY TOO..................EVEN ON MY SUPER CHEVY WINNER SUBURBAN.................WHO CARES WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AS LONG AS IT GETS THE JOB DONE.................MY 2 CENTS WORTH.........HEMMIT

[64fleetside]

I have been a mechanic 20 years & done the PS conversons both ways, big nuts make good spacers. But use a $59 REZ kit from Chevy Duty, & in an hour you are done. I'll never do it the other way again. The 64 I have now had PS added by a Previous Owner, he bolted box to the end of column w/o shortening & drilled 4 new holes. Drag link geometry was wayyy off, bump steer was incredible, hit a bump & truck jumped into next lane. Moving box back to proper location fixed it. Brian

[STEVE A WILBURN]

I WONDER IF FRENCHBLUE72 GOT HIS FRIEND POWER STEERING UP AND RUNNING ????????? STEVE

[STEVE A WILBURN]

I took a flat piece of stock and set the new streering box on it and trace around it and drilled the holes and cut it out, and played with it on the frame untill i got all the holes line up,but one then i had to drill a new hole. my spacers were made out of round stainless steel stock ,it looked like it came that way. im a old guy and back in my early days, there were no kits to use and no money to spend on things we didnt just slop thing together we made it look good.

[dvalentine]

Originally posted by scottyd

i guess some people think somethings not quality unless a ton of moneys dropped into it or professionally engineered

$70 for a REZ adapter qualifies as a TON of money ???
Anyone priced what Emergency Rooms want for a visit ??

The thing here is that someone else did the homework. You don't have to worry that the alignment of the steering components will be off because it's already been done. This is a reasonable price for something so important to your safty and those around you.

On another note, When you index the steering shaft,, With the steering wheel off, look for a small notch on one side of the top the shaft. That notch has to be placed in the 12 o'clock position in order for your directional to self-cancel. After the steering box is centered in it's left to right travel, then connect the steering shaft to the box. Which I hope is mounted to the frame with a REZ kit !


DV

[scottyd]

70$ is to me BUB!!! sure if your not confident enough in your own work,why not pay rez to build your brackets or for that matter your engines or transmissions, carbs, rearends, frontends, any welding you need done, hell theyd prob. do the paint and body if you paid them enough!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!the point is it can be done at home by anyone with a little sense! and be just as good as the crap rez puts out, but some people dont see it this way!! more than likely its because they are the ones not confident enough in there own work.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Still collecting part's and time......Got the box just need the pulley,bracket's and pump... Thank you for the helpful insight guy's this is what this board is all about...

[dvalentine]

Originally posted by scottyd
the point is it can be done at home by anyone with a little sense! and be just as good as the crap rez puts out, but some people dont see it this way!! more than likely its because they are the ones not confident enough in there own work.

More than likely they are the ones who know a good product when they see it and who possess the intellegence to know it's just good sense not to experment with their lives, the lives of their loved ones and the lives of their fellow drivers.

[STEVE A WILBURN]

GUYS HERE SOMETHING FUNNY, BACK 45 YEARS AGO I HAD A OLD TRUCK AND THE WINDOWS DIDNT HAVE ANY FELT OR RUBBER IN THEM I DIDNT HAVE ANY MONEY AND THE FELT AND RUBBER WAS JUST COMING OUT AND COST SO MUCH, IT WAS A DREAM TO HAVE IWAS WORKING ON THINGS I COULD DO ON MY TRUCK FOR NO COST. THOSE WINDOWS SOUND LIKE THEY WAS GOING TO FALL OUT. SO I GOT ME A CLOTHES PIN AND PULLED IT APART, DRILL A HOLE ON EACH END OF THE WOOD, PUT ME A CORD ON IT AND FIXED TO A SCREW ON THE DOOR.I WOULD STICK THEM IN THE WINDOWS TO STOP THEM FROM SHAKING.I WENT TO A TRUCK SHOW AND PARKED MY TRUCK A GUY WALK UP AND STARTING TALKING AND LOOKING AT MY OLD TRUCK.HE SAW MY CLOTHES PINS AND ASKED WHAT IS THAT HA-HA I TOLD HIM IT WAS ANI- WINDOWS RATTLERS. HE HAD A HELL OF A TIME SHOWING THESE WOOD PINS OFF .WELL ANY WAY. HE HAD A COMPANY THAT MADE FELT AND RUBBER FOR CAR WINDOWS HE SENT ME EVERYTHING TO FIX MY TRUCK WINDOWS UP.THEM WAS THE GOOD OLD DAYS. IWAS FEELING LIKE A KING.

[scottyd]

that is a cool story steve you did what you had to do!! the sad thing is these days if you want any kind of customer service you had better plan on spending a few days on the phone!! as irony would have it, it happened to me for a rubber kit for my 62... classic industries sent me the set for a 64 up, it was hell getting it straight.. but then again i just dont have the patience for that kind of stuff.......and you know what the funny thing is about safety?? the funny thing is every time you go out in a truck thats 30-40 years old your risking the safety of yourself or others, OH MAN i hate to think this way but my 62 is over 40 years old, thats means there's a lot of old bolts, old nuts, old parts plenty of safety concerns, so what have i done to help the problem? no drums for brakes, all disk, powerbrakes, power steering, seatbelts, new wiring, forged axles, soon to have a roll cage the list is endless ALL DONE BY ME ive been doing this for 15 plus years im sure i can handle it... the only unsafe thing i could do is let someone else turn my wrenches or weld my beads for me!! or for that matter let someone else build something i can build and KNOW its right,if i have any doubts on something, anything its not done until its right. i cant say the same for the guy making the conversion kits, i put trust in myself and myself only. you can look at the pics of my truck and every last damn bit of it was done by me, and ill tell you this much, just because it was "econo" doesnt mean it not quality work!! ill put my last dollar down on the line to say the work is done just as well and safe as anyone who buys their stuff "over the counter" but hey different strokes for different folks i know there is a lot of guys who dont have the means to a welder or good tools or even the talent...so i can see it both ways....i just like my way better.... lol thanks for the laugh!!

[scottyd]

Originally posted by dvalentine


More than likely they are the ones who know a good product when they see it and who possess the intellegence to know it's just good sense not to experment with their lives, the lives of their loved ones and the lives of their fellow drivers.

intelligence, experiment

[STEVE A WILBURN]

you know scottyd as i looked back i had better times then than now we was more mellow and injoyed life. now we live to fast, and worried to much. we didnt have any money, but we were alot more happy.we didnt get into things ,likes kids do today. we just work on our trucks ,and drive and show off at our drive-inn on the week ends steve

[scottyd]

yeah your right!!

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Thank you everyone we finally got the part's and piece's installed.. We used a 74 box and 72 pump and pulley's we did make a backing plate on the inside of the frame rail's out of 1/4 inch plate to help support the box... Shortend the shaft and now it steer's great on to the next project...

[STEVE A WILBURN]

All Right Frenchblue72, I Knew You Guys Could Do It. How That Baby Drive? Like A Dream I Bet. You Guys Have Fun, And Keep It In The Road. Greatoldguy Steve