Power steering box to fit my '57 Ranchero

[dmkberger]

Okay, here it is in a nut shell. I have this '57 Ranchero that I have put a '95 Mark VIII 4.6 twin cam in and was going to go with the Cavalier power rack and pinion.
I've had two strokes and have had to learn to walk and talk and all of the other crap that goes along with it all over again.
I have the Cavalier rack and would like to just put a nice later model power steering box in this car and be done with it. I'd like to drive it before I'm dead...
Anyone know of a later model power steering box that's a bolt in replacement? It would make my life so much easier to bolt it in with the OEM steering linkage and be done with it than to fab up the bracketry and find a column etc.
I was told a '70's F150 might work, I was also told that multiple power steering boxes from later model Ford cars will work... Anybody know which ones???
There are multiple HIGH dollar rack units out there and of course the Borgeson $650 and up boxes. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of cash lying around these days.
So, I am forced to find a low dollar fix for my high dollar situation.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[RICH MUISE]

Who's R & P kit do you have? If it's John Starks', it's pretty much a bolt on kit. I'm puzzled by the "needing brackets made"? I think what the guys in the know are going to tell you is that the '57's steering column is unique to that year only, and whatever you end up with is going to need similar column mods to what the R & P that you already have is going to need.
If you end up going with the rack setup, pick up some MM to AN banjo fittings from www.purechoicemotorsports.com for the rack end of the hoses. It makes fitting the hoses much easier.
Sorry to hear about your stroke, that's a real bummer. If you typed that opening post, that's a really good indication your well on your way to recovery.
Off subject, but do you have the 4.6 running? You probably know that's what I put in mine.......best decision I made on the car, and that's after almost 25k miles.
I just reread your post, and I'm now understanding you don't have a rack KIT, just the rack, and that's the reason for the bracket needs?

[dmkberger]

Rich, yes I had to learn to type all over again too. I am now a two stroke, just like my favorite motorcycle, Kawasaki H2 750.
Not something I would suggest trying for yourself. Everyone has something....
I am trying desperately to get this car in a state that I can drive it and possibly even paint it and make it look like it should. It's coming along fairly well here of late, we had to replumb our house, copper pipe where I come from, Chicago area, lasts for 120 years, here in Arizona, it lasted exactly 38! That was a major setback to this build. I am back at it again and helping a friend build his '59 Ranchero at the same time. So, I have plenty to keep me busy, but I just need to figure out what I'm gonna use for power steering.
I can't afford any of the kits and have to use what's left of my brain to come up with a good fitting and proper acting power steering box for this car. Don't know if I will fab the necessary bracketry for the rack or will I go with a new power steering box out of a ?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for chiming in and helping with the MM and AN banjo fittings. I forgot about the metric fittings on that rack... But, I believe the Mark VIII power steering pump is metric also, have to make sure, confusion is my constant companion these days. Now I'm battling Leukemia and the Chemo is a real pain to have to deal with as well.
Like I said, everybody has something....

[brushwolf]

Like Rich says, short of full new kits there isn't really a bolt on that won't require some mod's or fabrication at this point.  Even if you put a later 61-64 steering box in it (which does bolt on) your pump would need to be restricted since the pressure is higher than the old Ford stuff.

That part might not be too difficult since GM pumps were always tuned down in pressure for early Mustang R&P in street rods with SBC motors.

But then you have the steering column to deal with. So column swap would also be needed. You could get an aftermarket one with GM wiring on it for about $250, or maybe a 61-64 column would work just as well and save a few bucks. Either would probably require mod's too, though.

I did bolt all the refurbished 63 stuff on my 57, (except automatic column which I still have). Then I got a 58 parts car with PS system all intact and so swapped that in with rebuilt slave and hoses instead. That allowed me to keep my stick on the column, where I thought I might be unicorn hunting for a 61-64 stick column that would probably still need more mod's to fit 57 pedal bracket and dash.

I would think the fastest (if steering linkage clearances are still roughly the same, is to use a 58-59 complete PS system (again, assuming stock linkage clears the 4.6 oil pan and exhaust), restrict your pump down to about 700 PSI and make custom hoses.

But, by the time you found a 58-59 setup and reconditioned it, you could probably have finished your Cavalier rack install anyway.  Maybe best to stick roughly to the original plan at this point.

There is a thread on "Squarebirds" website showing a Cavalier rack installed on 58 Fairlane and that info should be transferable to yours if engine swap hasn't complicated linkage clearance issues.  That install even retained the stock column (cut off above steering gear, bushed on firewall end and shaft end ground to a "D").

But, it still required multiple U joints and a stabilizer Heim joint to connect to the rack. Retained the stock outer tie rod ends as well though, but with hardened Heim joints used as inside tie rod ends. He used a later Mustang PS pump on the FE and new straight sprint car tie rods available cheap from Speedway.

Similar do-it-yourself swaps have been done on 58-60 TBirds, though usually with the stock motor in place. A guy in Iowa sent me pics of his homemade brackets with Cavalier rack on a TBird that are very similar to those made for the Fairlane R&P swap shown on the TBird site. He used an aftermarket tilt column.

Said the hardest part was positioning the rack to make the mounts for it. For both those conversions, the rack mounts were attached thru idler arm and steering gear original frame bolt holes and the stabilizer Heim attached to existing frame holes for Z bar (which presumably, you won't need either with an automatic).

[gasman826]

This forum has discussed tons of options for manual to PS swaps.  It is a very popular upgrade.  I've searched several times for a cheap swap.  I've done both the R&P and OEM swaps.  Both swaps have pros and cons.  If you use the SEARCH feature, you can spend most of the day reading the previous posts with PICs.  So far, there is no cheap PS swap.  Access to a free donor car would be the cheapest.  But a OEM swap can still be expensive.  Sending out the steering valve for a custom rebuild is about $350-400.  Hoses will kill $100.  So even with free OEM components, this swap can easily eat more than $450.  The R&P swap is a good option but the rack is the cheapest part.  Lots of fabrication, lots of little expensive parts. 

For the OEM PS upgrade on the Raunch Wagon, I found a $100, '64 Galaxie for a donor and thought I had scored.  After valve rebuild, hoses, cylinder, cylinder install kit, idler arm bushings, turn signal switch, horn buttons, rag joint...well, so much for a cheap swap.  The OEM '57 PS pump had a 700# relief valve where as the '64 Galaxie relief valve is 1000#.  The Raunch Wagon sports a '96 E150 351W PS pump with NO flow/pressure modifications and steers great.

[KYBlueOval]

Gary, does your Raunch Wagon have a John Starks R&P set up..........or is the R&P on another '57 you own? The reason I ask is I have a  351 EFI Motor from a '95 F150 and a John Starks R&P for my Ranchero, and will need to plumb it and a Hydro Boost at some point in the future and wondered if the factory P/S pump ('95 vintage ) would work............assuming it is the same as a '96 and second assumption that the Raunch Wagon has the R&P etc.
If it won't work.........do you know what will work?
Thanks
John

[gasman826]

The wagon has OEM '64 Galaxie components.  The '57 Custom has R&P that I made before kits were available (Wirth-it was around but availability was sketchy at best).  The Custom is equipped the Caviler style rack and '76 Lincoln donated Bendix hydraulic brake booster and PS pump with NO pressure/flow reducer.  The wagon has a '96 E150 351W with the E150 pump, '64 Galaxie PS valve, and '97 Mustang GT hydraulic brake booster and NO pressure/flow reducer.  I think your combo will work...at least I would try it.  If you want documentation, put in a call to the engineers at Cardone Remanufacturers.  Tell them what you have and ask for compatibility.  I've called them twice and they were super.  They even researched and emailed '57 PS information.

[KYBlueOval]

Thank you Gary. Great information and Yes, I'll make that call to Cardone.

[gasman826]

?

[KYBlueOval]

Did I get your name wrong?

[gasman826]

 I was just acknowledging your comments and one of the several layers of software decided to change my response to a question mark.

[RICH MUISE]

John.............mine has a Starks R & P, a Mustang hydroboost, and the ps pump is the stock Lincoln 4.6 with no pressure reducer. Works great. The first week of driving the car, I blew out the Cavalier rack, but I'm sure it was a faulty rack. I replaced it with the same and no issues after 25k miles.

[dmkberger]

Well, after careful consideration and all of the kind helpful posts, I am going to stop beating a dead horse  .
I am going to have to save up my money and buy a Borgeson unit...
It seems to be the quickest way to have power steering and the wheels on the ground.
I appreciate everyone chiming in with suggestions.
Have a Blessed Christmas everyone!

[Tom S]

I am going to have to save up my money and buy a Borgeson unit...
It seems to be the quickest way to have power steering and the wheels on the ground.

You better have lots of space  between your stock steering box & your Lincoln engine.  The Borgeson box is wider than the stock steering box. The Ranchero I bought has a stock 390 & the Borgeson box. The top edge of the Borgeson box was in hard contact with the stock 390 log type exhaust manifold.
Don't know how those goofballs managed to put this together.
Keep in mind that you will also have to modify your steering column to fit the Borgeson box. Saw posts in here saying, among other things the steering column's shaft had to be shortened, turned down etc. They used a spendy aftermarket steering column on my Ranchero.

If you can find one of the newer Ford power boxes & steering columns mentioned in this thread you might get off a lot cheaper.  No older parts in the junkyards here.  I want to get rid of the C6 in my Ranchero & install a 4 speed. I have almost all the parts needed but can not find a used FE stick shift flywheel here. Aftermarket flywheels & their shipping to here gets real spendy.

Here's a ton of links for you to look thru.
https://www.google.com/search?q=site+//57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php+borgeson+steering+box&lr=&safe=off&hl=en&ei=piQMXJqHF-O50PEPioyOeA&start=10&sa=N&ved=0ahUKEwia8u7RhJHfAhXjHDQIHQqGAw8Q8tMDCI4B&biw=870&bih=509

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1&ei=Qh0TW_36A43B0PEPiOyd2Aw&q=Borgeson++power+steering+box+in+1957+ford&oq=Borgeson++power+steering+box+in+1957+ford&gs_l=psy-ab.12..33i22i29i30k1.1757874.1768631.0.1776450.13.13.0.0.0.0.456.2865.0j3j9j0j1.13.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.12.2657...0j0i22i30k1j33i160k1.0.3gZRA2VTmF4

[RICH MUISE]

I thought I've read many times the Borg. box was smaller than the oem?