Steering Again

[kaptnkaos]

Hey Guys..

I've been following this thread as well as my similar thread on doing a PS conversion on my '68 CS..
I have the complete PS steering package from the '71 CS donor truck (now my bump trailer).
How do I tell if it is the early or late style set up?
I also have another PS box & pump but am not sure what year truck it came out of.
Is there a way to tell ?

Thanks for all yer help,

KaptnKA S

[FORDification]

Look at the numbers cast into the Pitman arm. If it's starts out 'D2', you've got the later style. If it starts out with a 'C', you've got the early style. Just make sure the linkage matches the Pitman arm, as to early/late style.

The PS box and pump doesn't matter. The pump will work either way, and the PS box will too, as long as it's Pitman arm matches the steering components.

[kaptnkaos]

Thanks Kieth,


Hopefully, I am understading this right now.
If the pitman arm has a number starting with "C", I don't have to change anything else. The pitman arm will match my '68 steering set up.
If it has a number that starts with D2 then I have to change everything from spindle to spindle.

Thanks again,

KaptnKA S

[fordman]

yes so the 75 stuff will work.

[Iron Man]

So I'll make yet another parts run. The good thing is this could become a power steering and disc brake changeover. Thanks.

[Iron Man]

It's me again. The 1975 F100 yielded up it's steering gear this morning. Drag link, center link, tie rod ends, spindles, and disc brakes. They were, however, manual disc brakes. I did not get the purportioning valve or lines, we just ran out of time, but I still can. The purportioning valve mounted on top the steering box and looked rather strange. Would it even work for power disc brakes? Should I go back one final time or look elsewhere for one? Should I grab the steering box just to have? Thanks to Keith for his instructions on removing the steering gear, they were very helpful.

[Iron Man]

O.K. I'll go back for the valve, the box, and the lines. They're all free. Thanks, Fordification. I think this weekends plan will be putting a sliding rear window in my '69. Then it will have a window in it.

[cdherman]

How do I tell if it is the early or late style set up?

The D2 pitman arm has more "curve" so it drops down further, right?

When I upgraded to front disk brakes, I got them from a 78 f-150 donor. So I ordered a new drag link, center link and tie rod ends for a 78.

I did not know about this issue with the pitman arm changing. I just used my manual steering from 65 (65-71 style pitman) and it all bolted up fine.


I think. I mean, I 've only driven it about 4000 miles, and it seems fine, alignment was not a problem.

Did I do something bad?

Now that I am moving to a saginaw PS unit, I had assumed I would have no trouble. Luck as it is, I got a junk yard PS unit from a 78 as well and the later pitman arm is on there.

So I will use the correct pitman for 78 linkage when I put the PS box in. But its unclear to me that the drag link, center link and tie rods are completely incompatible between the early and late eras.

Perhaps were I to continue to drive it this way, the extra strain on the drag link ball joint (the angle is off I suppose) would lead to early failure.

On the other hand, I read other places of differing spring heights as well. If Ford made the springs a little longer in 72, that would make the steering gear ride a little higher -- necessitating a pitman arm with more drop.

I am just theorizing here -- probably Kieth knows better. But nonetheless, I certainly can vouch that I mixed the two eras and have not suffered a bad outcome -- yet at least!

[fordman]

the pitman arm deal from what i remember is that the size of the d2 arm is larger when it come to fitting on the ball joints. maybe i am remembering wrong . it was a year or so a guy on here had that problem and when he got the d2 tie rod and stuff it worked for him.

[FORDification]

The pictures posted at the link above show how the steering linkage was reshaped, so mixing the two eras will indeed require the joints to be at their maximum travel. They WILL bolt up and will probably work, but as you surmised they'll definitely wear out faster.

The reshaped steering linkage will have no affect on your disc brake setup, as the ends that attach to the spindle's steering arm end up in the same place. The reason I suggest using the later steering linkage when installing disc brakes is because the spindle's steering arms are thicker, and the early linkage's studs won't extend into the hole far enough to seat and get a nut installed, unless you grind about 1/4" of the steering arm down.

[fordman]

that was what i was trying to remember about something not fitting right.