Power steering gear box 1968 f100

[la1031]

I have a F100 converting to power steering. Has anyone had the saginaw box make contact and actually move the upper spring mount? I have a truck that has this issue. Does this effect the truck at all? or do I go ahead and keep it wedged, or clearance the two so there is some kind of gap, or do I have the wrong gear box/truck combo?

Please check pic to see.

[AlleyCat]

Something sounds wierd here.I converted my 67 F100 to a Saginaw p/s box and it bolted right in.Do you have any pics? What did the box come from?

[FORDification]

No, there should be plenty of room between the box and the spring mount:



I'd have a close look at that frame rail, especially to the steering box's mounting point and at the spring mount, to make sure they look OK.

[la1031]

I was having trouble getting the pic to load....see if this worked.

[SteveC]

your spring mount looks a little different from what Keith posted. His looks a little more rounded.

[la1031]

I was trying to post a better pic of the clearance issue:

[fordman]

is there some sort of spacer behind the gearbox kicking it toward the tower? is the frame bracket for the steering box mounting straight and flat? is the frame or gear box ebnt or warped?

[FORDification]

Yeah, in that photo it kinda looks like the frame is bent, right where the spring tower is attached...or is that just an optical illusion caused from the angle?

[Alvin in AZ]

Even my two dent sides are like the pictures. :)

My '75 F150 has ~3/16" clearance.

The '75 F100 parts truck had less than 1/16" since
the gap was being bridged by dirty grease. LOL :)
And of the two, it's the one that's never been in a
wreck.

When I took it apart, I remember thinking they
were touching, but looked close and they weren't
quite metal to metal.

Alvin in AZ

[la1031]

There is no bend frame I think it looks like that from the angle. That stuff is all painted now and I should take a better picture but...that box is touching the spring mount. I think of it as a suspension stiffening component.......give me a couple of days and I will run to the shop and get better pictures ...I ttok that box off a later model truck and I think it is the wrong box...but oh well. It is very curios that my spring perches look more square that ford man's.

[AlleyCat]

It is very curios that my spring perches look more square that ford man's.

I suspect Craig (fordman) has FE perches and yours are for a smallblock. Smallblock perches are more squared than the ones used for FE and 6 cyl. engines.

[AlleyCat]

Oops. I screwed that up. I thought I read engine perches.

[fordman]

that isnt my pic. and that may just be the angle of the picture taken.