Maybe it is one. I just didn't see the curve. Here's my setup (I also added hydro assist). I added a plate on the inside of the frame rail and sleeved the bolt holes.
1970 FatherSonJ40 project (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Kmehr
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- Thread starter
- #82
Mine definitely doesn’t have the curve like yours. But it’s advertised as 40/60/80? I think it’ll work.
I got the steering shaft finalized as well and that feels really good. Turns very smoothly.
Then started putting the power steering pump and brackets together. Like a dummy I put the pulley on backwards, so had to order a puller to try that again. My head bolts look like they’ve been sitting in mud for the past five decades, so probably a good thing I’ve got a new motor in the works!
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- Thread starter
- #83
Finally got the my replacement pulley on (using a claw puller to remove the one I put on backwards ended up warping it, stupid $35 mistake!) and now that I've got everything mounted, I find myself a member of the "wide belt, narrow PS pulley" club, that I didn't know existed till I got in this far! Honestly why is the non-keyed pump sold in the kits from so many vendors?! From what I can tell, you can run a narrow belt with decent success in the wide pulleys, but dang it feels like the keyed PS pump is the same cost as the press and a much better starting point for all of these setups! My alternator is only held at the bottom, as it appears the top slider bolt is broken off the front of the motor and the POs have just tighten the crap out of that mount. It's actually pretty solid, and short of getting new mounts, looks like my only option too. With some adjusting, I was able to get the alt and the PS pump oriented just right, though not a lot of clearance for the return hose. I don't think I got a pic of the final alignment now that I look at these, but I was able to arrange them to fit, though not sure I'm loving the belt wrap on the alternator (or lack there of).
Anyways, the last pic is a shot of my head bolt that looks like it was sitting in a swamp! Both of the front two look like that, which makes me think a blown head gasket is the culprit, these should come out bone dry right? Thankfully I've got a new motor in the works, but I would like to drive this for a while before I get to that swap...
Anyways, the last pic is a shot of my head bolt that looks like it was sitting in a swamp! Both of the front two look like that, which makes me think a blown head gasket is the culprit, these should come out bone dry right? Thankfully I've got a new motor in the works, but I would like to drive this for a while before I get to that swap...
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- Thread starter
- #84
Not much progress lately on account of snow, frigid temps and most importantly a new baby! Should find some time in the next month to get this power steering wrapped up. In the meantime, would you look what showed up today and somehow weaseled it’s way into my garage:
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- #86
Just might open up a can of new ones!
I had a look at tractor supply the other day and they have a ton of keyway pulleys with set screws for the wide belt for cheap. I think drilling a small set screw spot in the pump shaft would be the way to go there.
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- #87
No significant updates, mostly things have just been sitting while I work on other projects around my house.
Did want to share a negative experience I've had with Sweeting Performance. I typically hate flaming companies on the internet, but in this instance I hope this info will prevent someone else from getting burned by them. I paid $1,100 for their hydro boost setup that seemed like a plug and play system back in November. I still don't have it. I've called a bunch of times and emailed a bunch. I've received 4 different timelines on when it will be done and they've all come and gone and I'm still empty handed. Never a "sorry its taking longer than expected" or "thanks for being patient", just a repeated it'll be done in X timeframe, which never happens. One delay was blamed on a "factory update". Not sure what the overall issue is with them, and ultimately it doesn't matter. Just my words of caution, if you look at their website and think "hey that setup sounds perfect" it very well may be, but you very likely won't ever receive it.
Did want to share a negative experience I've had with Sweeting Performance. I typically hate flaming companies on the internet, but in this instance I hope this info will prevent someone else from getting burned by them. I paid $1,100 for their hydro boost setup that seemed like a plug and play system back in November. I still don't have it. I've called a bunch of times and emailed a bunch. I've received 4 different timelines on when it will be done and they've all come and gone and I'm still empty handed. Never a "sorry its taking longer than expected" or "thanks for being patient", just a repeated it'll be done in X timeframe, which never happens. One delay was blamed on a "factory update". Not sure what the overall issue is with them, and ultimately it doesn't matter. Just my words of caution, if you look at their website and think "hey that setup sounds perfect" it very well may be, but you very likely won't ever receive it.
- Thread starter
- #88
Sweeting Update: conveniently after making this post and also a complaint with the BBB, I got a call yesterday evening from Sweeting. Wow, just wow, this guy is really unbelievable. After a lot of back and forth, he actually had the audacity to call me, a customer whom he hasn't delivered a product I paid for over 6 months ago, a liar and say, and I quote here "I spend way too much time dealing with dumb bulls*t from customers like you." The guy just doesn't get it. If you can't handle the business, don't take it on or hire more people. OR simply say "I'm sorry, thanks for waiting." The internet, I now see, is full of complaints just like mine where customers waited forever for parts from him and he responds calling them liars and unreasonable. Good lord, customer service isn't rocket science. Guarantee if you just apologized and empathized with people who've paid you a lot of money and had to wait much longer than your posted lead times for the product they bought, you wouldn't have 85% of these complaints. I know I wouldn't be flaming him on the web if he'd at any point just been reasonable and said "sorry for the wait, I appreciate your business," but now I still don't have my parts or my money back, and he's called me a liar. Two thumbs down Sweeting.
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- #89
Another Sweeting performance update. This website: sweetingperformance.com and powerbrakeservice.net is actually a legitimate fraud scheme, so please don't order from them! After not getting my parts, or my money back, and my credit card company denied the charge back because it has been too long, I did some digging. Matt at Sweetingperformance.com and powerbrakeservice.net is actually impersonating his dad Bob Sweeting, who has been in the brake game since the 70s. However, I found Bob's contact info online, and gave him a call. The two haven't spoken in 14 years, Matt has been impersonating Bob, posting videos of him on his YouTube channel and has generally ruined his reputation. Matt does not have a legitimate company registered with the California Secretary of State, does not actually have a contract with Bosch as he represents, and it appears just steals people's money. Any parts he may actually sell, are just rebuilt junk from box auto parts. Apparently Bob gets multiple calls a week from people Matt has stolen from, thinking that they work together and they never actually have. The business address listed on the "invoice" shows up as just a single family ranch home.
I've never flamed a "business" like this, but this is a legit fraud scheme, so steer far clear of it!
I've never flamed a "business" like this, but this is a legit fraud scheme, so steer far clear of it!
- Thread starter
- #90
After a long hiatus, (crazy what the second kid will do to your wrenching time!), I’m back at it. Didn’t take any photos today, but got the knuckles all swapped out and rebuilt. Hopefully will get a few hours this long weekend to get the steering linkage mocked up. Will try and post some good photos tomorrow. Feels good to get back to some wrenching, god knows I’ve needed it!
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- #92
Ok flexperts- I tried my best to test front axle articulation to look at clearance on my pitman arm and the leaf spring. I used an engine hoist to lift the front driver side till the front passenger side came off the ground. There was still about 2in between the axle and bump stop on the drivers side. Am I correct in think this is as much flex as there will be? I’d assume if I lifted under the wheel that would put slightly more leverage on the axle but still the front passenger side tire was off the ground. In short- is my pitman arm clearance ok based on this test?
Pics for reference:
Pics for reference:
CondeCruiser
SILVER Star
It will have enough to hit that bump stop with full weight transferring in twisty situations.
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- #94
Got the linkage finished up today. Probably should have left the drag link an inch shorter for more adjustment, but but this the right length, just barely. Word to the future linkage builders- control your heat on the inserts. It’s SO easy to distort the threads. I had to run a tap through all but one end. Very pleased with it and how sturdy it feels. Will paint everything at once when it warms up.
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- #95
Made some more progress today. Finished up the new shock mount. Ended up using a 1.5in by 1/2in thick bar trimmed and gusseted to the frame to mimic the stock hanger but clearanced for the new steering box. Welding outside with the slightest breeze makes my welds look like crap, so really looking forward to getting my new shop built.
Next up was removing the old water pump so I could get the broken bolt out for use on the alternator support. And of course in removing the old pump, another one of the bolts broke off in the block. Going to be a pain the get them drilled and retapped.
Next up was removing the old water pump so I could get the broken bolt out for use on the alternator support. And of course in removing the old pump, another one of the bolts broke off in the block. Going to be a pain the get them drilled and retapped.
I've done a very similar conversion using a Scout II steering box. I had the same debate but ultimately chose to use a flatter pitman arm. There's a decent amount of clearance for the nut. Although there potentially could be some bump steer, it is at essentially the same height as the OEM bel crank would have put the TRE. Based on initial test drives it hasn't been an issue.
These pictures are going back a ways. The most recent is with a new "60 Series" steering stabilizer installed. Since then the front end has been swapped out and castor shims were added. The original spring plates are showing signs of 20 years of wheeling.
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- #99
yeah ultimately I decided that I'm just going to extend my bump stop 1.5in. It probably needs to be done anyways since I have a 2-4in lift on it (previous owner installed). Plus I'm not going to rock crawl it, so more articulation isn't needed.
That Scout II box sure is a nicer smaller size than the 80 box I used. The girth of the 80 box really made the shock tower a tricky problem to solve! I went back and forth on a few ideas before settling with what I made.
Overall I don’t think Scout boxes are smaller. The dimensions are different, but very similar overall. Its a full size Saginaw box that results in one finger (or palm) steering that feels right.
Not that size really matters… I just wouldn’t want someone to hunt one down and discover it’s not much different.
