My Saginaw Power Steering Swap (1 Viewer)

[Shes Mad]

John, in your second post, you show a steering column with a flange that bolts to the firewall. Where did that come from? Is that unique to your year. My 70 does not have that. Just the column through the firewall boot.

Also, the 70 did not have AC, of course. Where so you run an additional pulley to run the PS pump. Mine would have to mount on the Pass side, where there is plenty of room, but I still need another pulley.

 

[kurtnkegger]

I bought the V8 application Advance Auto part# 91473 hose, and the last 90 bend to the pump reservoir was 180 degrees opposite fo what was needed. Of course being pumped to get the hose in, I decided to make some of my own bends...took a while, and a lot of cussing, but got it installed with out crimping the hose.

Thanks for a great write up!!

 

[John Smith]

John, in your second post, you show a steering column with a flange that bolts to the firewall. Where did that come from? Is that unique to your year. My 70 does not have that. Just the column through the firewall boot.

Also, the 70 did not have AC, of course. Where so you run an additional pulley to run the PS pump. Mine would have to mount on the Pass side, where there is plenty of room, but I still need another pulley.

It is stock, my column is a "later" column and totally different than yours.

I bought the V8 application Advance Auto part# 91473 hose, and the last 90 bend to the pump reservoir was 180 degrees opposite fo what was needed. Of course being pumped to get the hose in, I decided to make some of my own bends...took a while, and a lot of cussing, but got it installed with out crimping the hose.

Thanks for a great write up!!

Glad you found this thread useful. I only had to bend the V6 high pressure hose 90 degrees to make it work at the pump as I remember. Perhaps the V6 hose is indeed the better application after all.

 

[KZRSOIZE]

subscribed!!! great post

 

[John Smith]

Poser asked me to post up more pictures of the entire steering shaft run. These pictures will demonstrate why you need to mock everything up before you commit and cut anything. In the second picture there is about 2mm clearance where the rubber boot passes next to the rubber nub piece on the motor mount. I could have cut away some of the rubber nub but it clears so I left it. There is plenty of clearance around the metal part of the motor mount. Forward of that where the shaft passes by the frame rail there is a half inch at the closest point. You can see how the non stainless part of my stainless steering joint at the column fared against the road salt this year.

 

[John Smith]

More pictures from a different angle.

 

[69 FJ40 ARIZONA]

nice thread

cant wait to complete this mod i have a ways before i do it but hey great info ill have 2 save this thread somhow lol

 

[Filter]

Hey John,

It looks like you did not remove the front spring hanger. I can't see how you could weld that portion of the lower scab plate that is sandwiched beside the spring hanger. Do people weld just the top and then only part of the bottom?

Once I was happy with the box placement I drilled the holes through the frame. Next I needed to measure and cut the spacer sleeves that go inside the frame which the mounting bolts pass through. Poser's scab plate kit included a length of tubing to cut down to make these sleeves. Once I welded them into the frame I welded the scab plate to the frame. In the last picture you can see where I had to remove part of the shackle mount to clear one of the bolts.

 

[John Smith]

Hey John,

It looks like you did not remove the front spring hanger. I can't see how you could weld that portion of the lower scab plate that is sandwiched beside the spring hanger. Do people weld just the top and then only part of the bottom?

Correct, it is welded across the entire top of the frame rail, part of the underside, and there is a vertical at the back also. Along with the bolts, it is not going anywhere.

 

[ojaij40]

Yep, I ended up buying the crossmember sleeve from Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters and it fit perfectly into the 3 1/4" holesaw hole. It always seems when I try to be a cheap ass and figure things out on my own, I end up spending twice as much

Can ANYBODY tell me where they get this 3 3/16 OD thinwall tubing? I work for a piping fabrication shop,..and can't find anything like that

 

[nicholastheczar]

Can ANYBODY tell me where they get this 3 3/16 OD thinwall tubing? I work for a piping fabrication shop,..and can't find anything like that

I'm doing my conversion right now and bought my stuff from Kurt.
Cruiser Outfitters

Buy from him and don't look back.

Nick

 

[mattcamp]

This is a great write-up, I luckily ended up with the same 4 1/4 turn 4 bolt on my first shot(I wouldn't of known different at the time), all I have left to do is get a belt and add fluid, I'm very excited! I wish I read this prior to now... it would have saved me a lot of head scratching.

 

[pepezen]

Wow, this is great stuff! I'm 3/4 done with mine and doing a FJ60 front knuckle conversion to get disc brakes at same time....talk about a mess. Got my PS set up from cruiser outfitters. Kurt has been an amazing resource in addition to this site. (Now if I had another cruiser I could do the swap in a fraction of the time!)

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Glad to hear the parts are working out guys

We've got some new power steering parts kits and components kits coming out soon, ie 100% complete power steering kits for the FJ40. And yes, we love the DIY crowd and will always sell the parts individually

 

[QC72FJ40]

I want to thank you for the nice article. I am more then haft way with my conversion and follow your article very close except for the steering column I keep a little longer.

 

[John Smith]

I'm happy you found it useful.

 

[chicago]

X2 on the article. This article allowed me to DO this mod. Great stuff and a HUGE THANKS!
I just got mine welded in today only using a GM tilt column. Had to upsize the upper steering u joint to 1in x 1in DD, but everything else worked as demonstrated.
For the plate, I used OrangeFJ45's.

 

[orangefj45]

nice work keith!

fwiw, i just got another batch of ps plates in.

georg @ valley hybrids

 

[FJforty]

Thank you for the write-up, best I have seen. This mod is on my list for next year. Now I can go to the junk yard and start collecting parts. This will save days worth of screwing around sizing stuff.

 

[TCSTARK]

Thank you

Jim Smith

Your documentation has been invaluable to me. Your thread gave me the confidence to begin this upgrade. i just completed drilling through my cross member with the utmost confidence.

Now onto the steering shaft. I will make sure my computer is within reach during this process. thanks again for taking the time to document the steps!

Newbie (with confidence)