Power Steering Converted …need some input (1 Viewer)

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You don’t necessarily need an entire new shaft. You need a DD section and possibly a new joint at either the steering column end or the steering box end depending on which end you put the larger vs smaller end of the DD shaft. The DD is the middle section of your current shaft, a collapsible DD will have a smaller solid shaft that collapses into a larger hollow shaft of the same shape. Hope that all makes sense….

Looking at your photos you also need some reinforcement of your front crossmember where they cut the hole for the shaft to go through.
Are you referring to this area?
CD1EFDC2-605B-48CA-B80C-2BD18C10D248.jpeg
 
So this could be my question for today: I measured the shaft going to the power steering box. It is a 1” DD shaft with the u-joint going to some mediocre adapter to connect to the existing rag joint. When I cut the rag joint off, the will be a gap between shafts of about 5 3/4”. What is the best way to bridge that gap? 2 u-joints or a longer shaft to the power steering ?

View attachment 3019380
Two reasons for a collapsing shaft:

1) To relieve pressures on the steering box from when the frame/body flexes.

2) To minimize the risk of the wheel being driven into your chest in the event of an accident.


The slip shaft I have was made by having a length of 3/4" solid DD slide inside of a length of 1" DD "Pipe" (short of a better term). As well as a set of bellows and a grease nipple. The grease nipple slides in a slot machined into the solid DD Shaft.
 
You don’t necessarily need an entire new shaft. You need a DD section and possibly a new joint at either the steering column end or the steering box end depending on which end you put the larger vs smaller end of the DD shaft. The DD is the middle section of your current shaft, a collapsible DD will have a smaller solid shaft that collapses into a larger hollow shaft of the same shape. Hope that all makes sense….

Looking at your photos you also need some reinforcement of your front crossmember where they cut the hole for the shaft to go through.
Are you referring to this area?
also, found this shaft from Flaming River… do these get cut to the length you require once it’s measured?
 
I bought one like that one and cut it to length with a ultra thin cutoff disc on the angle Grinder.

It was an excellent quality part with no play or slop.
 
You can look on Speedway Motors too. They sell male and female dd column parts separately. You'll also need a ujoint to go from the round column to the female dd. You ought to pull what you have already, it may extend enough to fit.
 
Currently installing now. Here’s a pic of the reinforcement I use from Man-A-Fre

D56FE223-6DFA-4CA9-A7BA-2FBA164D29E2.jpeg
 
Are you referring to this area?
also, found this shaft from Flaming River… do these get cut to the length you require once it’s measured?
Yeah that’s it, borgeson also makes them.

4x4 labs makes a nice mount for the box that has all the reinforcement for the crossmember
 
I gotta say thanks for all of the information. I would love to be driving this LC so I stay up til 2-3am watching YouTube videos, reading web sites and looking everywhere for better understanding of what the previous owner had done. You guys have been the most enlightening.
 
I gotta say thanks for all of the information. I would love to be driving this LC so I stay up til 2-3am watching YouTube videos, reading web sites and looking everywhere for better understanding of what the previous owner had done. You guys have been the most enlightening.
You are note alone!
 
I love the reinforcement angle on the frame. I am not seeing any of these parts on their website

are you guys using a particular power steering fluid or just dexron ?
 
You are note alone!
I’m in quarantine for a few more days… so I’m in the same boat. My thread below has how I did the conversion using a Scout II Saginaw box. Most of it is similar to what you’re doing.
 
I love the reinforcement angle on the frame. I am not seeing any of these parts on their website

are you guys using a particular power steering fluid or just dexron ?
what type of fluid to use depends on the pump. With a Saginaw pump I think youre supposed to use PS fluid. Toyota pumps take atf
 
Sorry about quarantine…I have to check your build…
 
Sorry about quarantine…I have to check your build…
Thanks… it is what it is. I’m winning so far. It’s for the protection of those around me.

For now I’ll have to live vicariously through those around me. Unfortunately, on a good day, that’s what I have to do often. I don’t get to do as much on my rig as I’d like to for many reasons.
 
Thanks… it is what it is. I’m winning so far. It’s for the protection of those around me.

For now I’ll have to live vicariously through those around me. Unfortunately, on a good day, that’s what I have to do often. I don’t get to do as much on my rig as I’d like to for many reasons.
I know this feeling well…. When I bought my ‘74 in 1974…my only land cruiser friend live 9 hours away and I was living in a very rural New England area with Jeeps everywhere. They laughed and picked on me so my thrills were from the old 4 Wheeler magazine and the Downey Toyota catalog. Until the one day we went up in the backwoods thru a few old washed out logging roads. 2 jeeps got stuck, I pulled one out… changed their tune quickly
 
I know this feeling well…. When I bought my ‘74 in 1974…my only land cruiser friend live 9 hours away and I was living in a very rural New England area with Jeeps everywhere. They laughed and picked on me so my thrills were from the old 4 Wheeler magazine and the Downey Toyota catalog. Until the one day we went up in the backwoods thru a few old washed out logging roads. 2 jeeps got stuck, I pulled one out… changed their tune quickly

In stock form, many years ago, I made it up “Locker Hill” with open diffs without much of a struggle. The square body Blazer wisely gave up after several tries (open front / LSD rear). And the full-size Bronco blew his rear diff on the third or fourth attempt. We didn’t play there much more… and towed the Bronco through a few obstacles to get him back to the campsite. It’s owner was very reluctant to let me tow him back… adding insult to injury.

I’ve been able to get many places with careful driving and little skinny pedal that others can’t or need a lot of skinny pedal. Heavy throttle sometimes works, but often breaks things in the process.
 
UPDATE: all of my new steering parts are finally here…. While a simple fix, in order to weld on the Man-A-Fre frame re-enforcement I need to remove the power steering gearbox as well so, hopefully it all goes easily ( LOL🤣) but it will be a longer process that I initially thought.

IS ANYONE adding a power steering cooler in these conversions?

on the other hand: all of the input and ideas you guys have sent along has been terrific and set me on the path to getting this done correctly…
 
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