Power Steering Dilemma (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Oct 13, 2013
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Location
Houston
I am rebuilding a 1981 FJ40. The original chassis was in bad shape so I purchased a 1979 chassis that supposedly is the same as the '81. For all intents and purposes, it is the same except for a few modifications I had to make for the gearbox cross member and mounts. In addition, the Land Cruiser had an aftermarket power steering added which mounts differently on the two frames. On the '81 the steering box mount slopes upwards from front to back (aftermarket steering); on the '79 it slopes in the opposite direction - see the photos attached. My assumption is that the mount on the '81 was to accommodate an aftermarket power steering box. The bottom line is the aftermarket power steering box aligns with the old '80 frame but not the '79 frame which has the factory steering mount on it. I hope this makes sense :).

I see two options:
  1. Remove the factory power steering mount and install the aftermarket mount. This will require drilling holes in the new powder-coated frame or...
  2. Buy a Toyota original or equivalent power steering box - this way the angle of the power steering box will point upwards to the steering column. I am assuming here that this is the case looking at photos of the original Toyota Power Steering box.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions. If the consensus is to buy a Toyota power steering box I assume the originals are no longer available, please give me your thoughts on alternatives.

Photos 3 and 4 below are of the '81 frame which I replaced. Photos 1 and 2 are the replacement '79 frame with the aftermarket power steering box which does not align with the steering column. .

Cheers - Fred.

Steering 3.jpg


Steering 4.jpg


Steering 1.jpg


Steering 2.jpg
 
I’m not sure if they are still available but I recall you can or could buy the stock power steering gear box housing directly from Toyota. You can use the mini truck power steering box parts to build the 40 series power steering box you need, so it would mount up to your factory mount.

I am sure with a little searching on this forum you can find the part number for the empty 40 series housing.
 
I'm thinking that is a mini truck steering box mount.
the mini truck box won't work on the stock mount.

I would either use your existing 1981 box or if you want PS do what @Tank5 suggested and get a bare box from Toyota and swap the mini guts into it.
 
Call Georg @orangefj45 at Valley Hybrids in Stockton Ca and get the proper mount (and whatever other bits you may need) to put that mini truck PS box on your 79 frame. Easy-peasy.
 
a 1979 chassis that supposedly is the same as the '81. For all intents and purposes, it is the same except for a few modifications I had to make for the gearbox cross member and mounts.
…and except the spring mounts.
 
Easiest and cleanest would be to install a 73-84 manual box and City Racer electric PS kit. Then there would be no modifying your powdercoated frame.
Or I can build you an OEM 40 PS box from parts if you can be very patient.

Hopefully you swapped the spring mounts from the 81 over too.
 

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