Power steering

[Mike G.]

The next project for my 74 40 is power steering. I have an F engine with a stock air cleaner, which I would like to keep. I run 33x12.5 tires with ARB lockers. My thought is to install a mini truck steering box with modified frame mount, and saganaw pump with external cooler. My steering column has the needed rag joint for the mini truck box connection. I need to keep this project as simple as possible since I don't have a garage to work in.
I don't have a clue on how to get started. There are so many options on what to do...... Is there a "kit" available? Do the pulleys on the harmonic balancer and water pump need to be changed to double pulleys? What happens to the alternator location? What pump brackets do you use for an F engine? What parts vendor would you recommend?
Lots of questions....... Looking forward to your responses and finally getting this project underway.

 

[wdorry]

P/S brackets

I have the brackets you will need (pump and gearbox) to do the power steering. If your interested you can look at the pictures at the web site below. The price for both brackets and the hardware to mount them is $170.00 + shipping. They are $95.00 each + shipping if you buy one. You can get feedback on my brackets on this web site. Put wdorry in the search. Thanks Bill
http://photos.yahoo.com/wdorry

 

[skyshark186]

Well....based off the discription of the truck youve given so far, its got a lot of money in it. Ill tell you that most of the things ive read have said you wont be near as happy with a mini box as you would a saginaw. My personal opinion would be to do crossover and a saginaw box up front. That way you only have to do it once, and its really not all that difficult i dont think. Its what im in the process of doing to mine, and its what many people run with great success. Read woodys write up on the 4x4 labs crossover setup.

My .02

 

[Degnol]

I did the mini truck and used Bill Dorry's brackets for both the pump and the box. My truck is a DD and I only run 31's. The mini truck setup is good for up to 35's, but if you intend to do a lot of wheeling or eventually running bigger tires, you might be better off with the Saginaw setup. That setup eliminates the drag link, so that's a plus.
I decided to run a 2F aircleaner. There are some who have used the smogpump bracket to mount the pump.
I flipped the alternator to the passenger side using a later model(2F) stock mount. I also used a two groove waterpump pulley and both belts run the waterpump. I used a transmission cooler in my return line.
Best single modification I've done.
GL
Ed

 

[dd113]

Go mini truck. Go mini truck, go mini truck dont even consider saginaw unless you plan on really big tires and extreme off roading.

 

[CruiserMax]

If you do not have bigger than 35's and do not do a huge amount of rock crawling then the minitruck setup will be just fine. You will have better "road feel" with the minitruck setup. I would avoid the minitruck pump though. The minitruck conversion is easier and you do not have to saw a hug hole into your front crossmember. Both methods will work great and will be a vast improvement over manual steering. I have two cruisers, one has the Saginaw and the other has the mintruck conversion & I like them both...

max

 

[Mike G.]

Thanks for the replys. I don't think I will be running bigger tires. 35's would probably mean re-gearing and I don't want to go there right now. I think I am hedging toward the mini turck set-up. So I gather that two fan belts are needed. Does this mean changing the harmonic pulley to a double. I am thinking it is needed, but just want to be sure. I do have an old smog pump bracket. Do you need new brackets for the alternator swap to the right side, or can you use the existing ones?
I was looking at the mini truck power steering package from JT Outfitters. Looks like they would have most of he stuff I would need. Any comments on this, or should I look somewhere else?
Thanks again for the help.....

 

[Degnol]

Your '74 motor should have a two groove harmonic balancer, shouldn't it? Mine did. I just added the two groove waterpump pulley so I would have redundancy like the Space Shuttle. Can drive a while with no charging, can drive w/o power steering, cannot drive very far with no cooling. I think 74's had an air pump therefore two groove crank pulley.
Still best mod.
Ed
GL

 

[dd113]

'74 did have a 2 groove pulley but it is a narrow one. Do a search here, check the tech links and search on CCOT. This has been covered many times.

 

[wdorry]

P/S brackets

Check feedback on my brackets before you buy the ones from JTOutfitters. Mine are stronger and you don't need to remove the head bolts to mount the pump bracket. Bill

 

[PabloCruise]

Bill,
I think you are definitely bringing solid products to the LC community, are you planning on getting the silver star any time soon?

 

[Outback]

Just finished my mini truck power steering conversion on Buddy('72 FJ40). Bill's gearbox brackets are beefy and fit nicely. I really liked it -- Thanks Bill!!

I didn't use Bill's bracket for the saginaw PS pump though, I used the one from Mark's Offroad that mounts in the place of the original alternator. This way I kept my stock air cleaner and just relocated the alternator with a "2F" alternator bracket and extending the wires over to the passenger side. Very clean setup.

And since your steering column already has a rag joint, you're all set. Easy swap. Mine was a little more complicated due to my old-style '72 column. A few minor mods and a '76 steering shaft later and it was simple.

Took it out wheelin' this last weekend and I'll say this... The best mod I have ever done to Buddy hands down. I'd put it right up there with lift, bigger mud tires and lockers in how essential it is.

Jody.

 

[mr_manny]

Jody,
I also have a 72...could you provide some additional info/specs. on your conversion?

When you replaced your steering shaft, did you keep your steering column?
I guess I can't simply weld a rag-joint onto the end of my existing shaft?

thanks,
manny 72fj40

 

[racerdave]

I installed mini-truck power steering on the 40 last winter. I used Bill's (wdorry) mount, it was a perfect fit. I have a 350 so the pump and bracket were an easy find at the wrecking yard. The install was straight forward and the results were amazing.
Get your bracket and mount from Bill and call around to local shops that work on mini trucks, good chance they have a box or two in the corner off of a truck they did an IFS box conversion on. I did the conversion and rebuilt my center arm for a 1/3 of JToutfitters kit.

Dave

 

[Mike G.]

I'm getting a good idea on what to do now. Thanks for the replys! Bill's brackets look like they will work great. My engine came from a 71 FJ55, so it has the single slot pulley. Marks Offroad has an accessory pulley that bolts onto the existing pulley. Anybody ever used something like that, or should I just grunt the existing pulley off and put a two notcher on. Any good leads on where to get p.s. hoses needed for the saganaw pump/cooler/mini truck box?

 

[Degnol]

Mike, I sweated that, too. But the Sag pump took the same high pressure fitting as the Toyo Box, the return line was a bastard metric fitting, but my box came with it. I also used a transmission cooler as a PS cooler.
I just had my hose made up at the local CarQuest store. Look back at my pic.
GL
Ed