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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 36 steering box

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Posted By Discussion Topic: 36 steering box     quabbinman 03-12-2011 @ 6:17 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 25 Joined: Dec 2010 The steering box in my 36 is in need of a rebuild,I have been told that the 39 steering box is a much better unit... and there are several for sale, although they are a bit pricey ...my question is,is it a simple direct bolt in replacement without any modifications...I will appreciate any info... ford38v8 03-12-2011 @ 7:24 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 2758 Joined: Oct 2009 I haven't priced steering boxes, but I would imagine that any after 1936 would be pricey. '37 to '40 would be the most common replacement for a '36. The mounting plate of the replacement box should be used. Alan trjford8 03-12-2011 @ 7:25 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 4214 Joined: Oct 2009 You can use the 36 bracket, but you have to redrill some holes. Most people use the 37 and later bracket and bolt it into the frame in place of the 36 bracket. Drake now makes the 37 and later bracket, so you don't have to go looking for one. If you use the 36 steering column you will have to move the lock collar on the 39 steering shaft so it lines up with the 36 column lock.It's easy as the collar is put on with set screws. Lastly you should eliminate the rubber bushing at the top of the column tube an replace it with a retrofit bearing and sleeve that is sold by most of the V-8 parts vendors. This message was edited by trjford8 on 3-12-11 @ 7:27 PM flatheadfan 03-13-2011 @ 1:28 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 450 Joined: Oct 2009 quabbinman- If you have a '35 or'36 you should give some serious thought to swapping out the original gear box for a '37-'40 box. There are a lot of good reasons to do so and if done right it can look "factory." Incidentally, you can use a '41-'48 box but that will require some truncation of the steering shaft. As for mounting the assembly you have two options. The first is to drill a new mounting hole in the '37-'40 replacement gear housing approximately 3/4" below the upper mounting hole in the gear casting. This will allow the replacement gear to be bolted directly to the existing '35-'36 mount. This will work but (in my opinion), looks somewhat "crude." The second option is to remove the four rivets that hold the original plate to the frame and replace it with a '37-'40 plate. I recommend the latter route. When bolting the plate to the frame use harden bolts with lots of torque. If you use carriage bolts you can give things an appearance of a "factory" rivet installation. In some cases individuals have skipped the bolting route and welded the bracket to the frame. However, do not fear that bolting things together will create a safety concern. Ford in 1941 did factory-bolt many of the steering gears instead of riveting then to the frame. When you use the '37-'40 mount you will be dropping the gear end slightly down from the '35-'36 position. It is not really noticeable. However, it does change the angle the gear assembly enters the car. This will necessitate re-cutting your floorboard slightly to accommodate this change. After re-cutting the board you will have a somewhat larger gap between the column tube and the floorboard. This can be cleaned-up by simply visiting your local hardware store and get a 1.5" pipe plate (commonly used around plumping fixtures such as toilets). This plate fits perfectly around the column tube. On the steering shaft you will find a metal collar which is used to lock the steering gear when the key is removed from the on-off switch. To use the '35-'36 steering tube with the later gear you must move this collar down 1/2 inch. Your locking assembly will now work as original. The distance from a '35-'36 steering housing to the collar is 31 inches. With the '37-'40 the distance is 31.5 inches. If you are using the '35-'36 mast assembly you want the 31 inch measurement. The part that does create some problems is hooking up the lighting bulb on the bottom of the steering box. You need to use a '37-'39 light switch bracket. To the best of my knowledge nobody is making these things and a '35-'36 won't bolt on. This means you need to come-up with a work-around or undertake a hunt. Personally, I would have this part in-hand before I started. I am leaving some items out but nothing that would be classified as being a problem. And, I admit all of the above seems kind of complicated but it really isn't. If it would help send me a PM with your email addy and I will send you some pictures. Hope this helps. Tom quabbinman 03-13-2011 @ 4:19 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 25 Joined: Dec 2010 Tom,thank you for the info...Photos will be greatly appreciated... kenleo34446@yahoo.com wmsteed 03-16-2011 @ 10:01 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 613 Joined: Oct 2009 The conversion to a '37-40 steering gear setup is very simple if you use the '37-39 frame mount and a '36 pitman arm.. the '37-40 arm hangs down to low. The '36 column with slight modifications to the lock collar, I would remove the collar and discard it. I converted my steering to a '40 setup in 1955, it was like adding power steering to the car. The attached pix shows the '40 steering box in my car. Bill 36 5 win delx cpe

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