I figured I'd update where I'm at with the power steering swap. I really don't plan on tearing the 57 apart for the dual quads and PS till sometime this spring and have been mostly collecting parts. With the dual quads ready to go on I've been concentrating on figuring out the PS swap and gathering the pieces I figure I'll need.

Just a brief recap. This is the original manual steering gear I want to replace.

sg by M Patterson, on Flickr


The original style PS gear is a lot bulkier and has virtually no road feel. Even if I could fit one in the car with the HEMI it would be my last choice.


PS G by M Patterson, on Flickr


The 354 Hemi with the 56 Manifolds just barely fits around the steering gear. The top of the steering box almost touches the bottom of the exhaust manifold.

SB by M Patterson, on Flickr


I had originally looked at using a Saginaw 700 style steering box, the most common one that was used on most GM cars and light Trucks from the 60s-80s and Mopars in the 70s. I'm pretty sure there's room for the 700, but eventually decided to try the smaller and lighter Saginaw 605 Box. The 605 is an almost direct replacement for the 700. The mounting holes are the same as is the 3/4" 30 spline input shaft. When bolted up the pitman shaft is located in the same place.




S5 by M Patterson, on Flickr


The only thing that really keep the 605 from being a direct replacement is diameter that the pitman shaft which is smaller on the 605 than it is on the 700s. The 605 pitman arm is the same diameter and splines as the Saginaw manual steering boxes which means that any manual steering pitman arms from least 1958 through the 1980 GM cars will fit the box, giving me a lot of choices to pick from. Additionally Borgeson makes a few "universal" pitman arms for the 605 Box.


I went ahead and picked up a rebuilt 605 steering gear and I have a junk one to use in mockup. The rebuilt box has the same amount of rotation stop to stop and the original 57 and is 3 1/2 turns as opposed the the 57s 4 1/2 turns stop to stop.

Mounted on the frame rail the 605 will sit considerable lower than the original gear, placing it where it will be well below the exhaust manifold and into an area where there appears to be plenty of room for it.

S1 by M Patterson, on Flickr


The one thing I hadn't considered when I started looking at the Saginaw boxes was that it would move the pitman shaft inboard about 2" from where it is with the stock box.


S3 by M Patterson, on Flickr


I'm not sure exactly how I'll end up compensating for the 2 inches, but I think I have a couple options. One is a pitman arm that is bent where it properly locates the outer end for the pitman arm to connect to the drag link.


I currently have a couple of stock Chevrolet manual steering pitman arms (58 and 65 Chevy) and I sprung for a Borgeson universal pitman arm ( one of the bendable steel ones).

Neither of the stock arm locate the pitman arm where it needs to be but as I mentioned there are a lot of other stock arms out there that may.


S4 by M Patterson, on Flickr


The Borgeson universal pitman arm is not cut with the master splines that the stock arms have. It might be as simple as just locating the arm on the shaft in the position that located the pitman arm outer end in the same location as the stock box and pitman arm.


S6 by M Patterson, on Flickr



Another option might be to adjust the tie rods by shortening the ones passengers side and lengthening the drivers side, moving the while drag ling over. The potential issue I may run into with either solution or combination of the 2 is I'm not sure how it will affect the geometry of the draglink and tie rods as the as they move thru their travel. Another solution I've been kicking around is seeing if I can find a drag link off something else that would fit and move the joint at the pitman arm inboard.......or even as a final option have a custom drag ling built.


Once I get the steering box/draglink/tie rods sorted out, I'll still need to shorten the steering column and add an intermediate shaft. Shortening the column won't be a big deal. Rather than buy a couple steering universal joints and piece of bar stock to make a custom shaft I think I can use a trick/upgrade I learned about when I was building my G body El Caminos. It happens an 88-96 Jeep Cherokee is a direct bolt in for the 78-87 GM G body vehicles. Here is a comparison picture of the stock G Body shaft and Jeep shaft.


84 94 s shaft by M Patterson, on Flickr



The Jeep shafts eliminate the trunion joint at the top and rag joint at the bottom with U Joints (the correct splines at the bottom joint for the Saginaw steering boxes and a double D end at the top). The U joints can run at a bit steeper angle than the aftermarket steering U joints and the shaft will collapse and telescope depending on the length needed.

So far the biggest expenditures have been the rebuilt steering box and jeep steering shaft. If this doesn't work out the money won't go to waste, the parts will either sit on the shelf as spares for my 83 El Camino or the wifes 84 El Camino will get a steering upgrade.


So that's where I am right now.