Power Steering Make Up 56 Wagon

[Jwawhite]

Okay, can't get under the car yet and it could be a myriad of things but today while backing in the driveway I heard a clunk sound while turning the steering wheel slightly L and R. Sound maybe coming from R side.

Okay those that wrench on 'em, your telepathic guess?

Wife just walked in "it's a money pit"!!!!

 

[Jwawhite]

Found the issue, you know those grommets on car shocks? The grommet is missing at the end of the power steering ram shaft. There is a nut, large washer and then the missing grommet then bracket.
Idea where to buy one? How do you hold the shaft to remove nut? Is the shaft under pressure with the engine off? Possible to push inwards to replace grommets?

 

[KULTULZ]

Get a load of this!

The OP has a dressed 56 PARKLANE in his avatar that is hard to see (especially at my age) and he didn't post a photo for site pleasure.

Anyways...

Found the issue, you know those grommets on car shocks? The grommet is missing at the end of the power steering ram shaft. There is a nut, large washer and then the missing grommet then bracket.

Idea where to buy one? How do you hold the shaft to remove nut? Is the shaft under pressure with the engine off? Possible to push inwards to replace grommets?

There was (is) a bushing repair kit for that cylinder.

I would think MOOG or TRW.

I can identify with the wife complaining...

 

[Ole Don]

Removing the nut; some had a pal nut. Remove that first, then clean the exposed threads and soak it. The end of the shaft should be squared off, to grab hold of while you loosen the nut. Usually, it will twist and be ruined for its intended purpose. Grab the shaft with a vice grip under the area where the rubber went, then the nut should come off with no major issues. With the motor off, you will be able to push in the shaft to replace the rubber and the washer on the left side of the frame bracket, the pull the shaft out and in to the bracket to replace the outer rubber. NAPA carries the rubber for the upper front shock on MOPAR products in the fifties. They fit.

 

[KULTULZ]

There is (was) a special socket to fit this end. Was also used to loosen shock stems (before I discovered the SAWZALL... ).

 

[Jwawhite]

This is a new hobby for me, I'd never heard the term before "unmolested car". This is a molested car, it looks great but look closely and you find cut corners. I've been straightening out the corners since I've bought it. Thanks K for the diagrams, just from memory of looking at the cylinder the system has been changed. Thanks for the advice Ole, I find the repairs are smoother with it. Have yet to get car on stands for repairs but when the wife cranked the steering wheel I could determine where the noise was coming from. K, here's a photo of the car this morning.

 

[Daves55Sedan]

Rubber shock bushing falling off of ram cylinder shaft was my first guess.
I think it is easiest to fix this by raising both front tires off the floor just enough at least so they don't touch the ground. First, remove the locknut, the main nut and big washer off the ram cylinder shaft. With engine NOT running, you can turn the steering wheel to pull the ran cylinder shaft out of the frame bracket hole. Then you can insert your new rubber bushing on the backside of the bracket. Get someone to sit in the car and turn the steering wheel back s l o w l y, while you guide the shaft back through the hole in the bracket. Now you can insert your sleeve that goes over the shaft, new outer rubber bushing, large washer and nut. Don't forget to re-install the little locknut. DONE.

 

[KULTULZ]

THANX for the photo! Looks like you have a good start.

 

[dmsfrr]

Jwawhite,
I wish you'd let me know, I would have traded your grommet problem for this nut & bolt problem.
The blind nut inside the frame pulled thru and someone tack welded the casting to the frame, which of course didn't stay put at all. Had to open up the frame to put in a replacement nut.
.

 

[miker98038]

dmsfrr, that looks like some of the work I found on my 55. Apparently the drug dealer who owned it (2 owners back) traded work for product, and paid in advance.

 

[Jwawhite]

dmsfrr, I also own a C5 Corvette (try driving my '56 and the Vette back to back!) and ONE time my right lower skid bar snagged a curb stop, pulling the bar over. I elected to replace the assembly and Rivet Nut Inserts (RNI) hold it to the frame....the incident pulled out one RNI. I bought a couple from the Dealer and rigged up a helper flat piece of metal and using a double nut stud was able to start the crushing action inside the frame. Just before insertion I also applied some JB Weld and was able to Torque the Assy to specs.
Now for a "corner issue" on the car. I'll take a photo when I can but one bracket is shaped in way where two bolts hold it to the side of the frame and there is one bolt mounted to the bottom of the frame...in relation to the power steering Assy. The upper bolt (of the two) may not have been placed in the proper position in frame for the bracket on the bottom of frame is not flush! I would need a triangular spacer to hold the bracket flush ---which is at an angle. Have you seen this before? The person who installed this bracket also pulled out partially the RNI because of the angled space between frame and bracket.

 

[Jwawhite]

Got to crawl under the car and guess what I found? Another item that was not taken care of properly. The inner large washer that protects the grommet is missing and you are correct Dave, the outer grommet is missing. Note how tore up the inner grommet is without the large washer--- also missing is the lock nut along with the sleeve.....

I ordered a new grommet kit but unfortunately the kits do not come with the large washer, any ideas where I might find a replacement x2?

 

[KULTULZ]

Do you see the washer in the PARTS ILL?

If not, it was someone's attempt to patch it.

 

[Jwawhite]

Yes K I do, but the kit 3C590 do not have the large washers today....perhaps original Ford parts do.

BTW, thank you for the diagram, a big help!

 

[KULTULZ]

...but the kit 3C590 do not have the large washers today....perhaps original Ford parts do.

BTW, thank you for the diagram, a big help!

...whew...

I see what you mean. REPRO is crap. MOOG no longer offers the kit either.

Have you tried NAPA?

The FORD SERVICE PN for the kit is B3AZ 3C590-A (53/56 FORD/MERC) if you come across one NOS. I GOOGLED but came up with nothing (sounds like my sex life).

The actual insulator(s) and washers (cups actually) had no separate PN but were only offered in the kit. Maybe buy the Mickey Mouse Kit and use correct size flat washers until you can find suitable replacement?

Attached is a 57 FORD Ill. It has a sleeve to mount between the insulators to prevent over compression and possible damage to the frame mounting bracket. I believe the earlier kit had the same but not listedin the 56 Kit Contents. The answer I believe is going to be finding the Shock Absorber Stem End Mtg Kit in the correct sizes.

Keep us posted...

 

[Daves55Sedan]

Guy's, that sleeve (tube) I and others have mentioned was not used on 1956 and earlier models, but '57 and later models did have the sleeve.
I only mentioned the sleeve in my original post above, because JWA mentioned his setup might not be the original. And I know that many people have swapped their old '55 and earlier ram cylinders with the improved '57 and later cylinders.
If you do get the proper rubber bushings, make sure you get the giant heavy washers to go with them, otherwise the smaller shock absorber washers will dig into the rubber and damage them pre-maturely.

 

[Daves55Sedan]

The blind nut inside the frame pulled thru and someone tack welded the casting to the frame, which of course didn't stay put at all. Had to open up the frame to put in a replacement nut.
.

dmsfrr...I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but the original cast iron idler arm bracket that also holds the ram cylinder shaft end utilized the same frame bolt holes that your manual steering idler arm bracket uses and also bolts to one or more "crush-nuts" inserted into those hexagon holes in the bottom of the frame. In other words, the manual steering idler arm bracket is NOT used on cars that have power steering. The power steering idler arm bracket is a cast iron idler arm and ram cylinder holding bracket all in one piece.
One bolt to hold the ram cylinder shaft end is not enough. That's partly why it failed along with someone trying to attempt to weld cast iron.
Fomoco made at least three different power steering idler arm brackets in the mid fifties. I have a couple spare ones out in the garage with a 100% complete refurbished '55 power steering setup. The brackets I have are not correct for the full size Fords. Maybe T-bird, or truck?

 

[Daves55Sedan]

one bracket is shaped in way where two bolts hold it to the side of the frame and there is one bolt mounted to the bottom of the frame...in relation to the power steering Assy. The upper bolt (of the two) may not have been placed in the proper position in frame for the bracket on the bottom of frame is not flush! I would need a triangular spacer to hold the bracket flush ---which is at an angle. Have you seen this before? The person who installed this bracket also pulled out partially the RNI because of the angled space between frame and bracket.

All I can tell you is that the two bolts thru the side of the frame utilize the same holes that were used for the manual steering idler arm bracket. But I know that doesn't help much. However, if you un-bolt the bracket and take it down, you can identify the proper holes because the two idler arm bracket holes have steel tube sleeves that join the inner frame rail to the outer rail between the holes. Another possibility is that you may have the wrong cast iron idler arm bracket. Fomoco made a couple of variations of this bracket back then.
Also, the proper bracket for the full-size cars has a recess for each of the two bottom holes so that the bottom of the "crush-nuts" will fit into the recesses, thus allowing the bracket surface to fit tight to the bottom of the frame.

 

[KULTULZ]

Jwawhite

Did you get my PM?

 

[KULTULZ]

Guy's, that sleeve (tube) I and others have mentioned was not used on 1956 and earlier models, but '57 and later models did have the sleeve.

I only mentioned the sleeve in my original post above, because JWA mentioned his setup might not be the original. And I know that many people have swapped their old '55 and earlier ram cylinders with the improved '57 and later cylinders.

If you do get the proper rubber bushings, make sure you get the giant heavy washers to go with them, otherwise the smaller shock absorber washers will dig into the rubber and damage them pre-maturely.

Allow me to explain my previous post concerning the unavailability of the OEM kits.

What is being sold now (inferior quality) is insulators without the OEM washers. Therefore, the washers (cone shaped to contain the insulator) must be sourced from a different source, whether take-off or from another application (shocks - sway bar links - etc). One would have to sort through to find the correct size.

What the OP is referring to is the Vendor Service Replacement Kits come without the washers, and I seriously doubt the correct shape/quality of the insulators.

Another way is conversion to a 57/59 setup as you said or go to the later GRANADA setup, giving better replacement parts accessibility.

It may also be that the 3351 MTG BRKT is incorrect/wrong for the application.