1940 Ford Chrysler Steering Conversion

Don Clayton

Senior Member
Trying to help a friend.
Looking for installation instructions for
installing a Chrysler rack in a 40 ford.
This conversion was popular back in the 1980,s.
My friend needs to know which Chrysler rack
might have been used as his is shot.
 
My advise would be to forget the old school junk yard way of thinking about 'safer, more user friendly' modification to old vehicles. In reality the junk yard harvested parts turn out to be an accident looking for a place to happen.
There are many vendors that make great modern, safe reliable braking and steering components for the older vehicles.
I prefer TCI and/or Fatman for my builds.
 
Why put a Chrysler rack on a car with an axle? Use a 525 Saginaw with a new bracket and it works just fine for an axle car and duplicates the same geometry as the stock steering box.
 
what do you need it for the 40 steers like a baby carriage. [ old time saying] if it hard to steer something is wrong. may be he has health problems
 
Lets face it guys, there are more Early V8 Fords on the road today that have extensive modifications, than there are stock cars.
I like vehicles that are safe and reliable, therefore I have vehicles that are modified and vehicles that are dead stock.
My '36 Ford is a '36-48, the body is dead stock. the undercarriage is 95% '48 Ford. My '37 pickup is stock bodied, stock frame, '68 engine TCI front clip w/disk brakes, rack pinion steering AOD trans with GM 10 bolt rear axle.
I don't consider my cars to be Hot/Street Rods, I prefer to describe them as Rest-o-Mods.
Actually, about 50% of my cars are dead stock, the balance are modified.
 
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I think he is saying it already has a Chrysler rack and he is trying to figure out what it is so he can get a replacement.

Maybe switch it back to Henry stuff …..
 
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I think he is saying it already has a Chrysler rack and he is trying to figure out what it is so he can get a replacement.

Maybe switch it back to Henry stuff …..

I suspect if that's the case then there should be a part # on the existing rack.
 
Volari, Gremlin were very common conversions in the '80's. Probably the most common was a Mustang II which was actually a mid-sizel European designed vehicle. Many people confuse the Mustang II with the Mustang which came out after the Mustang II.
 
Not trying to offend anyone, but why are we discussing this on the Ford Barn? Isn't the HAMB for hot rod topics?
I agree the original poster has a valid question, but why did we not re-direct that question to a more appropriate forum with more people who can help?
 
Not trying to offend anyone, but why are we discussing this on the Ford Barn? Isn't the HAMB for hot rod topics?
I agree the original poster has a valid question, but why did we not re-direct that question to a more appropriate forum with more people who can help?

I don't think R&P steering is "traditional", so it may not fly there either.
 
I don't quite understand why some of the citizens of the barn insist on directing questions about modifications to EFV8 vehicles over to the HAMB. I would venture a guess that there are probably as many members of the Barn that own modified cars compared to dead stock, as Henry made them cars.
It would appear that some Barn members have forgotten just why the Barn spun off from the EFV8 Club Forum... Yes. it was because the EFV8 Club did not want dialog pertaining to modifications from stock.
I am a member of the Plymouth Owners Club and have contributed to their Forum since 1996. My Thread on the POC about the restoration of my '39 Conv is the most active topic on the Forum with over 35k viewers. The hardliners on the POC have just about ruined the Clubs Forum and in fact caused two groups to spin off forming Plymouth clubs that embrace modified vehicles.
 
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