Are '28 - '29 Steering Columns Interchangeable ?

stevests

stevests

Well-known member
I'm assisting a fella that is attempting to replace a steering column in a '29 Sport Coupe he recently purchased due to the P.O. attempting to install a modern type of steering wheel. The spark & throttle controls were removed to accommodate the changeover and he needs to replace the complete column. Appreciate any guidance as I'm a T guy just helping the fella out.
 
We will assume you are referring to the 1928-29 seven-tooth steering column, by far the most common steering gearbox during these two years. Be aware that in mid-1929, Ford changed to a two-tooth steering box that has a woodruff key shaft for the steering wheel instead of the splined shaft for the seven-tooth box. The quadrants are slightly different between the 28-29 seven-tooth units versus the 1929 two-tooth quadrants, but very subtle, not at all like the '30-31 quadrants, however. Just be sure WHICH 1928-29 steering column your friend has before making a swap of some kind. The '29 two-tooth steering boxes are somewhat rare and worth their weight in gold in terms of serviceability down the road.
Marshall
 
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The two-tooth boxes of 1929 fame are known as "Gemmer" boxes - saying as much on their sides.

The 30-31 Boxes are marked with their Ford number A-3500-B44.

The big difference is in the internals. The Gemmer box and worm are a different angular roller bearing with the taper on the worm cut to match. Replacing Gemmer bearings means replacing the entire worm as well and making the internals all A-3500-B44 type. Although both types of worm use the same sector.

I would guess for every Gemmer box I've seen, there are perhaps five A-3500-B44 boxes. Some Gemmer boxes appear mated to 30-31 upper housing and wheel and may have been that way from the start as Ford used up Gemmer steering box stock in production.


Joe K
 
When I purchased my 29 Sport Coupe years ago, it had a mid 1930 steering box and wheel. I've since converted it to the shorter 1929 configuration. Ford manufactured both the 7-tooth design and the 2-tooth Gemmer design at the same time for a while. They also purchased them from outside vendors. Gemmer made quite a few for Ford but Ford had the rights to produce them as well. Ford made deals like this with most subcontractors in order to fulfill the needs of production and protect Ford from labor disputes that were becoming more frequent as the depression wore on. Ford payed his people pretty well but the sub-contractors not so much.

If I was building a resto rod, I'd use an F100 steering box from Randy Gross. A later V8 era steering column could be used as well. The various length horn rods made during the first two years sort of illustrate the different steering shaft lengths used in 1928 and 29. All model A steering assemblies will fit in any year of the A. Some are longer and some are shorter.
 
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