Question on pickup steering box

Willowbilly3

I asked my friend Ralph, who usually knows the answer to any F-100 questions, about your posted question. He tells me that the steering box is the same with the f-100 and the 53-56. Now for my 2 cents: I installed a Toyota steering box and love it. Also, Thanks for your offer on the fender. I'll think about it, but please don't throw out those hanging brackets. - John
 
The F100/F250 53-56 are all the same. The F100 box was a very weak box and wore out prematurely and thus had to be rebuilt or replaced. When I was putting my 56 back together I knew an old Ford service Mgr. and he told me that there was a problem with that particular box and that the fix to it was to find a F350 box and bolt it to the frame as it was a perfect fit other then one mounting bolt on the box was off slightly. The fix for that was to relocate the mounting hole on the frame. The length of the worm gear shaft is about the same so there are no issues with the column or steering wheel. I believe you need the F350 pitman arm to hook it all up. The box itself is much larger and it's easer to turn the steering wheel. I put one on my 56 back in the day,1982, and have never had a problem and to look at it you can only tell the difference if you are an expert on old F100s
 
I can't speak with a degree of certainty as to the similarity of the '56-59 F100 steering gear boxes, I do know that the '57-60 F100/350 used a Gemmer steering gear. i always found the Ford F series steering gears to be very lacking..
Many years ago I discovered that the HD panels that were built by Ford for use as ambulances and or the very limited Courier (suburban) had Saginaw (GM) steering gears. I adapted a '58-59 Chevy steering gear box into my '59 Ford F100 4x, the results were remarkable..
I only had to alter the holes through the frame a little and adapt the GM style of horn contact, i.e. a contact ring on the steering shaft in lieu of a wire running through a hollow shaft..
 
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