baldmustang
Junior Member
Hello everyone,I have a manual steering crown vic and a power steering parts car. Are the steering boxes the same part number? At 74 years young, I would like to have power steering.
steering boxes
- Thread starter baldmustang
- Start date
dmsfrr
Well-known member
What year are the two cars? Is this for your '56 Crown Vic ?
Ford upgraded the steering boxes during '56, there are internal early/late '56 differences.
Whichever you have, it's my understanding the steering boxes are interchangeable.
IIRC, the PS/non-PS differences start at the end of the pitman arm, and include the idler arm on the passenger side of the car.
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Ford upgraded the steering boxes during '56, there are internal early/late '56 differences.
Whichever you have, it's my understanding the steering boxes are interchangeable.
IIRC, the PS/non-PS differences start at the end of the pitman arm, and include the idler arm on the passenger side of the car.
.
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CrownVic55
Senior Member
Don't forget, 55 and 56 steering columns are different length to compensate for the 56 dished steering wheel. I'm 76 so sympathetic to wanting power steering. I'm looking for factory set up myself. Been driving my 55 Crown for 60 years but get harder to turn each year.
Ben
Ben
baldmustang
Junior Member
Thank You guys. Both boxes have the star washer on top and both are from a 56 Ford crown vic and a 2 door sedan. The one in the cv does not have much free play and so I will keep it. I can also change it later using the special language of an amateur mechanic
Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
You can keep the standard steering gearbox. The factory did not use a special gearbox for power steering. Remember this is a power assist system (not really true power steering) like Lincoln had in the early '50's.
You must remove the manual steering pitman arm at the bottom of the gearbox and use the deeper pitman arm that comes with the factory power steering assembly. Its all a bolt-on swap.
Might be a good idea to check the condition of the oil seal while you have the pitman arm off the gearbox.
You must remove the manual steering pitman arm at the bottom of the gearbox and use the deeper pitman arm that comes with the factory power steering assembly. Its all a bolt-on swap.
Might be a good idea to check the condition of the oil seal while you have the pitman arm off the gearbox.
Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
My car does have the factory power steering and I doubt I would be able to turn it ever since I switched to modern wider tread radial tires, so don't feel bad. My '55 Courier does not have the power steering, but it still has the OEM 710x15 tires with 4 inch tread width, so it is still easy to steer without power. But it is only a matter of time I will need to abandon it as I am 62, 5'-4" tall and weigh less than 90lbs. Seems like I am shrinking more every day.