???? steering gear assembly

Jim Haskins

Jim Haskins

Member
I have a steering box marked 01-a 3550. It has a roller sector gear and will fit the 36 mounting bracket. I have never seen this number nor heard of a roller sector in 1936. 1 purchased this gear box from a vender I North Carolina.
 
All discussions that I have read promote installing a 37-39 steering to improve the ease of steering in a 36 car. To do that the frame mounting bracket either has to be replaced with the later bracket which is no easy feat or modify the gear box holes to make it fit. Now I find a gear box with the rolling sector and steering shaft that bolts right in. Would you think!
 
That part number doesn't show up in the 1938-41 Ford/Mercury Chassis Parts List book.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0010b.jpg
    IMG_0010b.jpg
    27.6 KB · Views: 6
Where is the 3550 stamped? 3550 seems to be an unlisted digit in parts, which generally means that it is a part that is only sold as part of something as an assembly. This is intriguing!
 
3550 is the engineering number for the steering box. If you would go to a early engineering book it will give you the ford number for that box. It works for a crossover from engineering to ford number. This is done on almost all Fords even to this day.
 
My green bible only shows a 3548 part number for all steering box assemblies. This box has the appearance of the 39 box but is somewhat smaller, mostly on the mounting side?
 
The 3550 is the number for actual box casting, that is not shown in book and the box is numbered 3548 because it was only sold as an assembly...I would assume that the assembly is the 3548 casting and the bushings for sector. There are quite a number of such parts on Fords.
 
I do not quite understand. this box does not have the two finger sector or the top cover of the 36 style,but has a roller sector and worm gear. and it will bolt right in my 36 coupe. when viewed along side of the 39 box they look the same but with the smaller bolt pattern. It does have the brass sector bushings rather than the needle bearings that are in the 36 box.
 
The 1937 steering gear changed to roller sector gear Gemmer II design. These were all similar up through 1939 when they deleted the light switch for the 1940 models on up. If you want the light switch parts, the 37 through 39 are the ones to look for. If you don't care about the steering wheel lighting switch then you can use any number of different steering gears.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top