Integral PS...........dead horse time

[1962larksedan]

Being that Studebaker did offer [u]integral</u> power steering in ca. 1953-59 cars; is it feasible to adapt that setup to a 1959 up Lark/Avanti? Or is rebuild parts availability a PITA?

Frankly; being hypothetical here, if enough of us here got together, would it be worth contacting, say Borgeson and having them run off a batch of 500 gears based on the OEM Stude box...........

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Borrowed Bams50's sigline here:

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[Dick Steinkamp]

IMHO, the ram type PS in the later Studes has a much better road feel than the earlier integral type. Ford used a similar set up in period cars.

Due to the size of the PS box in the integral type, it would have a tough time fitting in Avantis and other later cars.

I really doubt if a supplier would "run off" 500 boxes...unless you agreed to buy them all and I would imagine they would cost $500-1000 each (at least). The possibility of reselling even 10 of them would be remote.

Dick Steinkamp
Bellingham, WA

[gordr]

The integral box they used, called a Saginaw Offset, is a HUGE and heavy beast, and basically piggy-backs a power cylinder onto a conventional steering gear. Studebaker added a spring spacer on that side to keep the excess weight of the box from making the left front corner sag.

I was at a swap meet yesterday, and saw an electric power steering unit that had been removed from some unknown car. A small electric motor about as big as the heater fan motor sat tangent to the steering shaft just above the point where it would go through the firewall. It wouldn't be too hard to imagine such an assembly being mated to a conventional Studebaker steering gear. I think perhaps the down-side to "wrecking yard" electric PS units is that they are controlled by the car's Engine Management Computer, and won't work on a stand-alone basis. But it probably won't be long before somebody in the hotrod industry offers an after-market module that will make it work on any car. Watch the magazines.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[sweetolbob]

Gord, you are correct and the future is now.

http://www.flamingriver.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=results/Category_ID=210/home_id=80/mode=cat/cat210.htm

Bob

,

[1962larksedan]

quote:Originally posted by sweetolbob

Gord, you are correct and the future is now.

http://www.flamingriver.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=results/Category_ID=210/home_id=80/mode=cat/cat210.htm

Bob

,

I'll be darned.

Although such a conversion would eliminate many a 'snakebite' with trying to fit some Micky Mouse setup in lieu of the stock steering linkage.

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Borrowed Bams50's sigline here:

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[JDP]

quote:Originally posted by 1962larksedan

quote:Originally posted by sweetolbob

Gord, you are correct and the future is now.

http://www.flamingriver.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=results/Category_ID=210/home_id=80/mode=cat/cat210.htm

Bob

,

I'll be darned.

Although such a conversion would eliminate many a 'snakebite' with trying to fit some Micky Mouse setup in lieu of the stock steering linkage.

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Borrowed Bams50's sigline here:

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

Not many Studebaker owner willing to spend 2K I would bet.

JDP/Maryland

[Rerun]

It would certainly open up some nice options for running an R2 with A/C and P/S.


Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

[53 stude mod]

flaming river has a great product but the cost is pretty expesive for we back seat engineers. CAN WE come up with a home built conversion. I think it would be a great project but don't have the knowledge of what year and make cars are using this system. I have access to a junkyard full of late model autos but have no idea which ones to look at..Any help out there could be fun...joedipipi@msn.com

[1962larksedan]

quote:Originally posted by 53 stude mod


flaming river has a great product but the cost is pretty expesive for we back seat engineers. CAN WE come up with a home built conversion. I think it would be a great project but don't have the knowledge of what year and make cars are using this system. I have access to a junkyard full of late model autos but have no idea which ones to look at..Any help out there could be fun...joedipipi@msn.com

Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5 use electric PS assist. I remember the first time I saw one and was wondering where the hydraulic lines were since the actual rack is clearly 'manual'.

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Borrowed Bams50's sigline here:

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[TX Rebel]

If seeking an alternate to the stock linkage set up, a 90's GM power rack & pinion conversion would make a practical, cost effective choice to update steering.

Barry'd in Studes