Steering: power steering conversions for 53-54 ???????

[bradnree]

What are the options for adding power steering to a 53-54 ???
What parts ??

brad

[bezhawk]

Power steering was factory offered from mid 53-on. The early mechanical power steering never got the bugs worked out. They went with a Saginaw integral power steering box from 53 thru 57. and some 58's (packards).
The boxes are all the same, but specific columns and shifter rods to match your model series would be required.
ie: C/K or sedans

[SN-60]

To: bradnree,---- Or if Your not concerned with Your '53-'54 being 100% stock, You could remove the Bendix linkage-type power steering system, column and all, from a '58-'64 Hawk parts car.
(Except '58 Packard Hawk---like You'll find one of those!!) We're talking C-K right?

[rockne10]

I took a PS unit from a '54 sedan with standard trans and installed in a '53 Coupe with automatic. Will never do again without a complete donor. Had to find a later Hawk donor for the steering column and bracket to frame and had to alter the column to go to the automatic trans.
You will need to start at the crankshaft center bolt, extra pulley and six pulley retaining bolts; pump and mounting bracket, steering column, floor to column seal--yes, that rubber plate is different, steering gear box (with hoses) and bracket to frame, pitman arm...basically, get it all from an equivalent donor, ie. sedan won't fit coupe.

[paintim613]

If you want to make the contact by email or phone, call our restorer to get details on his PS conversion on our '53. Click on link in my signature.

[RadioRoy]

Brad, you have not said if your car is a C/K or a sedan/wagon.

It's not as tough as everyone makes it out to be - if you are willing to read the parts books and do some research.

The key is to identify and find ALL the parts before starting the job.

I wrote up a Excel spread sheet on the conversion some years ago. Maybe I can find it if anyone is interested. You don't need to do any welding/fabricating/Jerry-rigging if you can find all the parts.

If we are talking about the early system (Saginaw) the installation is relatively straight forward. All you need to do is find the parts. And that may not be as difficult as everyone makes it out to be.

As far as organ donors are concerned, Studebaker made a butt load of 55 President touring sedans (the 55 replacement for the 53-54 Land Cruiser) and it seems like they almost all had power steering. 55 Speedsters also were commonly found with power steering, but they are much more pricey for essentially the same parts.

Most of the other little parts needed can still be found NOS at various Studebaker vendors. the only really tough part to find is if you want power steering and a manual transmission at the same time. I put power steering in my 56 Commander wagon with Overdrive. It took two years to find the one final shift lever, but once i had that part, the car had power steering within two weeks.

Going from memory, the steering box, pump, and pump brackets/pulleys are the same for all installations.

Also going from memory, the basic differences are:
-sedan to coupe - the bracket that mounts the steering box to the frame, the steering column, the drag link, shift rods, maybe the hoses

-stick to automatic - shift rods and levers

The easiest is if your car already has an automatic, and if your car is the same body group (sedan/wagon, or coupe/hardtop) as the donor parts car.

[Johnnywiffer]

I have a '54 Land Cruiser with a complete power steering set up. It has filthy gas but it can PROBABLY be coaxed to run (with a good 6-v battery)--at least onto a dolly, if you bring some good tires/wheels--all four flat. Actually the whole car is pretty good (Radio works!). Glass is good and only very minor rust. Floor has no holes.

Will send pix if you really want them but you can have the whole car for $750 if you'll come get it. San Antonio Texas.

John

[rockne10]

Much of what Brad needs will depend on the model receiving installation. From my experience, other donors can be adapted but, it is a very real PITA!

[Jeff_H]

If we are talking about the early system (Saginaw) the installation is relatively straight forward. All you need to do is find the parts. And that may not be as difficult as everyone makes it out to be.....

....Most of the other little parts needed can still be found NOS at various Studebaker vendors.

The saginaw PS setup in my 53K came from a '57 C hawk. The columns are different length and steering shaft diameters from '56 and older to '57 and later so I had to make a conversion since I wanted a '53 wheel. Most of the small parts I did find NOS including the actual steering shaft and shifter tube. Sit down with the parts book and figure out the list. The actual steering column tube I had to "make". The '57 column was about 1-1/2" shorter than it needed to be for the '53 so I found a spot about 2/3 of the way down from the top end where there is no internal "stuff" welded on the inside and cut it in 2. I then sliced a pc out of a common standard steering column tube and welded it in to make the PS column the right length. A few other mods were needed at the bottom for the horn wire brush holder that the newer column did not have but it was straight forward.

Going from a sedan setup to a C/K setup would be a lot more work and possible fabriation tho.

[TX Rebel]

It is my understanding that the 53-56 C/K & sedans used different lengths columns but that all 57 are same length. A sedan/wagon unit can not be used because of frame mounting bracket, though. I sold a sedan column & shaft to a customer a couple of years ago because he wanted a shorter column for better "belly clearance". As noted previously, the '57 and K9 units are same as prior units, but columns are shorter & spline is too small for the earlier wheel. I should have the p/s parts you need, Brad.

[Don Jeffers]

The key is to identify and find ALL the parts before starting the job.

I wrote up a Excel spread sheet on the conversion some years ago. Maybe I can find it if anyone is interested.

Hello Roy,

I would be interested in that spread sheet if you can find it.

PM me for my personal email address or however you would want to sent it.

Thanks for the offer to us all.

Don

[Ingram3]

Spread Shet

Roy:
I also would be interested in a copy of the speradsheat.
Please email it to me at paulingram3@comcast.net
Thanks, Paul

[RadioRoy]

OK, I finally found it. It is combined with my spreadsheet to convert an automatic transmission equipped car to a car equipped with overdrive.

Along with that project, I also mapped how to convert non power steering to power steering.

I will attempt to attach this old Excel file to a PM and send it to the gentlemen who have asked for it.

[rockne10]

Roy,
Would that be of sufficient interest to have our web master include them in the tech tips pages of the SDC web site?