Steering: Who knows the type of steering gear used on Avanti II

[karterfred88]

I saw this gearbox for sale on E-Bay and see that Avanti Motors ran out of the old Bendix units and adapted a different steering gear. Does anyone know what type of box it was or what it was off of?

[Gunslinger]

Legend has it that it's from a forklift.

[64V-K7]

A Clark Forklift and it's not a coincidence, as Clark was once a Studebaker subsidiary. I believe this box also requires the quick steer arms to bring the geometry back down to 3-4 turns.

[karterfred88]

A Clark Forklift and it's not a coincidence, as Clark was once a Studebaker subsidiary. I believe this box also requires the quick steer arms to bring the geometry back down to 3-4 turns.

Well there goes that idea! I thought maybe it was some type of Saginaw box, so the adapter could be used to get rid of the Bendix box and acquire an integral P/S version of that box.
By the way Bob how's the P/B adaptation working out!
Fred

[stude dude]

I was told years ago that the steering box came from a motor home. But have also heard of them being from a fork lift.

Chris.

[Gunslinger]

The motor home source is a new one to me.

[studegary]

A ... Forklift . ... I believe this box also requires the quick steer arms to bring the geometry back down to 3-4 turns.

This is also what I remember hearing (for whatever that is worth <G>).

[jlmccuan]

I believe the Studebaker subsidiary was Clarke of floor machines, rather than Clark of forklift fame

[Dwain G.]

Sorry to break this news, but Clark forklift was never a Studebaker subsidiary. Clarke industrial floor equipment was.
Now one thing that adds to the confusion and possibly fuels this myth is that Clark forklift also built Aztec motorhomes. From the driver's seat, an Aztec looks very 'Larkish'. Apparently they bought instruments and steering wheels either from Studebaker surplus or Standard Surplus

[Xcalibur]

The Avanti II box (at least not the one used stock on my '82 I drove for years) didn't "reguire" the '84-'85 style quick steering arms to have a reasonable steering ratio. But, they did help speed things up a bit... sorry I just don't recall the number of turns lock to lock before or after the install--it's been gone to FL for a looooong time. On my stock "quick ratio" boxed '63 they make it 2.5 turns lock to lock--coincidentally the same (2.5 turns lock to lock) as on my stock Excalibur which used a "quick/shorter" center-pivot arm instead of the Blake Avanti style "quick" knuckle-arms. You want REALLY quick put all three of those together!!! Now you would probably "need" power-steering. I don't for any of the other combos.

[karterfred88]

s

The Avanti II box (at least not the one used stock on my '82 I drove for years) didn't "reguire" the '84-'85 style quick steering arms to have a reasonable steering ratio. But, they did help speed things up a bit... sorry I just don't recall the number of turns lock to lock before or after the install--it's been gone to FL for a looooong time. On my stock "quick ratio" boxed '63 they make it 2.5 turns lock to lock--coincidentally the same (2.5 turns lock to lock) as on my stock Excalibur which used a "quick/shorter" center-pivot arm instead of the Blake Avanti style "quick" knuckle-arms. You want REALLY quick put all three of those together!!! Now you would probably "need" power-steering. I don't for any of the other combos.

I think the e-bay add was for an 83. My Dad's 64 Avanti I drove had 2.5 +/- stock ?? as I used to compare it to my 63 Hawk with 5+ with manual steering !!! My current 63 Avanti is about 3.5. Either my memory is failing or I just couldn't count back then?!?!