Any Help, ideas??????? Steering column ID needed

[doublepaddle]

Trying to get you pictures. See if this works. I have an unknown steering column and box on this truck. Looking for a steering wheel that will fit with horn assembly. This is a power steering unit for ? That has been welded into place on the frame. The frame was also cut to fit it. Does anyone recognize this? From a car or champ? Does anyone else have something that looks like this? I like the idea of power steering but would like to repair the damage to the frame. Any ideas? I also posted to the truck and tech site.

www.flickr.com/photos/48633407@N07/sets/72157629095604630/
Hope it works.

[8E45E]

Trying to get you pictures. See if this works. I have an unknown steering column and box on this truck. Looking for a steering wheel that will fit with horn assembly. This is a power steering unit for ? That has been welded into place on the frame. The frame was also cut to fit it. Does anyone recognize this? From a car or champ? Does anyone else have something that looks like this? I like the idea of power steering but would like to repair the damage to the frame. Any ideas? I also posted to the truck and tech site.

Hope it works.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/48633407@N07/sets/72157629095604630

That's better!

Craig

[jclary]

Sorry you have had trouble getting good forum assistance for your questions. And, thanks to Craig for getting your picture link to work. I am not going to be much help on your technical issue either. However, I wanted to respond to keep this thread going hoping someone with the proper expertise will see it and respond.

I really like your truck. It looks to be a true warrior that has earned its little scratches and scrapes. I don't know its history, but it looks to me that perhaps a previous owner with limited resources made it his own with a philosophy of function over form. Even with that, it looks as if someone really cared for it and did no harm that couldn't be corrected.

My truck is two years older than yours. I have never owned a Studebaker with power anything, so I can't advise you on what steering unit you have. I am impressed that the column itself seems to fit OK using the stock dash bracket and wonder if the column jacket/cover is stock Stude. The homemade shift indicator has the correct pattern for the stock transmission. I am wondering if the changes have been mostly the power steering box, steering shaft, or just the wheel and horn assembly.

I mentioned in another thread that Florida has some great active club members. Hopefully, you can get up with some of them and get some eyes on your truck for first hand assistance.

Although this forum has lots of good knowledgeable folks looking in from time to time, it is but a small snapshot of our membership as a whole. Among thousands of Studebaker fans world-wide, rarely are there more than forty or fifty actively signed on and participating.

Don't give up, please be patient, and hopefully someone will jump in with the help you need.

[doublepaddle]

Thanks for kind words. The truck was factory shipped to Cal. and was owned by an old man, (older that me) of 90 plus years. He gave it to his daughter who sold it to me. It had been sitting for a while. He was from or working in New Mexico on or near the Air Force Base. Lightly-slightly costumed ( '70's or '80's) with the power steering and pleated head liner and seats. It is a good '20 footer' but the paint needs to be done and it is the wrong color scheme. Dash has an extra glove compartment door on it(old radio hole?) and a hole cut out with another more modern radio in it. Pretty clean but nothing was ever done to it and I am finding everything needs to be redone or replaced. And I mean eveerything!!!
Also thanks Graig for fixing the link.
I am surprised that no one can recognize this steering column. There is not that many power steering Stude cars/trucks to chose from. I cannot get a steering wheel by guessing,too expensive, just to buy and try.

[showbizkid]

Well, the column itself doesn't ring any bells with me, but the wheel and adapter is obviously Grant. It might be worth pulling the steering wheel and checking the back of the adapter to see what catalog number is stamped on it. If you can find that number, you could x-ref and see what the adapter fits.

Also, I've edited your thread title to be a little more descriptive, which might help folks check into it.

CHeers!

[Jeff_H]

I don't think the PS is from a Studebaker. AFAIK PS was never available on trucks and it does not look like either of the setups used on cars. The pump on the engine looks like 70's era GM. The view of the box is not great (and I am no expert in spotting different PS gears) but I do see a rag joint there where the column attaches. The column itself does look like Studebaker car or maybe Champ truck (not sure if the late C cabs used the same column but looks different from a early C cab one). The steering wheel itself is aftermarket and that is a homemade shifter lens as John noted.

It seems possible this setup may have come from a 60s/early 70s Jeep Wagoneer. Jeep used the same column parts as studebaker had in those years (up to about '72). You can use Wagoneer column parts on a stude. I don't know if they sourced PS gears from GM or not but here is a picture of a '70 wagoneer PS gear snagged from Rockauto.



I don't know enough about either studebaker or wagoneer steering to know if this is possible or not.

[Alan]

The top of the column looks like a 53 up C or K.

[Roscomacaw]

I agree with Alan, although it'd be tough to limit it to having come from a C or K car without measuring it's length. It's got the Stude style B/U lite switch at it's base, and that shift indicator is strictly home brew. I'd bet it would accept any late Stude car steering wheel (57 thru 66) and relevant horn hardware. The steering box has been adapted, the PS pump looks GM to me.

[StudeRich]

That Truck is a rolling example of Hundreds of "Studebaker owner creativity projects", it goes to show you how creative some owners can be.

I hope the builder wrote a Parts Catalog for it.

[doublepaddle]

Looking into things further it seems that the front end parts are a combo of 1/2 ton and 4x4 links and rods. Drag bar has welded tie rod ends and was bent to fit. Looks to be from '58-'59 4x4 unit. Spindles? not sure. Could use the right drag bar if anyone has a spare.

[Dave Bates]

Why couldn't it be the factory column?I've never seen one in person,but it was an option.

[doublepaddle]

The problem is the cut out part of the frame. It was done to get the right position for the box. I worry it is a point that could twist. Also will be hard to sell with this.