power steering advice needed,,

[christineman]

hello guys,,, Im new to the club but excited to be here... is great to have a area where all can give and get advice and opionions....for me today, Im doing a 57 silver hawk,,, keep it pretty close to origional.. all except the engine which i used a chrysler 360,, I know thats against the rules but forgive me.. anyway, it has manual steering and I see Im gonna need power steering,, does anyone know of a newer vehicle that the sector will fit or work on this hawk? at this time, my pitman arm is 3/16 away from the starter,, so Im that close.. or am I better off with the factory one? and last, does anyone have the casting number on the factory PS unit and how many years will fit this hawk? any advice or help would really be appreciated... thanks in advance...

christineman

[Alan]

Chris, There are 2 that will almost bolt in. They are Buick Skyhawk, Olds Omega type or the Dodge Omni.

[StudeRich]

To answer question about what years of stock Studebaker power steering will fit. In 1958 to 1966, Sedans and Larks have the Ram, Pump and control Valve you would need, but the exact bolt in Hawk setup (the reach rod & Pitman arm are different) would be the 1958 to 1964 Hawks. On '61-'64 models there would be minor changes in the turn signal switch and horn switch required, and in most cases you would need to use the entire steering jacket and wheel as well.

My concern though would be the clearance from the Chrysler Engine, as the control valve is quite close to the starter and exhaust manifold on a Stude. Engine, so may not clear your's.

[christineman]

power steering

[QUOTE=StudeRich;473674]To answer question about what years of stock Studebaker power steering will fit. In 1958 to 1966, Sedans and Larks have the Ram, Pump and control Valve you would need, but the exact bolt in Hawk setup (the reach rod & Pitman arm are different) would be the 1958 to 1964 Hawks. On '61-'64 models there would be minor changes in the turn signal switch and horn switch required, and in most cases you would need to use the entire steering jacket and wheel as well.

My concern though would be the clearance from the Chrysler Engine, as the control valve is quite close to the starter and exhaust manifold on a Stude. Engine, so may not clear your's.[/QUOo

kinda sounds like the 58-64 hawk may be my best bet... I wonder, do you have to change the the steering tube or can you just hood the the ps sector? is there a ram with it or is it all in the sector?

[sbca96]

As I mentioned on Racing Studebakers I drove a '60 Hawk with manual steering for 10 years,
the right tire makes a difference. Make sure the center link is not over tight, that can cause a
lot of havoc actually. Some people crank them down to tighten the steering, but they really
need to be rebuild due to worn bushings.

Tom

[christineman]

what about a rack and pinon,, is there one made that will bolt in nincely??

[sbca96]

what about a rack and pinon,, is there one made that will bolt in nincely??

No, there are no bolt in R&P, thats not to say you can make one fit, but its costly
and a good operating stock Stude steering works pretty good. You have to keep
the tie rods the length of the factory ones, which are longer than any R&P, since
the body of the rack is so long. Stude lower control arms are very long. When
it is all said and done, the rack will be moving most the stock parts and the benefit
of the R&P is reduced. Go through the stock setup and make sure that the front
wheels turn EASILY when off the ground. You should be able to turn the wheels
by lightly pushing on either front wheel while off the ground. If not ... you are on
to the cause of you hard steering.

Tom

[christineman]

why does the hawk steer so darn hard

[QUOTE=sbca96;473709]No, there are no bolt in R&P, thats not to say you can make one fit, but its costly
and a good operating stock Stude steering works pretty good. You have to keep
the tie rods the length of the factory ones, which are longer than any R&P, since
the body of the rack is so long. Stude lower control arms are very long. When
it is all said and done, the rack will be moving most the stock parts and the benefit
of the R&P is reduced. Go through the stock setup and make sure that the front
wheels turn EASILY when off the ground. You should be able to turn the wheels
by lightly pushing on either front wheel while off the ground. If not ... you are on
to the cause of you hard steering.


you know, before I hooked up the sector to the tie rods, the wheels turned with such ease,,, then after I hooked up the steering sector, it seems like it turns so darm much harder,,, any ideas on why or cures? any advice you have would be appreciated

[sbca96]

As I asked on the other thread .. what IS a "sector"? We talking about the bellcrank?
That big piece of metal that swings back and forth? It slides on a shaft that has two
bushings in it and a nut underneath and some shims?

Tom

[christineman]

could you enlighten me little more on these sectors please alan

[christineman]

power steering

Chris, There are 2 that will almost bolt in. They are Buick Skyhawk, Olds Omega type or the Dodge Omni.

thanks dan for the info,,, can you tell me more like just how close these are to going in? what changew will I have to make and what years? again,, thanks

[PackardV8]

Be advised, Alan is a near-genius level fabricator with fifty years of experience. For him, the installation is not difficult. However, without knowing the experience and skill level of the person attempting it, we should excercise caution when stating,

There are 2 that will almost bolt in.

Most wouldn't classify any R&P installation as almost bolt in.

Question: Do these recommended R&P allow for full steering lock? The one I saw installed lacked quite a bit of travel to full lock, thus a much larger turning radius.

jack vines

jack vines

[leyrret]

what IS a "sector"? Steering box sector shaft. The pittman arm attaches to it.

[woodysrods]

Saw a mid 90 Gm centre steer rack mounted in a 53 C/K car with a BB Chev in it.
Owner says it works great! It looked great too. He says he has no bump steer??
Brian