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Saginaw Power Steering (pics) Please Add Yours!

Mcruff

Mcruff

Earlycj5 Machinist
Since Steve started putting Saginaw steering on his Flattie and Zed on his Jeep alot of people have contacted me about the mounts. I am going to post a picture of mine and a link to my Photobucket sight showing about a dozen photos to guys wanting to do this. I would think that since there are so many variations and this is such a hot topic all the time that it would be good if some of you other guys could post pics of your setups and write up the variations you did on yours compared to others.
http://photobucket.com/albums/y233/mcruff/Saginaw steering/

Sag-1.jpg


Sag-1.jpg
Sag-3.jpg
Sag-4.jpg
Sag-8.jpg
DCP_1014.jpg



My Jeep has 77 model dana 30, factory shackles and a 2 1/2" lift, I have a Postal column from a 74 (I think), the saginaw box is a 1974 Pontiac Catalina or Grand Prix box with 3 1/2 turns, factory tie rods for the 77 Jeep axle. The power steering pump is off a 1981-82 Buick Regal w/v6, My pump has o-ring style fittings while box has flare style fittings. Custom made hose, cost $42 and is DOT approved. The belt is 39" if I remember right.
I hope this helps some of you trying to do this.

I'm going to ad this to Mikes post....Patrick

The box Mcruff used (pics in first post) he said was from a '74 Pontiac Catalina or Grand Prix. I did a little looking around, and here's what I came up with for that box..

Rock Auto's A1 Cardone part # 27-6537
Autozone's A1 Cardone part # 6537
NAPA part # 88277088

4 bolt mounting
3 1/2- 4 1/4 turns lock to lock
line thread sizes 11/16X18 & 5/8X18
input shaft size 13/16
output shaft size 1 1/4

Applications including, but not limited to-
roughly 1969 or 70 through 1976 Chevy Caprice, Impala, El Camino, Buick Century, Le Sabre, Olds Cutlass, Pontiac Grand Prix, Catalina

Most of these list this # for W/O air conditioning.

1972-1976 Jeep J10, Wagoneer

Thought this might be useful. I intend on using this box myself.
Click to expand...
 
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good idea mike. it would be nice to have them all in the same place. i know i had about 3 pages of urls book marked when i was figuring it out!

by the way thanks for all the handholding during my conversion.

i mounted my sag on a cast steel mounting from a 72 cj. and no, your hunch is correct that is an intermediate front xmember on my 69, the front xmember of my 69 is transplanted from that 72 cj. i.e., i did it the hard way. but for a reason. the po had compromised the front horns of my 69 badly enough that i simply cut the front 15" off the 69 frame (right in front of the normal xmember) and welded on the front 15" from the 72's frame. i decided to keep both the old and the new xmembers for strength, a winch in the future and just to mess with the minds of any knowledgable ecj'ers i might meet. ;)

the mount is a 3 holer and before i do any real heavy duty trail abuse i will weld a tube thru the frame to match the 4th hole on the steering box.

anyway i have the whole thing documented from the frame trans to completely replacing the steering train from the steering wheel to the tre's. including drilling the holes in the intermediate shaft for a safety.

used a tilt column from a manual 87 cherokee laredo, customized a mount for it at the dash and the floor board. the universals are both borgesons, the intermediate shaft is a borgeson collapsable, the spud shaft is a mcruff, the PS steering gear had 4 turns lock to lock when off the cj but seems to have 3 1/2 L to L installed so i figure it's a 16:1 variable even tho i was looking for a constant 16:1 or 17:1.

the ps pump is a generic buick/gm. the bracket is "custom". the ps hoses are actually hydrolic hoses made for me at napa a little over engineered at 20000 psi but they were about $15 each and no one in this area can make ps hoses. the hole cut in the lower driver's side grill was done by the po. the hoses and fitting clear it just fine, so i have cut a piece of sheet steel to weld back and repair the damage. just haven't gotten to it yet.

the rest of the specs are listed in my signature. i would like to eventually get my draglink back in line with my tierod. right now it's about 1 3/4" higher. about the same as my minor lift. bumpsteer doesn't seem to be a problem for it tho. i find that the 10.5" x 31" tires seem to follow the surface of the road more than a normal tire does tho.

i was able to fit the train in with realtively little grinding of the motor mount ( about 1/8" to 1/4") and a little extra clearance on the original xmember around the spud shaft to universal connection.

oh yeah, i blue locktited the bolts, nuts and screw on from the top universal down to the ps box, and output shaft as well as the ps box mounting bolts. (don't forget the activator for the permatex locktite)

i'll try to get a url to host all the pictures.
 
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reflex action i learned from my father when i was growing up. in the 60's and 70's he always worried about it for some reason when we were jeeping in canyonlands and the high rockies. don't know why, we always had wagoneer or scout which had the box up higher.

maybe it's just cause it hangs out and is so visible. granted it's still higher than the tierods and the axle and the pumpkin.

so you don't think it's a problem for non-xtreme wheeling even if i just "nudge" up against something or a rock kicks up?
 
Steve I think youd be ok.
You just to be mindful of where it is.
The YJ and the TJ hang kind of low. Course they make skid plates for the TJ cause there is not much there to protect them.
 
ahhh.. i see, and it makes sense. thanks. it isn't the next thing i'm gonna do anyway. right now i'm trying to fit a transfer skid plate from a 72 cj 5.
 
My steering is a 4 bolt box which came out of a 70s era Wagoneer, as did the cast mount. I ran the shaft under the crossmember, it is real close. The shaft is supported by a Heim joint about half way up. The upper half of the shaft is from a 1970 or 71 Monte Carlo, as is my column. The lower half of the shaft, I think, was from the Wagoneer, but it may have been from another Jeep I had around at the time.

The PS pump mount is from a late 80s model Buick, Olds, Pontiac V6. I cut off the upper half. Not sure about the pump. Hoses are all custom from FLAPS.

The Box is mounted to a cast mount from the Wagoneer. The frame is boxed and soild spacers are in between the boxed rail. I fabricated a piece which is welded and bolted below the frame to bolt the cast piece to.

The pitman arm is an aftermarket piece (Trailmaster??) for a 3" - 4" drop. I can email more pics if interested.
 
Here is how I do mine. On the flatties I always replace the front tube and C Channel the bumper area. Had several folks ask so I have these and others on the one I just did - plan on doing a write up one day.

(pics sent to archive) They can be requested and I will mail them to you as well.
 
Are there any powersteering boxes to stay away from? I have a steering box from a 1991 Chevy Silverado, 3 1/2 turns lock to lock. The pitman arm has the right drop but the wrong connection at the tierod end. Will any drop pitman arm work on the steering box or will I need to get a different box?
 
Pickup truck boxes are reversed in design from car boxes so unless you want to do something unique avoid truck boxes from any chevy truck but an S10.
Try to get a box with as many turns lock to lock, usually found in big cars, Camaro's and Nova's usually have quick boxes.
 
I have used a kit from Advance Adapters, could have done it cheaper if I would have looked around, but over all it is pretty easy install if you can weld. I used a steering box from an early chevelle.
 
does anybody have any pics of the saginaw swap on a jeep with a 350?mine is giveing trouble the isnt any room for the rod that goes from the box to the wheel.im gonna try useing headers that might give some space???? i wonder if i can run the rod through the crossmember under the engine if i cut a hole in it??my fire wall is crap from po so is there a rule that says i have to usea jeep colum if not ill get a set up like on a race car then it will be much easyer to build my father in law races rail cars so i can get a shaft and all the ujionts from him.plus the wheel would come off that would make it easyer to get in and out off lol.in cjjones pics it looks like he has a v8 but i dont have near as much room as he has.but ill get it done soon got all my brakes done today man what a pain,rebuilt it all even new lines,wish i had some hanging pedale and i would have used power brakes but they work good like they are.any way i want to thank everyone for helpin me out with this projct it is makeing it much easyer,jared carson
 
J.McDavid said:
Steve I think youd be ok.
You just to be mindful of where it is.
The YJ and the TJ hang kind of low. Course they make skid plates for the TJ cause there is not much there to protect them.
Click to expand...

I bumped mine before. Caused the seal to leak out the bottom. That was replaced under warantee.
 
I'm gathering parts to do Herms conversion. Once I get it all moving I'll post pictures. Seems to me putting the box behing the crossmember makes sense ad everything I've gotton from Herm has been first rate.
 
thats quite a jeep bet its niceyou got a pic of the hole thing? what kind of ujoints did you use fro your steering rod? do i need the ones used for racing or will ones for a pto shaft work?they are half the price and i know if they will hold a 100hptractor i wont be ble to break them i found them that are about 1inch od and will take a 3/4 inch shaft????? will they be ok or nooo!!thanjks,jared
 
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