Steering Box
- Thread starter guilld
- Start date
Corley
New Member
I don't know for sure, but that looks like a VW steering box to me. On the VW type 1 (beetle), type 2 (transporter) and type 3 (fast back / square back), the steering box is mounted on the top front torsion bar tube and the pitman arm goes side to side. This one is mounted on a vetical round member with the arm going fore and aft, so all that matches the VW box. They are decent cheap boxes, but the mounting gets a bit ugly.
Corley
Corley
putz
Member
1968 BEETLE Here is a link to there owners manual with all the items on bucket.
Speedcraft manual
Speedcraft manual
fordsbyjay
Active Member
Looks pretty neat. I wonder how well they work for steering, effort, ratio etc.
Corley
New Member
Actually it's not just 1968 Beetle, it's really from the beginning of the beetle right up through the last torsion bar front suspension beetle built, (not the super beetle or the new front engine beetle), which I suppose was in about 2005 in Mexico or Brazil. For the US, just find any old VW beetle with torsion bar suspension, and you've got that box. They work great on a VW, and you don't really have to use that big tubular mounting, it comes with two studs sticking out of it. Ease of steer and ratio on a 'T'? Probably fine, but who knows till you do some experimentation. I've used them on several dune buggies and sand rails with good success and no failures...
Corley
Corley
Off point here a bit, but I don't like that steering shaft. It would be a harpoon in an accident.
Yes, I know collaspible columns cost a lot more. However, that pointed thing is unacceptable to me even with a wheel attached.
I'm trying to incorporate a couple of u-joints and short shafts along with a (hopefully) sacrificial column.
Someday it may occur to me to not make everythng so f........ complicated and just get the darn car done.
So, if I had that removeable steering wheel, should I have a chin strap so I can wear it into the restaurant? Yes, I can see the value of a removeable wheel... it's the morning coffee talking.
Yes, I know collaspible columns cost a lot more. However, that pointed thing is unacceptable to me even with a wheel attached.
I'm trying to incorporate a couple of u-joints and short shafts along with a (hopefully) sacrificial column.
Someday it may occur to me to not make everythng so f........ complicated and just get the darn car done.
So, if I had that removeable steering wheel, should I have a chin strap so I can wear it into the restaurant? Yes, I can see the value of a removeable wheel... it's the morning coffee talking.
Ted Brown
Member
I have found that a lot more steering boxes can be used in the side ways position, this way pitman arm moves in and out to give more tire clearance in the left turns... Why I have not thought about that before, I was too stuck on/with old ways of thinking, (boxes mounted in same old ways) the box is mounted like a stock front steer mount, sideways, but farther back, and the pitman arm repositioned,,, but I would have to run a U joint this way, which I am not crazy about, as the more goodies you have in between the box and steering wheel, the more play you sometimes get...
fordsbyjay
Active Member
A 70's Ford F150 box is quite popular for this but every 70's F150 I ever had had sloppy old steering so I couldn't understand wanting to "upgrade" to that. Maybe they have new boxes now but they never used to.
"The Bat" out of hell
Member
VW box is a fairly nice box to use,the F1 box is also a good one,but if old needs some TLC. I'm using a 1965 Mustang box in a new one going together now.
Ted's sideways box set up idea sounds interesting,would like to see one.
The video link said no bump steer? It for sure has some,but not enough to be a prob maybe[only way for it to have near no bump steer is if the rod end of rear steering link at pitmen arm and the rear rodend of the wishbone are very very close to each other on that set up,now if it were a four bar instead,then what he said would of been rite].
I would be very leary of using a too tiny steering wheel like that though,it's just asking for little too no control.
Ted's sideways box set up idea sounds interesting,would like to see one.
The video link said no bump steer? It for sure has some,but not enough to be a prob maybe[only way for it to have near no bump steer is if the rod end of rear steering link at pitmen arm and the rear rodend of the wishbone are very very close to each other on that set up,now if it were a four bar instead,then what he said would of been rite].
I would be very leary of using a too tiny steering wheel like that though,it's just asking for little too no control.
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