Thread: Power or Manual Steering for my 47 ford?

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My 47 ford coupe has a mustang II IFS that came with the car when I purchased it. It is a stock OEM ford unit, that seems to be installed well. It has a power steering rack. The steering doesnt feel as firm as I would like. My 55 Buick special is bone stock, with manual steering, and I dont mind it. Its a much heavier/bigger car, with less horsepower (the buick has the stock 264 nailhead, the ford has a 302/c4), so I think that putting a mnaual steering rack on the 47 ford's Mustang II front end would be somwhere between the power steering that it has now, and the workout it takes to drive the buick. I would like to feel the road a bit better with the car, as this power steering feels like im "driving on ice", would manual steering help? What are you guys running on your cars?
Chad

Have driven several late '30's early '40's cars with "armstrong" power steering and they are very easy to handle, have fine "feel", and, depending on tire width, are only somewhat cumbersome at very low speeds.

a guy i know had the same problem w/his 37 ford. M2 w/ps & he hated it after he put it all together. he change the power rack out to a manual & love it. plus it get rids of the p/s pump off the side of ur mtr...joe

I have a 48 Ford Conv with MII and power rack and I love it.

Originally posted by paul274854
I have a 48 Ford Conv with MII and power rack and I love it.

What kind of steering column do you have? My car has the column from the 1977 mustang II donor car, installed with some brackets that were made. Besides the fact that I dont like the bulky look of the column, maybe it has something to do with the feel of the steering, but I dont think it could be that big of a deal. Eventualy I want to replace the column with an Ididit straight stainless steel column. What do you think could be the difference between your mustang II setup and mine? Is yours an aftermarket unit?

Chad S, what pump are you using? I seem to remember that the MII racks are designed to operate on 800-900 psi. If you're using some other pump, it may be producing too much pressure, resulting in the skating on ice feeling that you're experiencing. I know that some of the kits included a GM pump that is way too strong for the MII rack.

An alternative might be to contact a hydraulic shop for a pressure reducing valve. I'll bet you could dial it in right where you want it and save yourself some time, trouble and money.

Originally posted by techinspector1
Chad S, what pump are you using? I seem to remember that the MII racks are designed to operate on 800-900 psi. If you're using some other pump, it may be producing too much pressure, resulting in the skating on ice feeling that you're experiencing. I know that some of the kits included a GM pump that is way too strong for the MII rack.

An alternative might be to contact a hydraulic shop for a pressure reducing valve. I'll bet you could dial it in right where you want it and save yourself some time, trouble and money.

Borgeson(sp) the steering column people sold me a reducing pressure valve for the gm pump for $17 + shipping and you use more or less washers to adjust the pump presssure and now I have good feel to the steering gm pump mustang II p/s in my 50 F1 ford pu. Ed ke6bnl

...from my experience the cars that I've owned with out power steering were great to drive as long as I had small front tires {width}. But going to wider tires has always made steering a 'bitch'. So no power steering seems to 'work for me' as long as I've got narrow front tires.... Billl

My 46 Bus. Cpe with 302/C4, MII power rack, Ford p.s. pump, drives excellent. I would not want to swap for manual. Joe

The P/S pump on the car is probably the same pump that has been on the engine/IFS since new, as the engine, and front end both came from the same donor 1977 Mustang II car. I never thaught about it, but the reducing valve is a great idea and makes sence. As far as changing to manual stering, The front tires will never be very wide on the car. It has some older 14" alloy wheels and low profile tires that I will be changinf for coker wide whites on 15" steel wheels soon. Im going to try that reducing valve from Borgeson before I change anything. Thanks for your help, any more input is greatly appreciated.

There are also new pumps out now with variable powersteering. I am currently setting up one in my 46 Ford Coupe. Apparently it senses when you need the power and only delivers then. So when you trying to park or something that involves turning it gives power but while driving down the highway it turns the pump off. Not sure how well it works yet as I am still doing the wiring on the motor. basically what I have setup is the controller out of an 1996 Lincoln Mark VIII and a powersteering late model ford variable flow power steering pump. Ford has been using this technology since the early 90's on their full size cars, so its been around a while. If your interested I can keep you posted when I get this on the road.

Jperry, neat idea. Wlould like to hear how it turns out. The power steering pump on my 46 is early 70's Ford Torino. I am running 15 x 7 wheels with zero offset and 195x70 tires. I just can't imagine it being better but your idea is worth a try. Joe

If it's going to be a cruiser or everyday driver then power steering is really nice. If it feels like it's on ice then you have something wrong. Power steering shouldn't have any problems or drive like crap and if it does then something must not be right. Now if it's going to be a small light car or strip car then no power steering is fine. I have no power steering on my 66 and as long as I keep skinny wheels and tires in the front it's fine but get's real tiring with a manual, no AC, NO interior at all just a bucket set with barely any foam basically. I am converting it to power steering once it's out of the tranny shop because on both sides of the dampener there are round plates on each side of it with bolts through it that hold the steering shaft or whatever it is called to the dampener and then to the steering box. Well only ONE bolt is holding my whole steering on. Not safe and not fixable because the plates are all eaten up and nothing left of them and only half the dampener are there. I am getting a whole new steering pump, box, column, bracket to mount to motor, etc for 250. But anyways what I am trying to get at is p/s is much more comfortable IMO, especially on those slow and tight turns and you can relax more. If you have no A/C like me it's even better.

Im used to driving a No P/S, no AC car, and it may be that my 55 buick is even tougher to steer than your 66 FMX, but after a while I did get used to it. I guess I also have a nice big cumphy seat in the buick. I think the idea of too much pressure from the steering pump seems like a good possibility. I ordered the reducing valve, and will try that out, and it seems like it makes total sence that it will.