The best in the '70s may not be enough now.

[GPster]

The steering box I put in the Jeepster is out of a Vega. I'd had it for a long time and it came out of a low mileage total. It is mounted in the correct position to work the dropped tube front axel with Chassis Engineering spindle arms. When I figured all this out with the 17" sprint car steering wheel I wasn't driving and used all my old knowledge and ideas but had no idea what the new realities of strength and coordinnation would be. The leverage afforded me by the 17" wheel might give me enough strength to deal with the 3 1/2 turns lock-to-lock but I figure the wheel will give me problems with my coordination so maybe I need to plan on power steering and a smaller wheel. The wheel size is a minimum problem because the tilt column that I made has a Grant adapter on it so I can use any cheap after-market wheels with the 3-bolt pattern. Because the steering box is mounted where it needs to be only one bolt goes  through the frame (it actually goes through a piece of pipe that is welded to both frame sides so tightening the bolt doesn't crush the frame) and the other two bolts go through a plate that is welded and gussetted to the top of the frame. Is there a power steering box that shares mounting dimensions with the Vega box and has the same length pittman arm? Pointing me in the right direction may start a bunch more questions as to the fine points of this change But I'm having enough trouble driving the truck project in the back yard, I need steering easier and faster than I am. GPster

[enjenjo]

The GM 605 power steering shares mounting with the Vega box, in fact it was available a couple years on them.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

there are various power steering "quickener" boxes out there too.

They use them on sprint cars and such

[GPster]

The GM 605 power steering shares mounting with the Vega box,

That number appears here quite often (mostly by you). Vegas with power steering are getting kind of rare around here. Do they have 605 stamped (or cast) on them somewhere? Can you give me a year and car model size to look for them in? I hope they don't have a pittman arm on them like the old Novas and Cameros with the joint made in them rather than drilled for the taper of a tie rod end. GPster

[enjenjo]

Most common on 78 to 80 GM intermediates, Monte carlo and so forth, but they were used to 87 on some models.

[GPster]

Most common on 78 to 80 GM intermediates, Monte carlo and so forth, but they were used to 87 on some models.

Boy that doesn't help a lot.  I've been looking around for one of those to take the body off of and use the frame and floor under the Jeepster body. Been even thinking that if I could find a runner I wouldn't have to put that SBC 350 and 350 turbo back together. I could tell Linda that I needed the steering box and I could make money on the deal because the "Stipper" is paying $140.00 a ton for car bodies. But the I'd need a car hauling trailer, and a truck to pull it with ................................GPster

[GPster]

Not much luck in our weekly shopper, probably going to take two or more trips. I'll have to find a power steering pump too.  How bad is that going to be because I planned on running  a short water pump on the 350? GPster

[enjenjo]

The pump is easy, most any of them will work. The hard part is the bracket, 65 to 68 passenger car, 65 to 82 Corvette. There are aftermarket brackets available.

[GPster]

The hard part is the bracket, 65 to 68 passenger car, 65 to 82 Corvette. There are aftermarket brackets available.

I just looked at an old Speedway catalog, They showed one that mounted on the lower left and is made for the "short" water pump. Along with your list of possibilities, didn't Chevy trucks use the short water pump til '72? Maybe a few more parts purchases will keep me from "butchering" the Jeepster even worse. If I'm going to run a power steering pump  maybe I should read that forum about the remote power brakes again. GPster

[enjenjo]

The Chevy trucks used a similar bracket, but ir's enough different that it won't fit in most cars. It mounted the pump considerably lower than the car bracket did.

[C9]

We searched all of the local and small town junkyards for a Vega box a few weeks back.
From Kingman, AZ to Needles, CA.

(I know, we're dreamers - I bought the one in my 32 in 1987.  Out of 25 Vega's in the junkyard there were only two boxes.  They were overly popular even then.)

We found a GM - fairly sure there - box that looked like it would work, but the pitman shaft rotated opposite to what was needed.  That included having the pitman arm in front.  So be careful and really think about that part of it.

We finally found a Saginaw #122.
It's a touch larger than a Vega, different bolt pattern, but it worked fine in the 29 A sedan my friend is putting together for a guy.
Nice part about it is the swoopy Pitman arm is easily reversible - same pitman shaft spline pattern as the Vega I believe and that makes it real easy if you want to use an aftermarket pitman arm.
Regardless, the stock pitman arm on the #122 is very usable as is and it's flatter than the Vega pitman arm.
The #122 box sat lower than the Vega would, perhaps 1/2 - 1", but no problems with road clearance etc.
Motor mounts used for the SBC were the smaller of the late factory style stock mounts adapted to a couple of plates and a tube for the cross-bolt.

The brakcet for the #122 was simply a flat plate and it didn't require the short tubular standoffs to kick the box 1/4 - 1/2" or so away from the frame.

Like Enjenjo says, there are other options.
Some of them are available rebuilt through regular parts store.
I'd found #605 Saginaw boxes locally available from a parts house up to about three years ago.
More than likely they're still availalbe.
Core charge wasn't too big either.

A few pics follow in the next post.

[C9]

I also have pics of the Saginaw 525 and 800 if that would help.

[GPster]

(I know, we're dreamers - I bought the one in my 32 in 1987.  They were overly popular even then.)  same pitman shaft spline pattern as the Vega I believe
the short tubular standoffs to kick the box 1/4 - 1/2" or so away from the frame.I'd found #605 Saginaw boxes locally

I've probably had this Vega box since the early '80s. It would be nice if the pittman arm fit a 605  because the box mount is already designed to place the steering rod level with the ground when hooked up to the spindle arms and parralell with the tie rod when the steering is straight ahead. Also would be nice if the steering shaft that goes to the rear is the same size and spline as I've already got a universal for it. I'm going out and check with a local Dirt Track Car builder (Forest Huff) about a box. He told me the other day that he had cut up 11 of those "down-sized" GM cars to get 2 frames to build. Maybe he's got some spares. I might be able to look at the truck pump brackets because my engine mounts ( tube crossmember like yours) is above the frame, not between the rails and with a fairly flat pittman arm the steering box is rather low. That steering box that you saw that turned backwards was probably off of some kind of Jeep. There used to be people around here that thought that because they looked like GM boxes they were. Some people tried to get their Cherokees to steer easier only to find out it was the WRONG WAY to go. Should have picked the box up. You could use it to rear-steer an S-10. GPster

[GPster]

. I'm going out and check with a local Dirt Track Car builder (Forest Huff) about a box. He told me the other day that he had cut up 11 of those "down-sized" GM cars to get 2 frames to build. Maybe he's got some spares. GPster

Just talked to him. He saved all the boxes and uses them and won't part with any, His customers must be hard on them. He did offer the comment that they're kind of hard to find around here (he's got some,I don't). GPster

[enjenjo]

I'll take a look, I may have one or more. If I do you can have it. I know I have a ton of 800 series boxes. We are in the midst of a barn cleanout and reoganization right now, Josh needed some spending money