I was wondering if someone could tell me the chaeapest way to do a P/S conversion on a '73 FJ40?

cut your own plates
make your own spacers
and get alot of black clothing, find someone with a old gm car, go to their house in the middle of the night...

do you have a 350?
I'd say saginaw is proboly the cheapest way if you do all the work yourself
Matt

I do have a 350 and what is the cost of a saginaw p/s conversion.

Bout $400 if you do everything yourself and you use junkyard parts such as the box and the pump.

Jeff

I just did mine for a little $300 and really splurged on a high quality shaft/u-joints. Check out woody's site IH8Mud.com for tech then go to the local pull-a-part.

Saginaw 4bolt/4 turn box $30
Saginaw pump 20
3/8 inch plate 15
Borgeson Shaft/u-joints 210
steel pipe/assorted hardware ~18
flange bearing 27
Tie rod end 26
total $336

Tips:
Since my junkyard is pretty laid back....
Find the pitman arm you want and replace the one that is on the box w/ the one you want.
Find hoses and fittings that look like they will work and attach them to the box and the pump(so you get two sets)
Bring a template(little over size) to the steel yard and get them to torch it out- grind it smooth and to exact shape yourself.
Use a length of black gas pipe and cut your own spacers/frame crush preventers.
Locate a local bearing supply wholesaler- if your in Atlanta I got one.
Make friends with a machinist/machanic
You could save more money by finding a long enough GM steering shaft and finding a way to make that work- I just wanted to eliminat ethe rag jiont.

I'm a H.S. teacher and got the auto shop guy to tap a length of rod for the tie rod end and welded/sleeved it onto the existing draglink retaining alot of original sterrin components that will be replaced as $$$ allows. Ask around and you will find people to help. Advnce auto has a loan a tool program for the pitman arm puller, tie rod seperator you'l need at the junkyard.

good luck!

i got laser cut plates with spacers and hardware for $60 including shipping:D .

and get alot of black clothing, find someone with a old gm car, go to their house in the middle of the night...


thats not very good advise .

black clothing might cost money.

just use the same clothes that you use when
you are working on youre fj and rub some grease
from the moter on your self.

I think the reason dogwalker spent so much
is he is includeing the price of the welder.

but in all seriousness I would recomend buying
the exspensive u joints instead of useing
the chevy rag joint.

You could also use the pickup PS if you are going to run smaller tires, 33s or so. The box mounts where the manual LC box is, it is a bolt on installation. This allows you to use all of the stock linkage, which is good if you want fast and easy, but it is not as strong as doing a Saginaw. A friend is going to Saginaw and he is selling all the pickup stuff to bolt in to a LC. I'll put you in contact with him if you're interested.

Let's now have an excentric solution....

I think changing the box is a big PITA and isn't cheap either...
Here in France, you're looking for trouble, too when passing the biyearly tech. inspection with weird mods...

So I got thinking, wile contemplating the ram assit stuff, about my own european PS conversion. (factory box not beeing an option, the market price for used (non rebuilt) units being something around $500...)

What I'm about to do, is put a PS control valve between the column and stock box (from a rack & pinion type french sedan)(edit : the valve, not the box !)), and put the ram pushing or pulling the tierod just as a classic ram assist. Pump will not be a big issue since I have plenty of room under the alt. of my Bs.

for now I just bought the main parts : valve, ram (2x8") and pump for a little more than $100 all. At which I'll have to add ~$50-100 for misc. parts : hoses, belt...

I can keep the board updated about tjis if anybody's interested...

Bye,

Denis

of course we are interested in any thing that is done diferently.

but please use a diferent post and add pics if you can.

Originally posted by denis

Here in France, you're looking for trouble, too when passing the biyearly tech. inspection with weird mods...

What I'm about to do, is put a PS control valve between the column and stock box (from a rack & pinion type french sedan)(edit : the valve, not the box !)), and put the ram pushing or pulling the tierod just as a classic ram assist. Pump will not be a big issue since I have plenty of room under the alt. of my Bs.


I think the authorities would be of the opinion that what you propose is far "weirder" than putting on a system that looks nearly stock. Go for it and let us know how it works.

i am in the middle of a sagamaw conversion that is costing me about 175 all together

i am using the stearing box mounting plate from downey off road
$50
the tie rod and end from downey
$75

junk yard 3 bolt box from s10
pittman arm from a old catalac
powerstering pump from any gm
stearing driveshaft from a jeep cheroce has u jount that goes directaly to the box
I got all this for under $50 (half price day)

gm tilt collom from el camino
i diddnt buy it it was given to me

the mointig plate from downey worked out good because it allows for the 3 bot box to be used they are eiser to find and cleener when you do find them

i am makeing a plate to weld to the columb to ancor it to the floor

the stering shaft from the cheroke is too short but all i need to do is cut it and weld a pice in

I just finished mine.

Here's the real picture:

You can really save a lot of big bucks by going to the used parts store or junk yard, but it is going to take you a very loooooong time before you could complete it. You can not do this only on weekends. You got to be there at the junkyard on weekdays to improve your odds of finding what you need.

I live about 3 miles from Sun Valley, CA and there are about 20+ junk yard in that city. I spend a lot of time looking and more times being frustrated for not finding the parts I need. There's a lot of mix and match. I also have to pay extra for parts insurance, which covers any return of bad or wrong parts that I bought.

The cruiser sat on jackstand for months before I could get all the parts I needed. And all those time, I missed all the 4wheeling that my friends had.

Junk yards are source of good parts, but better make sure you find somebody who have done this conversion before. If you live in Los Angeles, I can definitely help you.

Am I going to do it again? I'll think twice!

jeep cherokee has u joint that fits the gm box ??

I have never heard of this before ?????


I want to know more PlEASE>>>>>
What year cherokee ???

any more info would be great.

the u joint i got was from a late eighties early 90s cherokee it is hard to tell wich they all look the same to me.

but yes it fits right on the newer saganaw ps box (3 bolt 1980+)
the only thing about using this box is you have to use the downey offroad tipe mountig plate.

i dont no that ther is a way to make this plate yourself but it is cheeper than buying aftermarcket u joints

maby if uoy asked the jeep section the would no wich years of cherokee used the saganaw power stearing you could find out more
:)

You could also use the pickup PS if you are going to run smaller tires, 33s or so. The box mounts where the manual LC box is, it is a bolt on installation. This allows you to use all of the stock linkage, which is good if you want fast and easy, but it is not as strong as doing a Saginaw. A friend is going to Saginaw and he is selling all the pickup stuff to bolt in to a LC. I'll put you in contact with him if you're interested.

I did this setup, except i used a box from a 1982 minitruck($50). You will have to get a sag pump($15), and fab up brackets for the pump and box($10 for steel). However, as stated this SUCKS if you have bigger than 33's. I am NOT running this setup anymore, hehehehe... but it was cheap!

have not done mine yet but saw a cool product from there tapered plugs that you weld in to a 1" pipe and then screw in your tie rod ends.http://www.avalancheengr.com/

You can use a minitruck box to do this? Why does is not work with tires bigger than 33's? I run 35's and this seems like a cheap way to put on ps.

:beer: :usa:


thanks guys

hey donald!
the mini truck stuff is really more of a power assist, not a full power steering setup. not enough power to turn bigger tires, especially under a load.

hey goldenarrow: ever been to a spelling bee?!:flipoff2:
fawkin newbies; gotta love 'em.
just bustin your chops a little bro!:D

LandCrusher,

no prob., I will


FeCamel,

My system WILL look nearly stock for somebody who doesn't know 'bout cruisers (nobody does except cruiserheads)

A box at the end of the frame, with a looong column with custom ujoints, and a very big bracket on top of which... nothing will not make it, I think. (never seen this kind of setup on french cruisers. a couple belgian though...)

Bye,

Denis

Originally posted by denis
My system WILL look nearly stock for somebody who doesn't know 'bout cruisers (nobody does except cruiserheads)


Yeah, but the truck system will look even MORE stock to an untrained eye. That was my point. The only difference is a few lines and the pump on the block. Your setup needs lines, the pump, PLUS the valve, more lines to the ram, and the ram itself. Don't get me wrong, it is a good idea and I hope you can get it to work, I was just stating the easiest most stock-looking method.

Donald-Orange is right, it is more of a power assist. It's like giving your stock manual box a little more juice. I think 35" tires would burn it up pretty quickly in the rocks. My friend never had problems on his 33s, but I think it struggled occasionally. It would be a step up though, if you do fry it, you are just left with manual again (and all the ancillary junk).

FeCamel,

I understand your point and have to agree, but though my BJ40 is not an extreme rockcrawler with big tires (7.50x16 only for now) the mini swap would be a big PITA because we simply have very very few minis here. The conversion I'm doing, if it works right, will probably (or is already ? never seen something similar yet...) be the usual european way...

Anyway, time will tell me...

Bye,

landcrusher my steering shaft is from a jeep. It fit the box fine and I modified the stock column to work with the ujoint on one end


arndog

Well I don't know what the cheapest way to do it is "yet", but I am starting my conversion this weekend, so come next week sometime I will give an update.

I am the cheapest bastard out there, so you can bet your ass mine will be in-expensive (Way different that cheap) hahaha :flipoff2:

Plans are for.....

Saginaw 4 bolt box, Chevy pump, Chevy steering column, York compressor and alternator on passenger side......Oh yeah....:D

can some people explain a little more about the mini truck setup? how much work is it to swap the stuff and what exactly would I need? If the pump burnt up would it turn like it does now? what do I have to lose you know?

Donald


:beer: :usa:

With the truck setup, you bolt their power box to where your manual box is, it bolts right in. Then you need to mount the pump. You will need to fab or buy brackets for this. Connect some lines from the pump to the box (a cooler is a good idea). Get a belt to run to the pump, and you've got power steering. If it fails, you are left with manual steering just like before. So there is really nothing to lose, except your time and $$$. Here is the e-mail address for my friend who is selling his. He can give you more detail as to the installation and capabilities of the system. bbumbl40@hotmail.com His name is Shawn, tell him Matt sent you. I think he is selling a whole system (box, pump, brackets, lines, cooler).

hey goldenarrow: ever been to a spelling bee?!


yes i have and i was the first one to lose. Just because i cant spell doesent meen i cant pass on my knologe you undserstod what i ment:flipoff2: :jeep3:

Geez, I thought you would of kicked ass at a spelling bee!

With the truck setup, you bolt their power box to where your manual box is, it bolts right in.

i had to build a custom bracket for mine. I dunno if you have done this before, maybe you used a different year model PS box. I torched out the rivets holding the old box to the frame, and then built a new bracket to line the box up with the rag joint. The minitruck box has different angle to it than the cruiser box...

laters-

The stock powersteering gear box housing is still available from Toyota. The innerds from the pu truck will fit right in. The cost is around $300. It uses the stock lc mounting bracket.