Power steering and Bakes

[Joe Block]

Has anyone adapted later model power steering or brakes to 1940-42 Senior. I like to give my arms and legs a break (brakes) on rig, and was wonder it a later model power pump would adapted.

thanks.

[Guest Albert]

If you can find a power steering pump they used on some of the GM's where the pump is attached to the rear of the generator, that would make that end of it simple, just have to change the pully to the wide pully you already have. as far as using a powersteering box, or the ram/ control valve that could take som fab work there..

[Rusty_OToole]

Here is something you can try for easy steering.

Have your front end aligned with the caster cut to practically nothing. As close to 0 as you dare.

Then add a steering damper.

Reducing the caster will make the car steer easier but reduce its self centering action and also encourage shimmy.

The steering damper kills the shimmy.

Mercedes Benz cars were set up this way for years.

For a steering damper they make them for off road 4 wheel drive vehicles, they are not hard to get or to adapt.

One more thing. If you have radial tires pump them up to 32 lbs.

Do these things and you won't care if you have power steering.

[Joe Block]

Thaks for the tips, I run a heavy duty steering damper on Ram Diesel, so I am familar with that set up. I was hoping for somehthing like the early mustang used, where the steering damper was also the power steering ram.

[Rusty_OToole]

Wouldn't that be great? If you could get a simple bolt on power steering?

Until something like that comes along though....

When our old cars were made they had to be easy to steer. If they are set up as original, and a proper alignment is done they are not hard to steer except at a dead stop or very slow parking.

This is with the bias ply tires. Radials add a lot of drag to the steering.

A good front end alignment will do wonders and so will pumping up the radials to a higher pressure.

The low caster + steering damper trick helps too.

All in all it is possible to make the old babies steer easy and accurate without power steering.

[Joe Block]

Yes I will be retiring within the 2 years. I also have a plan to add power steering on my 25 hp Kubota tractor using some type power assist. so I will figure something one day.

I pickup another Packard. (that 4 four) just recieve it at the barn down in oregon, a 1940 Limo 180. it looks complete a lot of surface rust, wrecker that hauled back from texas, said she pretty straight, and had lot of questions and answers. She got the cormorant, delux banjo wheel, all the glass, and lights,deluxe pushbutton radio, heater, so most of the hard parts are there. the real work is to decide if i can afford to restore it. It one of those with an engine complete including the air cleaner, carb starter etc.

One could say she barn fresh, but it been outside for a while too.

I say the idea is get the engine to fire then I can move on it own four wheels. That alwaays a good place to start.

[Rusty_OToole]

To get back to your original question. Perhaps the easiest power steering to add on would be the type used by Packard in the 50s. This had a hydraulic cylinder in place of the tie rod. Plus of course the hydraulic pump.

If you could find one of those it might be the easiest to adapt. You would have to add a bracket to the frame for a reaction point.

Packard used a Bendix power steering system. Similar systems were made by Ross and Monroe.

It is important to use the matching pump. Different pumps put out different pressures. The difference is in system design, the same maker's pumps all put out about the same pressure regardless of year or which make of car they were on.

The other way would be to replace your steering box with a more modern power steering box. This would require a lot more carving up of your car's originality but could be done by a good hot rod shop.

The power brakes would be easier. There is a type of booster that can be added on to your car. It works off the pressure from your stock master cylinder.

The other alternative is to replace your stock master cylinder with a newer one that has a booster on it. This would require making a special mounting bracket.

So it would be possible for enough $$$$$ bucks. There are ways to do it with minimal alterations to your car's originality.