68 Power steering to 20:1 manual

[MaMopar]

I have seen these units they look easy, but I want to have everything I need to do the job before I start.  The power steering is not hooked up, we have issues with pitman arm.  I'm ready to go the manual route.  I drive this car once in a while, 4 speed & manual steering this is a true MUSCLE car cause I need all I got to turn her.  The person who had this car before we acquired it did a lot of F***U* engineering on it.  The power steering unit came off ?, the Pitman arm is off ?.  Ya know what I mean.  I need help.

Thanks Guys

MaMopar

[Mike DC]

I don't quite understand the question?


If you're converting to 20:1 manual steering from the stock 24:1 manual ratio, I've heard that the 20:1 ratio is pretty hard to turn.  It was really a NASCAR deal.  They were gonna cruise at 100+ mph and they could deal with a faster-ratio manual steering more easily than on a street car.  Other than that issue I think the 20:1 box is just a bolt-in deal. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

If you want something more like a manual setup for a street car, I would probably just hook up a less-assisted-than-stock power steering setup from "Firm Feel" or one of their competitors.  The full-manual 24:1 steering in a B-body is pretty heavy and still feels very slow. 

Most modern cars/trucks are more like 14:1 ratios. 

Mopar's stock power-assisted steering boxes were 16:1 ratio.  The E-body AAR & T/A power steering setups were 12:1, but the PS gearbox itself wasn't different.  It just had a longer pitman arm on the same basic 16:1 internal steering gears.

 

[375instroke]

Are you asking what you need to convert to manual steering?  You need the box, the pitman arm, and a manual steering column, or an adapter from a '70s van or one of the suspension shops.  I'm a skinny guy and think the manual box is easy to turn except at a complete stop.  The slow ratio is what sux.  When I need to turn fast, I just keep turning, and turning, and turning...  It's the speed, not the effort.

[MaMopar]

Thanks for the input, all we need is the time and a little money helps too.  Just kidding, we spend to much time cruisin on the weekends, work long days all week.  When it gets cold this is close to the top of the list of things to do.

MaMopar