Early GM Power Steering?

Just throwing this out there:

I know as an engineer people tend to get stuck on one thought process.

Like Donivan said, on idea leads to others coming up with more.

so heres my out of the box idea. Lookat this valve and piston on the same bar the way the the manufacturer does it.



I'm thinking it should all be on the drag link, something like this.



what are your thoughts

M1

Smething like that.

The newer ford control valves can with the pitman are detachable and a taper pin stays in the valve just like the way GM does it. You can buy that taper pin that takes a castlated nun with a new boot and seals as a kit to dotch the attached pitman arm.

I'm thinking dont even use the old drag link, use another bar or bar stock and thead it at both ends so you put the valve on one end and a tie rod end and sleave on the other end

M1

Thanks Donivan, apictures worth a towsand words.

Only thing is the valve trigar has to be at the pitman arm end so it is tripped by the driver and not the wheels on the road responding to bumps or ruts and stuff.

You might notice if it were built up like this, the hoses beween the valve and piston will be short little things that dont need to move much.

M1

OK, still beeting my brains out on this.

After much research I have decided the control valve at the steering arm might work if you use the GM valve and only on the 2nd gen vans.

On the 1st gen vans the sway bar and the fact that the drag link intersects the steering arm from the bottom means there simply is no room for the valve at the wheel end. At the pitman arm end, you will have to cut a large round hole through the body so the valve will protrude out behind the bumper on left turns. The ford valve will hit the bumper, the GM valve will have to have very tight 180* hoses that would aslo have to poke through the body and would just clear the bumper. If the whole point of this conversion was to not chop up the van then valve mounting at the pitman arm is not reasonable.

If you dont care about choping up the original van and especially if you are changing up your steering colum then I recomend Sparky's integral steering box conversion. It in my view is safe and not more work then converting to the assistance type system.

I on the other hand don't want to chop up the van and I want the vintage look of the original steering wheel and colum. For these reasons I have been looking at Isohorny's original set up with the valve mounted in the midle of the drag link. I know some think that set up looks unsafe or cumbersome or rough. But this man is a pioneer and his general idea is good, useful and I believe it safe. It may look rough but hey! its a proto type built by hit and miss craftsmanship that actually gives us the advatage and opperatunity to improve upon it. Thank you Isohorny (whom ever you are). I am currently re-designing this idea with the foird valve and l am quite thrilled with the much smaller and refined version I am creating.
At this point I need your help.
I am studing the Moog master catalog 1942-1990. The Corvan drag link is adjustable with a sleeve and at least the 61-63 steering arm end takes the same tie rod taper pin size as our vans.

Does anybody have access to a corvan?? or corvan drag link?? I think 61-63 is a different size then 64-65 corvan. I would like to know what length the drag links are and if posible for each, are the two ends the same size taper pin? Does anyone have maintenance manual images from a corvan steeringl?

Problems and cures:
Sparky's work has revealed a valid consideration; he dosn't like the school bus feel of the steering wheel needing turning and turning so much to make your turns. He aslo states there is no point in power steering if all its going to do is make the steering easier, I agree, He recomends a longer pitman arm to increase the steering ratio. My studies show that most power steering setups do just that, the leverage of the shorter pitmam arm is not needed with power steering. I have decided 1/2 or 3/4" longer is right.

This bring to mind resolution to another problen some vanners are having power or manual steering. When you redo your leaf springs for higher ride high, (or lower) the steering wheel and box goes off center. This is a problem that is not fixed by repositioning ther steering wheel or getting an alignment. The steeing box has a center position where the box actually has increased friction (when adjusted right) to increase strait line stability on the highway. When the ride high of your van is altered other then stock high, an adjustable drag link is needed to re-center the box and steering wheel. This is one reason I am asking for reseach help on the Corvan drag links. (another way of solving this problem is a longer pitman arm but this is good only for raised suspention and power steering combo).

Feed back please

m1

This here is the only fix I have been able to come up with for an adjustable drag link.


1971-72 G30 Van inner tie rod end (ES409L)and sleeve (ES2004S). Cut the end off your drag link, in a lathe reduce the section that was 9.5" to 13" from the center of the ball end you cut off. It needs to be reduced to and Lathe thread cut for an 11/16-18RH thread to mate with the sleeve or Buy a die from https://www.travers.com/ type PN 17-044-183 into the search.

There is no tie rod adjusting sleeve availible with a 3/4" thread.

m1

Here is the first part of the plan built up.
This is the lower, or steering arm end.

Some stock, 4130 seam less 1" tube with .156 wall, had an inside dia just right for tapping to 3/4 18tpi and some 4130 3/4" bar stock.





The first part is the valve attach and slider ( you will see why its called a slider later). Its 7.5" piece of the bar stock with a 3'4 20 thread at on end and a 11/16 18 on the other to fit the tie rod sleeve. you have to have a lathe to make this.








more to come
m1

Buiding up the second part of plan "B"



Cut the end off the ford pitman arm



A little welding






Thread the end for a tie rod end to the steering box



put it all together with the slider temporarilt hose clamped in place



It fits in well and clears the wide ties and all no problems.



I'm happy with this so far.

M1d

WOW, you gunna market them?

theres been 5 requests to purchase so I will consider that but not until later. I have to get my own van on the raod first. then I will have a chance to test run this PS and make improvmments if nessesary. I may manufacture a batch or just provide drawings and instructions for others to make or have made. That wont likely be until about a year from now.

M1D

If you end up selling this setup, I will totally buy one.

Yes Donivan that is so, The idea Joyryde is working on for the 2nd gen is good, will be lighter and cleaner then what I am building. Unfortunatly the 1st gen is different enough with sway bar and all that there just is no room for the valve at the steering arm or the pitman arm ends on the first gen.

So I am builging a refined version of what David Addis built up, which infact is simular to the way its done on some tractors, implement equipment and in boats. ( the control valve mounted in the middle of the link).

Some additional features my design are , the length is adjusteable for steering wheel re-centering (needed when you alter spring hight), and the tie rod end can be swiveled either way to fit both 1st or 2nd gen vans.

One feature I like about the ford valve is its sensativity can be easily adjusted. On its end there is a cap with two screws. Under that cap is a nut on a spring loaded shaft. You can literaly make the valve delived more or less hydraulic preasure to the ram for the same anount of valve triggar movement when installed. This will come in handy on such a Frankinstine build up like mine where I am not only building what you see but I will run a GM PS pump on the ford valve.

M1D

Great work and design M1D!!! I love it!! Everything just seems to get better, each time it goes into someone else's hands!! lol You should have worked in the GM "Design" division with your talents!! lol
B.W.

Did a little more on the second part of plan B.
Finished the welding , added a greese niple for the slider. I will use a couple pieces of bycicle tube with tye raps to made seals.







M!D

final assembley of the control valve/drag link.

Made boots from 3/4" bicycle tube, glued and tye rap in place.



Install the valve triggar first



insert the slide shaft and pin and clamp it





tie up ther boots and fill with grease



this replaces the drag link



M1D

Installed it with the original pitman arm and adjusted the tie rod to center the steering wheel



full left turn, no issuse



full right turn, clears the wide tires by 1" and valve just clears the spring perch by 1/8"







now the cylinder next

M1D

Heres a little better picture




M1D

If you wanted to build thi s, you could save money by choping up your stock drag link and useing it as part of the build up. You wouldn't have to buy the tie rod ends or sleeve and there would be much less machine work required. You would end up with an assembly that is lenght adjustable.

For mounting the cylinder you will need this part of the ford drag link,



chop it up like this





Now you could weld this to a piece of 1/4"X1" flat stock and bolt it to the right aft leaf spring U bolt the way CCP builds thier "bolt on " kits.

I intend however to turn it into a bolt and drill a hole through the verticle web of the axle and bolt it directly to the axle for a clean and tight looking installation.






M1D

The Bolt I made fits nice and its strong.









M1D