Full Size Ford Steering Upgrade Guide

Many people today are looking to upgrade to a little more modern steering feel on their classic Galaxie, Customline, or other full size Ford project. There are many choices available from the aftermarket today. I would suggest thoroughly researching the pros and cons of each kit before just jumping in with both feet. Some kits do not allow the use of column shifters and some may have header clearance issues. Ask many questions of the supplier and also cruise the ‘net to get feedback from others who have tried such a swap. There are typically two types of conversions available for these cars. The first type is a rack-and-pinion steering gear and the second would is an integral type steering gearbox as found on 65 and later full size Ford products. I will list both types below. Many of these kits will work on Mercury, Lincoln, and even Edsels when a common platform is shared. I plan on trying a couple of these kits out on some of the full size Ford projects currently residing in our stable. Full write-ups will be posted here on this site as these are completed.

Rack and Pinion Design:

Wurth-It Designs (54-64) Utilizes GM J-car rack

Flaming River (62-64) Complete cradle including steering column

Fat Man Fabrications (54-56)

Unisteer (55-64)

Integral Power Steering:

ABS Brake (49-72) Column modifications required

Borgeson (52-64) Column modifications required

Fat Man Fabrications (57-64) Delphi box, floor shift only

Gearhead Cruisers (49-64) Modified Saginaw 605 box

Again, take your time and do your homework before diving into any one of these kits. All of the above kits are easily found on the web.

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