Re: [Amc-list] Steering box changes, early 60s to later

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 3 Apr 2007, Swygert, Francis G MSgt 436 CES/CECM wrote:

> AMC). The only big difference is the pitman arm stud that connects to
> the drag link -- the taper and size is different from early 60s AMCs. I
> got around this by driving a couple small steel pins in beside the stud
> -- not the ideal way, but it worked.

Wow, that sounds dangerous!

I feel certain that there is a way to accomplish this. I had
most of a '79 Spirit front suspension under my 63 Rambler,
to get the small-tapers.

The 67?-up chassis is narrower in the "frame rails" by one inch.
Therefore the steering link -- the forged part that links
the pitman arm to the idler arm, and from which the tie rods
dangle out to the steerin arms -- is one inch narrower --
but is otherwise *identical*.

Get a center link, pitman arm, idler arm from a 70-up car. it
bolts into the 63. To preserve steering geometry space the
idler arm off the chassis 1/2" and space the steerin box off the
chassis the same amount. You'll have to loosen the under-dash
steering column support and readjust all that to compensate
for the new steerin box angle (it's minor). The force on the
idler arm arm is tangential and limited so this is easily safe.


This is what I have not done but it's easily tested -- you can
use 63 Classic OUTER tie rod ends with 70-up INNER tie rod ends,
or you can swap the steering arms with 70-up parts and use all
70-up tied rod parts -- this is what I did. (You might have to
work out a solution for the steering-stops built into the 63
vs. 70-up. My recall here is dim.)

The only part that can't be easily swapped out is unfortunate,
the lower ball joint. The 63 ball joint is $50 and up; the
70-up ball joint is common as dirt and $20.

The problem is that you'd need a steering knuckle with a small
taper and those have upper ball joints and not trunnion ends.

The lower arm also has some issue with the strut rod, different
angle, hole pattern, something, I forget.



Last but not least -- clearly, a simple taper adapter would
save the day. The part is simple but very difficult to make
at home. It wouldn't have to be hardened, just the right taper
and thickness.

Place over the modern, small-taper part, stick into big hole,
and tighten. Voila!




> The manual arm wouldn't fit the power box.

For some reason, there is a power pitman arm and a manual
pitman arm.  Same overall design, but the big end has a different
hole size.

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