Porting stock bronco steering gear box

[Boss Hugg]

I'm sure there are people that search for how to port a bronco steering gear box, so here's a link to how I did mine. While it's not an indept thread, it should give the general idea. And I want to thank Yeller for the confirmation that I knew what I was doing. Without tearing it apart, I couldn't REALLY trace the fluid paths, but with his help, I had enough understanding to guess correctly once I had the box off the frame.

To drill the holes and keep shavings from getting into the box, I put it a vice like it would be mounted on the frame and drilled sideways so the fluid could push the shavings out, and for added security, I held the end of a shop vac hose to it, so the vacuum would draw the fluid out with more force.

Enjoy.

EDIT: I've posted pics in a post below, but here's the link to my partial build thread.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3116027&postcount=35

 

[Boss Hugg]

And on a relate note... CHECK YOUR DRILL BIT SIZE BEFORE DRILLING TOO FAR. I used a 3/8 when I thought I had grabbed a 5/16. they were laying amongst a few other bits...

So on mine, one of my ports is actually threaded at 1/4" and the other at 1/8". I used a brass bushing because it was all I had, and I went all the way in until the hex appeared to be touching the housing, and did the same with the steel fitting I used.

 

[Boss Hugg]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dlish]

Good info, thanks for sharing.

Get some more air out of it? Feel any better?

 

[Boss Hugg]

Man, driving down the driveway, there's almost NO resistance in the steering. It does seem like I could use a little more pressure when it's all twisted up, but it'll work fine. In those situations, you don't necessarily need to turn too quick anyway. I'm happy with the way it all turned out, and it'll be tested pretty hard next week!

 

[Toddpole]

Looks good but I'd lose that brass bushing. Use steel or replace the adapter with a 6mj-4mp (2404-6-4) https://www.amazon.com/Midland-2404-6-4-Straights-37degree-Connector/dp/B00OKT970G

 

[Apogee]

...So on mine, one of my ports is actually threaded at 1/4" and the other at 1/8". I used a brass bushing because it was all I had, and I went all the way in until the hex appeared to be touching the housing, and did the same with the steel fitting I used.

Is that right? You tapped the box 1/4" NPT and 1/8" NPT? I'd think 1/8" NPT would be overly restrictive and possibly slow down the ram to the point of being no fun to drive. Are you running an extremely small diameter ram-assist cylinder? Even if it works as is, undersized fittings can cause excessive turbulence, heat, pressure drop, etc, all bad things in a steering system.

 

[Boss Hugg]

I read it somewhere. Not sure where. They were supposed to both be 1/8. I agree it would seem they need to be bigger, and it may be part of the problem I had of it turning too slow, but with the Superduty pump upgrade and the smaller pulley, it's doing fine. It wouldn't be too much work to drill it on out, but I'm not taking the box off this close to OCBR for sure. So itll have to wait.

 

[Apogee]

I read it somewhere. Not sure where. They were supposed to both be 1/8. I agree it would seem they need to be bigger, and it may be part of the problem I had of it turning too slow, but with the Superduty pump upgrade and the smaller pulley, it's doing fine. It wouldn't be too much work to drill it on out, but I'm not taking the box off this close to OCBR for sure. So itll have to wait.

What size cylinder are you running? The typical 2" x 8"? When we added ram-assist to my brother's Toyota, we ported his box 1/4" NPT and never had an issue, which I believe were PSC's recommendation. It turns his 35x13.5 Toyo M/T's easy-peasy and without any noticeable decrease in speed compared to the steering gear by itself.

Did you add a power steering fluid cooler while you were there? I'd be concerned about over-heating your fluid at OCBR, so if not, bring plenty of power steering fluid with you and have fun!

 

[Boss Hugg]

I think it's a 2x8. It came from WH. I had installed a transmission cooler for power steering when I did my efi swap. I had plumbed the HB return to the cooler also. The steering return was T'd into the return line, so that it had to make a 90 degree angle INTO THE HB return. So I put the T at the return port of my reservoir with the HB T'd into it without going thru the cooler. At the same time, I had switch my HB and steering pressure hoses from a 5/16 to 3/8 hoses. Made a YOUUUUge difference.

 

[Yeller]

about the max size the port size in the pump (except very high end high volume pumps) is .188 any larger the pump can't keep up and the vanes start chattering at low rpm, destroying the pump. Most factory pumps the port in the pump is .090-.120. The 1/8" fitting is not the restriction, the pump usually is.

 

[Boss Hugg]

So based on another thread, I decided to rethink my homemade PS pump fitting. I took the original line, brazed the nut to the line (to hold the tip in the fitting) at the arrow in the pic below and then cut it off flush with the hex head. Then I brazed the AN thread cut off another fitting to that.



So my thought now is that the original fitting was kind of tight. So I need to take that fitting out and bore it out some to get some more flow. That's got to be a big restriction. Here's a better pic of the end for those who haven't seen one yet. you can see that either the dude's got REALLY big fingers, or the ID of the tube is very small to be feeding 3/8 hose.

 

[Boss Hugg]

FYI, I think I’m eventually going to port my hydroboost.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nvrstuk]

Boss Hugg.... are you going to do a build thread on the HB rebuild? Be very interested to see if it helps.

 

[Boss Hugg]

I was gonna do a video on it. Went to the JY to find one just like mine (although they all work the same) but no luck. I’ll keep looking tho.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jprisaznik]

What year is your bronco I’m going to buy ram assist setup for my 150 and since I seem to find less info about those and more on broncos here I am. I have a 1977 f150 ranger

 

[nvrstuk]

What year is your bronco I’m going to buy ram assist setup for my 150 and since I seem to find less info about those and more on broncos here I am. I have a 1977 f150 ranger

Old thread here but the frames and glove box years (licensed) for our EB's range from '66-77

 

[DirtDonk]

What year is your bronco I’m going to buy ram assist setup for my 150 and since I seem to find less info about those and more on broncos here I am. I have a 1977 f150 ranger

hey there. Welcome!
You'll need to search out the discussions for porting the "4x4x2" box because that's the one that we take from your vintage full-size truck and retrofit to our Early Broncos.
The only two years that the Broncos matched your truck's box and specs were the '78 and '79 model full-size Broncos.

If you're going to do it yourself then, check out the discussions about that.
If you want an off-the-shelf solution we have an already ported box at Wild Horses here... Oops, just checked and I guess we're still out of boxes. The cores are getting harder and harder to lay our hands on in any volume, so we might get one or two where we used to get fifteen or twenty and have them ported.
We'd sell them along with this ram in kit form: Ram Assist Components
Sorry we don't have any at the moment, but since you already have the truck with the correct type of box on it, you can have yours ported.

If the truck is your daily driver though, you may have to rely on the usual sources for rebuilt steering boxes and then have the new one ported before installing it on your truck. Saves you the downtime.
Even though they're both Saginaw boxes, there is very little in common between the box in this discussion and the one on your truck. Yours is much larger and the input section has a different orientation. Possibly making the porting areas completely different.
So again, find one for the full-size box. We call them "4x4x2" boxes because before we can install them on an Early Bronco we have to convert them to be "reverse steer" by installing new components.
On your truck the pitman arm faces the front of the vehicle. On ours it faces the rear.

Keep all that in mind while doing your searching.
Good luck!

Paul

 

[nvrstuk]

Geeez Paul, made me look bad.

 

[Jprisaznik]

Awesome thank you very much for the info guys !!!