1966 Power Steering Brackets

[Guinness69]

I'm considering converting my 66 3/4 ton to power steering and I've been looking at kits and have found them to be very pricey. I can see paying for the major components but not big bucks for the brackets that it seems I will need. Does anyone have the dimensions for the brackets in the picture? If so I would appreciate them as I'm more than certain that I can fab some up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[64fleetside]

I thought about copying the brackets before I put them on, but decided that $59 was a just price, I bolted it all up in about 30 minutes + I don't need some lawyers talking about copyrights or trademark infringement. You are paying for the engineering/design, not the metal. Any box from 68-87 will work. Spend the $59 or don't do it, mine was rigged on before by PO & was truly a danger to drive. If the box is not properly placed bump steer will be incredible. Brian

[Shorty Cox]

You can do it without a kit. I did, and thus far, no problems. If you do it without a kit, don't tell anyone on the borad. You will catch *#$@. Everytime I talk about it on here, I catch it for my econo setup. The thing to remember is, none of this is brain surgury. Try something, if that don't work, try something else. You are just as smart as those guys at the fab shop that built the kit. Get some plate, measure and fab your own bracket. Things I know from doing mine. The stock steering box had three bolts, the power steering box has four. The common bolt hole is the lower rear hole. Use it as the starting point to measure from. Hang the steering box by that bolt, pivot the box until the pitman arm lines with the dragline, mark the other three holes, use those measurements to make the bracket. You will learn the the lower front bolt hole hangs right on the lower edge of the frame rail, thus you can't drill a hole, hence you need a bracket that hangs below the frame rail. You will also have to fab some spacers to mount the box so the "hump" will clear the frame rail. Another thing i would suggest is get the lower porition of the doner truck steering shaft, rag joint and all. You will need to cut the stock shaft off a few inches, the doner shaft is hollow and your stock shaft will slip inside it, thus you weld it and pin it. Another thing to think about, if you don't have the necessary tools to fab the bracket, the $59.00 for the kit just may be the cheapest way out.

[64fleetside]

I have also done it Shorty's way, but for $59(at Chevy Duty) I saved at least an hour maybe two of fighting a heavy PS box under fender trying to mark holes etc. With the kit I was done in 30 mins.+ its double plated. I bought my 1st 64 as a stalled project, already had PS & disc brakes added. I got it running & went for a spin. Scariest (very short)ride ever, every bump would send the truck to one direction or the other. PO had the box too far forward which had the drag link at an angle to the front end. My 2 cents as a mechanic for 20 years. Brian

[Guinness69]

Thank to all of your advice. I didn't realized that you could actually end up with the box in the wrong position which could make driving it unpleasureable. I also had not seen any brackets for $59 yet. Everything I had seen so far either came in a kit with the box, like I pictured for hundreds of dollars or I found the brackets alone for 100 or so. I will check out Chevy Duty, must have missed them when I thumbed through their catalog.

[64fleetside]

Chevy Duty, they have a website, www.chevyduty.com , Pt # 76-979, $59.95 cheapest I have found, Brian

[Iron-Butt]

I used the 59.00 kit. It was great. You have to figure out what your time cost when you make your own brackets.

[Shorty Cox]

Unless you take time off from a paying job to make your own bracket, (or for any project) one can't asign time with a value. Unless you die during the project, you are going to live that time anyway. You would not have been paid for the time spent making the bracked. How else can i say it,,,If you own the time you are spending, you can give it a value. You are going to spend it doing something, it don't just stop.

Forgive me, i'm not being a smartass, it is just a philosophy. Everytime i see or hear someone say, "if you count your time" i have to say the above.