Bland to BAM!
October 17, 2024
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THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
PERFORMING ARTS
Certain cars are stars. The ’57 Chevrolet Bel Air found itself in starring roles since the first car rolled off the assembly line. From its art deco fins and side trim to its potent 283, the car was an instant hit. Fans of the 1957 continue to follow the car, and the number of fans seems endless. Who could blame them? After all, here is a car that can play the role of a custom with ease, then turn around and be the baddest car on the dragstrip. Oval racing was a role in the early years, and today a ’57 Chevrolet in flawless original condition will draw rave reviews. The ’57 Chevrolet is so flexible, it is at home in any automotive role or costume. As a matter of fact, there are precious few configurations that haven’t been applied to this all-time favorite. Some ’57 Chevrolets have done more than one stint in the theater of the go-fast, and it seems there are no limits for these cars.
STEER CLEAR
Dean Brown was looking for another street rod to build after selling his ’40 pickup truck when he heard about a ’52 Chevy panel delivery for sale. As he’d always been fond of these trucks, he decided to take a look. When he saw the panel delivery he found that it was in reasonable condition and was still running fine with the original six-cylinder engine. The truck’s history showed that it was a Helms Bakery truck in the ’50s and had never been modified.
Installing a Custom Accessories Three-Point Harness System
This is the problem in a nutshell: When we are traveling in an automobile, it may seem that we personally are not moving, only the car is. But that is not the case. If the vehicle that we are traveling in happens to stop suddenly, we won’t, unless … there is something there to stop us. That something could be a seatbelt—or it could be something less desirable.
The cold hard fact is that injuries can be suffered during an auto accident. Injuries such as those sustained by the face and head as a result of being thrown into the windshield or dash. Or it could mean those nasty abdominal injuries due to contact with the steering wheel. Either way, it doesn’t sound like much fun. They can also be prevented.
Spotlighter
One Good Turn
Installing a Saginaw 605 Steering Box in a Classic Chevy
The automotive world became a different place when Chevrolet introduced the new ’55. Prior to that time there were many Chevy buyers, but after the ’55s were released there were newborn Chevy enthusiasts. The new Chevys were not only great-looking, but they were also powered with what would become one the finest V-8 engines available anywhere. There was an instant attraction to the ’55, and the interest continued to grow once the ’56 and ’57 were introduced. Fortunately, all three model years became extremely popular, so Chevy enthusiasts took care of them, and many nice examples remain today.
Author
Jeff Tann
Words & Photography
The tri-year Chevys looked quite different from one another, yet their chassis were nearly identical over the three-year run. Right from the start they were good driving cars for their day, with a new independent front suspension and a parallel leaf spring rear, but over the years rodders have made a number of upgrades to improve these cars. One improvement that will make the tri-5 cars easier to drive is a new power steering box. There are kits made for these cars, and because the chassis are all the same, they will fit all three model years.
The ’55 Chevy being worked on here was recently turned into a nice cruiser, and it features a 350 Chevy engine with a Turbo 350 transmission. Many of the parts on the car were upgraded, but the original steering remained. When the car was finished, it looked great and ran strong, but after awhile the owner felt that power steering would make the car much nicer to drive. He investigated several kits and decided on the one offered by American Brake & Steering (ABS). The kit included a power steering pump with a bracket, a Saginaw power steering box with a custom bracket and the hoses required to make the system work. While this was being done, the owner also decided to upgrade the car with a new tilt steering column, and a chrome-plated unit was ordered from Flaming River. The car was already equipped with a Budnik steering wheel, so that was retained.
The installation was done at Dream Cars in Simi Valley, California. The tools required to perform the installation include normal hand tools, a large socket on an impact gun to remove the steering arm nut, and a special steering arm puller. This installation is not extremely difficult, so it took about a day to perform the whole job from start to finish. If you have a tri-year Chevy with an original steering box and want to improve the steering, follow along and we will show you how it’s done.
1. Before the old steering column could be disconnected, the steering wheel was removed. The horn button was lifted from the steering wheel to access the steering shaft nut.
2. The steering column nut was removed with a large socket wrench. After the nut was removed, the wheel was loosened with a steering wheel puller.
3. The wheel was lifted off of the steering shaft. Since this is a very nice steering wheel, it will be installed on the new steering column.
4. The stock steering column was removed by first taking off the chrome-plated bolt cover. After this was removed, the bolts that secure the column to the dash could be accessed.
5. Using a socket wrench, the two bolts and bracket securing the steering column to the dash were removed.
6. After the column was loose on the top, the steering parts on the bottom had to be disconnected. First the large nut that secures the steering arm to the steering box was removed. This same arm will be used on the new steering box.
7. It is difficult, if not impossible, to remove the steering arm from the steering box without a special puller. Here the puller is being used to remove the arm.
8. The column wires were disconnected so the steering column could be removed. The new steering column will have to be wired into the existing system.
9. The steering column was lifted off the shaft. The stock steering box and the shaft are a one-piece unit.
10. The exhaust manifolds also had to be removed. The two center bolts were removed first.
11. Then the chrome-plated exhaust manifold cover was removed.
12. The engine was equipped with stock Chevy “Ram Horn” exhaust manifolds. Using a power socket wrench, the remaining bolts were removed.
13. The exhaust manifolds were carefully removed to provide more clearance for the removal of the steering box.
14. Taking out the spark plugs before the steering box was removed and the new one was installed also enhanced the clearance.
15. Here is the new steering box being removed from the Chevy’s engine compartment. This is a little difficult because the steering box and the shaft are one piece.
16. The new steering box attached to the bracket was installed in the engine compartment. The bracket was designed so that the holes in the bracket align with the original steering unit bolt holes.
17. The bracket was secured to the threaded bolt holes designed to mount the stock steering box. Here the bolts are being tightened with a socket wrench. This is definitely a nice design because there is no welding required.
18. In order to slide the steering arm onto the shaft of the new steering box, it has to be at exactly the correct angle. After trying to do it with the arm still connected to the tie rod cross shaft, it was determined that the angle couldn’t be achieved. The cotter key and large nut had to be removed from the steering arm connector. The nut was loosened with a large screwdriver.
19. After the nut was removed, the steering arm could be removed from the cross shaft.
20. With the steering box in the middle position, the splines were lined up and the arm was installed onto the shaft.
21. The steering arm nut was installed carefully by hand so the threads wouldn’t get stripped.
22. After the arm was secured to the steering box but not completely tight, the arm was installed in the cross shaft. Here the nut is being installed finger tight.
23. After the arm was connected to the shaft and the cross shaft, the nut could be tightened with the impact gun and the large socket.
24. The cross arm nut was secured with a screwdriver attachment and a socket wrench. The arm should be very snug to avoid unnecessary steering movement, or what we refer to as “sloppy steering.”
25. After the steering nut is secure, it is extremely important to install a cotter key to keep it from backing out.
26. After the steering box was installed, it looked like a factory fit. The bracket positioned the steering over the frame, and that meant there was plenty of clearance for the exhaust manifolds.
27. Looking at the steering box, you will note that the steering column end is outfitted with a U-joint that will connect to the new steering column.
28 The new Flaming River steering column was installed. It was outfitted with a special floor mount that connects to the stock floor mount bolt holes.
29. The steering column was installed. At this point, the column had to be carefully placed into the U-joint on the steering box.
30. The new steering column was installed, and it fit directly into the stock column bracket. It was secured with all of the original mounting hardware.
31. The steering wheel had to be disconnected from the previous steering column adapter. Removing the Allen head screws did this.
32. Here the steering wheel is being connected to the Flaming River steering wheel adapter bracket. It was lined up with the large hole at the top to view the gauges, and then it was screwed on accordingly.
33. The horn button wire was installed first, and then the cap could be pushed onto the steering wheel. It is held on with a rubber O-ring.
34. The lower floor mount was connected to the stock column mount holes with the hardware supplied in the kit.
35. The owner installed the power steering pump and bracket to the bottom of the engine block. The pump pulley lined up perfectly with the stock pulley system.
36. The exhaust manifold could be reinstalled with the six mounting bolts. Since the manifold has a cover, the four outer bolts were installed first.
37. The pump has two hoses that go to the power steering unit. Here the pressure line is being installed to the pump.
38. The other side of the line was connected to the power steering box. The return line was also installed to the steering box before it was connected to the power steering pump.
39. After the return line was hooked up, it was a little too long, so it had to be cut to fit.
40. After the power steering lines were installed, the exhaust manifold cover could be installed using the two center bolts.
41. The power steering belt was installed and, using a bar for leverage, the unit was pulled tight and the adjustment bolt was secured.
42. The new steering column looks great and can be adjusted to fit the driver. The best feature is the addition of the power steering that will make this Chevy much more comfortable to drive.
ARTICLE SOURCES
American Brake & Steering
233 N. Lemon St.
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 771-6549
Flaming River Industries
800 Poertner Dr.
Berea, OH 44017
(866) 822-1614
