'32 Steering Sector Housing

[WaltG]

I would like to upgrade my '32 Steering Sector Housing with the 1936 needle bearings and oil seal. Who offers this service?
Thank you!

[Andy]

The needle bearings absolutely require a case hardened surface. A 36 sector is too short to be used in a 32 housing. You should forget the needle bearings.
I put a lip seal in my 32 housing. I filled the recess with JB Weld and machined it to fit a 1/8x1 1/8x1 3/8 seal. It never leaked a drop and I could use regular grease.
I did not cut any metal.

[Newc]

Hi; A member of RG #10 in Oregon, Greg Edwards, has been repairing steering for yrs and is a fine machinist. Check for him in your National roster. Newc

[Charlie Stephens]

If I was going to upgrade the steering on my '32 I would look into the f100 pickup steering.

Charlie Stephens

[Andy]

Here is the F100 I did for my 32.

[Mart]

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Nice job, Andy. It's worth mentioning the importance of the radius on the edge of the plate next to the uppermost hole. If you don't radius it, the plate will not sit flush against the rail. The top hole on a 32 frame is quite close to the top rail. You can see the radius in Andy's pics.
That may be why in 33 they reclocked the holes to put the single hole downwards where there is more room.

[Charlie Stephens]

History time. Ford only used the needle bearings for one year, there must be a reason. The first major improvement came in '37 when the teeth at the end of the sector shaft were changed to a roller with bearings. The '37 was a cross steer so it isn't a direct bolt in. This design was used in the F100 pickup boxes. See photos.

Charlie Stephens

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

If I was going to upgrade the steering on my '32 I would look into the f100 pickup steering.

Charlie Stephens

There is a couple of snags that need to be considered when using a F100 box.

The box sits reversed to what a stock '32 does. Meaning the housing is above the sector v. below. This may cause clearance issues with exhaust.

Also, it changes the angle of the steering column.

All these things can be worked out, but it is not a direct bolt in type of switch.

[Krylon32]

NealinCA on here is an expert steering box rebuilder. Send him a pm to see what he can do for you.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Krylon32

NealinCA on here is an expert steering box rebuilder. Send him a pm to see what he can do for you.

I second this suggestion.

[Mart]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

There is a couple of snags that need to be considered when using a F100 box.

The box sits reversed to what a stock '32 does. Meaning the housing is above the sector v. below. This may cause clearance issues with exhaust.

Also, it changes the angle of the steering column.

All these things can be worked out, but it is not a direct bolt in type of switch.

Tim, with respect, what you state is correct for F1, not F100. F100 has the worm above the sector like a 32.

Mart.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Mart

Tim, with respect, what you state is correct for F1, not F100. F100 has the worm above the sector like a 32.

Mart.

Hi Mart:

Ah, yes. You are correct. I had the F1/F100 mixed up. Thanks for clarifying.

[DavidG]

With respect, I disagree with Andy. I use '36 type roller bearings (and modern grease seals) on all of the '32-'35 steering gears that I've rebuilt in recent years. The bearings used are encased on the outside and don't interface with the sector housing, only the sector shaft. The engineering drawings for the various '32-'36 sector gear shafts show no distinction in the surface hardness specifications for the five sector gears used in the '32-'36 model years.