| We owe a debt of gratitude to early "hot rodders". | | | | most "modern" rods of the era went this route, even |
| Those who modified and raced cars in their day | | | | to the extent of adding 1940 Ford steering wheels, |
| pushed along the development and evolution of cars | | | | shift linkage and dashboards. |
| and vehicle steering mechanisms so now we can | | | | The "Gemmer" box was also turned on its side and |
| count on precise, safe and reliable steering | | | | mounted through the frame like the original. Usually a |
| mechanisms and units without question. | | | | horizontal plate was welded on top of the rail to hold |
| It is always interesting that is usually not the factory | | | | the steering, and the pitman arm was rotated 90 |
| design teams, with all their resources, that push along | | | | degrees so that it could be pinned up. A parallel drag |
| developments and modifications in the automotive | | | | link could then be used with a dropped front axle. But |
| industry. It is often the hobbyist, the guy in his home | | | | the evil bump steer was ever present. |
| garage, who under competition leads to the | | | | In the late Fifties, another steering box started to gain |
| development and progression of what becomes | | | | popularity with street rodders. This was the parallel |
| improvements and modifications in the automotive. At | | | | drag line steering from the 1954 and later Ford and |
| a later point the automotive industry will step in to | | | | Chevy pickups. (The Ford F-100 being the most |
| mass produce the improvements into features and | | | | popular of all). To install the Ford box in a Model "T" |
| options that gain widespread use in our vehicles and | | | | frame it was easiest to run the column down thought |
| on our highways. | | | | the floorboard almost between the driver's legs. |
| Just before and after the 1940's vintage car periods | | | | Mounts for the gear box were fabricated and the |
| most sport car enthusiasts and hot rodders were | | | | pitman arm was modified to point straight down or |
| driving pre-1935 Fords. The most popular steering | | | | was replaced with a new one flame cut out of half |
| gears swapped among speed and hot rod enthusiasts | | | | inch steel plate. Only minor modifications to the box |
| was the pre-1934 Ford steering gear units. It had a | | | | itself were needed to bolt the pickup steering into the |
| very fast steering ratio and could easily fit the Model | | | | 1928-34 frames. |
| "A" and "32" car frames. Parts were readily available, | | | | The Ford pickup box became the standard hot rod |
| the cars were lightweight and few rodders felt the | | | | steering gear for many years to come, but the Chevy |
| need to look any further. | | | | pickup steering was the easier of the two to install. It |
| By the early 1950's, the 37' - 1948 Ford steering | | | | required only minor frame trimming to fit, but it never |
| mechanisms with the transverse drag arrangement | | | | reached the level of popularity of the Ford box. |
| gained popularity and a following over the previous | | | | Then along came the time of the mid 60's Dearborn |
| preferences. The steering was a near perfect built in | | | | introduced the Ford Mustang. The steering box of the |
| for 1935-36 Ford frames and its major advantage | | | | Mustang car was a great toy for the hot rodders. |
| over the older units was it was self centering. After a | | | | This was the final step towards the evolution of |
| turn in completed, the worm sector "floats" back to | | | | steering gears. |
| center. However if the steering was mounted normally | | | | All in all although our steering mechanisms in our cars, |
| in a pre-1935 chassis , a mount had to be built on the | | | | SUVs, trucks and other vehicle are now of more |
| inside of the frame rail and boxing the frame was | | | | modern designs we owe a debt of gratitude to the hot |
| necessary to eliminate rail flexing.. Naturally since the | | | | rodders of their day for pushing along the evolution of |
| pitman arm swung horizontally (cross steering) and | | | | precise and reliable steering gears and mechanisms |
| was tied into the right front spindle. 1940's era Ford | | | | for our vehicles. |
| spindles had to be used. But it was no big deal and the | | | | |