Power Steering or No Power Steering?

[Stu]

I want to get an 03 frame and drop my body on it, and use the rack and pinion.

Also, use teh marauder brakes

That would be awesome. I have thought about that too.

[Mercracer]

Now that you say that, I'm second-guessing the WMS on the axle I pulled from the parts wagon. I'll need to measure it, again, to check the Explorer width. If it's too narrow, I'll go with a F-150 axle, since they're roughly 5" wider..

Box track width should be 63.3.............2004 CV is 65.3.........95 F150 should be 64.4.......2002 Explorer should be 61.2.......2000 Explorer is only 58.5........

[Lincolnmania]

just freshen up your 28 spline axle in the vic..........sounds like too much uneeded hassle to swap over brackets and do all that welding........the full size truck axle wont work cause they have a different lug spacing anyway
i have a set of 3.73's in my townie.........have done a handfull of 3.55 swaps in vics and townies

to make the 98-02 steering box fit you need the 98-02 steering box, the lines, and the coupler (first section of shaft)
cut the coupler apart at the rag joint (i drilled out the large pressed rivets with a 5/16" dril bit left me with two sleeves lol) then use two 5/16" bolts and locking nuts to bolt the 98-02 coupler to the 89 steering shaft and rag joint.........total steering box swap time about 4 hrs......o yeah need to swap over to a 79-91 pitman arm also or use the 96-02 pitman arm and use the 96-02 centerlink
good luck!
scott

[Freshmeat]

Thanks for those measurements, Mercracer.

the full size truck axle wont work cause they have a different lug spacing anyway

to make the 98-02 steering box fit you need the 98-02 steering box, the lines, and the coupler (first section of shaft)
cut the coupler apart at the rag joint (i drilled out the large pressed rivets with a 5/16" dril bit left me with two sleeves lol) then use two 5/16" bolts and locking nuts to bolt the 98-02 coupler to the 89 steering shaft and rag joint.........total steering box swap time about 4 hrs......o yeah need to swap over to a 79-91 pitman arm also or use the 96-02 pitman arm and use the 96-02 centerlink
good luck!
scott

Forgot the trucks are 5x5.5

Would you recommend the newer CV axle? The cutting and welding wouldn't be that bad- like I've said, we've done it several times before (how else would an Explorer SUA axle fit on a 1995+ Wrangler [coils in the rear]?). However, it had entirely slipped my mind to even look into the CV axles- was thinking Explorer the whole time, since I know where I can get a pile of them for $200 a pop.

I'll take a look at the steering equipment tomorrow. I have a 1989 pitman arm... wouldn't that work? Could use replacing anyhow...

Going to price the 98-02 box tomorrow. Don't know of any yards with one, but I'll make some phone calls, see if I can pull some strings.

I didn't get much of anything accomplished all weekend. It's hard to do my own mechanic work during my weekend with my son. Not that I'm complaining- he's a blast... just means I'll need to work my ass off in the afternoons this week if I have any hopes of having this complete on the 20th. Pull transmission tomorrow, motor Tuesday, etc. That's the current schedule.

[Southern_Pride]

On the power steering issue. I tried to turn my 90 at 50mph when the engine died. Almost impossible to turn the wheel. I think my k5 on 44's was easier to turn without power steering.

[Mercracer]

Would you recommend the newer CV axle?

I would recommend just getting a set of gears and diff for yours or find a diff with 3.55's already in there. If you were going to take any axle and weld brackets to it for your car, it should be a 99+ PI axle. 3.55's with a traction-lok already there. That axle should be the same at 63.3". They went back to 3.27's before 2003 when the axle got wider.