Hi I have a 1963 ford f100 pickup it needs a “new” steering gear box I can’t find the original part( I have tried many internet sites nobody seems to have one) so should I go with a rebuilt or continue to look for a original part? I live in a small town and my mechanic doesn’t have time to find the part for me any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
If it needs a set of ball bearings, get the part number from the ball bearing race, and goto the internet to find a matching part number.
What are the symptoms? Are you sure the box is bad? If the steering is wandering then maybe the problem is worn tie rods, pitman arms, or the box pinion is out of adjustment.
If the box is legitimately junk and cannot be repaired then you might get a copy of Hemmings Motor News and rummage through some of the old Ford suppliers in there.
I do not have the numbers handy for them but you might do a net search for the following possibilities.
CTC Auto Ranch in Denton, TX. (About a hundred or so acres of old stuff out there).
Bud’s Salvage in Aline, OK. (About 40 acres of just old stuff on top of late model).
Classic Auto Parts in Oklahoma City, OK.
Classic is a large operation located on south I-35 and they specialize in old Ford products.
(I drool every time I set foot in that place. They’ve got parts and cars in there from the teens up through the Mustang era. The ‘64 Thunderbolt gets my adrenaline goin’).
Hope some of that info helps you out anyway.
Try these guys: Lares Corporation at www.larescorp.com and at 1-800-334-5749. I’m preparing to restore a 1963 Thunderbird, and talked to these people at a car show. They are the one’s that Year One uses to rebuild all kinds of steering boxes, manual and power. I just checked the site, and they list your truck. Give them a shot.
Hey thanks for the info I tried classic auto parts they only have a rebuilt for 65 and “newer”
Thanks for the website
If the box is truly bad, go with a rebuilt instead of knocking yourself out looking for a NOS (new old stock) unit. You’ll save time, aggravation, and money.
The box is bad, the truck always wandered it was really hard to turn the wheel then my mechanic greased up something or other and then it was loose, but a few months later I could just feel something was very wrong the truck felt loose in the steering. I’m sure the tie rods are worn also. I have a good mechanic he is just really busy and sort of considers my truck a piece of junk. So if I want to fix it It’s up to me to find the parts. I knew I should have taken shop class in H.S.
Thanks again for info
I think you might be right I found an old one, paid $50 but it wasn’t the right one ugh