im trying to discover a common steering box that will function with my stock steering pump in my 2008 ford ranger. im in the process of an SAS for the truck and i need a pump that can put out some reasonable pressure for turning a 37" tire after i cut out the rack and pinion. i here alot of guys using toyota boxes but what specificially will work well?

 

90-94? toyota 4 runner 4x4 box.

but you will need custom lines and maybe a custom pump. check out my thread discussing the pump upgrades.

 

im not going to touch the pump as much as necessary, im going to reuse it preferrably. but thanks for the tip! that a real helpful thread. that shaft you made up gets me thinking.

 

I am still running a stock pump, it works but when you get stuck between some rocks or mud in 4wd its nearly impossible to turn on 37s

 

ah i see, im more of an occasional to mild offroader, i figure it should be ok for me if i stay on the trail lol. you talk of the toyota steering boxes requiring a modification of the lines and special metric fitting. i can quite make out the situation on my own ranger yet but instead of cutting the lines would there be any other possible substitutes to the connections. could i drill and tap the box to use my stock fittings? or is the stock ranger pressure line just to highly unique to get it to work i dont want to run around to places to get extra custom work done i dont really need. i want it down to the point where it should be as easy as to remove the lines off the old system and instal them on the new box. maybe i could buy some new lines to modify or i could just order custom lines from a hydraulic shop? another option ive seen is using an early f150 box where the fitting are the same as the ranger..

 

i belive any IFS toyota box will work (86-94) pickup or runner.


i think there is a guy on here doing an sas at school as we speek and want to say a company made adapters for the lines... think it was psc. however most napa stores can make lines as well. you would need to find both ends and have them do FORD on pump side and TOYOTA on box side.

 

ok so the lines can be done easy enough, napa sounds like a great spot to get me what i need. now how about after its hooked up and primed. how does the box react in the truck? when the pump is running will the box self center to a point? and will it automatically give equal turn radius outputs, (proportinal left and right)? or is there other adjustments that are made other then the pitman arm position.?

 

ok first off, i dont agree on the year yota boxes, if you really look into it there are differences in those years, some stronger some weaker. the strongest yota box was on the 4 runner from 90-94. I personally bought one from a 92 4 runner 4x4.

secondly, napa does not sell the fittings needed to mount it to a toyota box. the toyota box is a metric thread pattern, one is a 16mm and one is a 17mm. you will find the 16mm adapters at special hydraulic shops or maybe napa but you wont find a 17mm. The 17mm adapter is a special one off that PSC has made for toyota boxes. in my thread i tell you how to order one.

napa would be great for crimping on the -6an fitting you need, but you will still need to buy the adapters from PSC.

the yota box will have equal turns side to side. you need to buy the pitman arm from allprooffroad.com that way you can drill and taper it out to whatever tre or heim size you use.

the toyota box output shaft is splined equally all the way around so if it needs tweaked off center a bit you can easily do so. same with the input shaft. neither shaft is keyed. which is great.

the steering will react a bit slow and different than the ranger rack but it isnt bad. most of your steering issues will be from your drag link and panhard setup as well as caster/camber and toe, not because of the steering box.

also brace that frame up well, the box will twist the frame so it is wise to plate it well and add a cross member or two.

as for return to center, that all has to do with caster, camber, and toe. Not the box, the intermediate steering shaft will effect it some but as long as you design that as I mentioned in my thread you will be fine. if the intermediate shaft is not centered and it binds that will ruin the entire steering experience all by itself.

anymore questions let me know. i have debugged my steering a 100 times over, and for what my truck is it steers pretty well.

 

here are a few pics.

first one is my truck, you can see the added fitting to the stock hose. its super easy. the blue is the return which is low pressure. the silver closer line is the high pressure line from the pump



here is evans that i had made, cost is only 10 bucks. same deal, little bit different crimp fittings.

 

Ok i see whats happening now, it all starts to clear up the more i look into it. i think the most difficult aspect to an sas is probably getting the steering correct lol but hopefully it falls together as the parts start coming in. as i get more questions about this ill ask away, thanks! could you take a picture of your steering shaft from an overhead view in the engine compartment, i would like to see the lateral angle of the shaft from the firewall to the box, im just wondering how extreme the angle would be with the pump on the outside of the frame

 

the box on the outside of the frame?

the angle isnt good. you have to have the added ujoint because the hole in the firewall does not allow enough room.

i dont have any pictures like that and i cut the frame off recently and i cut a large hole in the firewall to allow the shaft to clear the valve cover on the 5.4L so my pictures wouldnt help you.

if you build the shaft like I said in that thread you will be perfect. it works great and has been proven on 3-4 rangers with no issues. I have broken and remade 3-4 different shafts for my truck before coming up with this design. it works.

 

oh ok thanks ill get some parts together