Mullins Steering Gears' power-steering...
Mullins Steering Gears' power-steering conversion kit comes with a pair of brackets, one bolt-on and one weld-on; a Saginaw power-steering unit, and a rag joint to connect the unit to a modern steering column. The original pitman arm is retained from the original steering box.
The conversion kit also comes...
The conversion kit also comes with a power-steering pump and bracket and a pair of power-steering hoses.
The bolt-on bracket secures...
The bolt-on bracket secures to the three holes used to mount the original steering box, which is located toward the front crossmember of the classic Chevy frame.
The original steering unit...
The original steering unit was fastened by three long stove bolts which should be reused to secure the Mullins-supplied bracket. Use thread-locking compound on the nuts to make sure they don't loosen up.
Chevy had a variety of frame...
Chevy had a variety of frame suppliers during the classic Chevy years, so all of the frames are a little different. We are using a seamless frame for this application, and the upper bracket will need some slight modifications to fit perfectly.
We ground the bottom of the...
We ground the bottom of the bracket to match the contour of the frame prior to welding it on.
The bracket was welded to...
The bracket was welded to the frame and the welds were ground smooth for a nice appearance.
The steering shaft is supported...
The steering shaft is supported by the bolt-on bracket. A grease fitting is supplied for ease of lubrication.
All small-block Chevy engines...
All small-block Chevy engines retain the two bolt holes originally used to secure classic Chevy motor mounts. Since we changed to engine side mounts, these two holes can be used to connect the power-steering pump bracket. A rear supporting arm from the bracket is secured to the motor mount bolt.
The Mullins power-steering...
The Mullins power-steering unit is small and sits close to the block for clearance in small engine compartments. The billet power-steering pulley was supplied in this kit. We painted the pump engine Tahitian Turquoise and chrome-plated the bracket.
The hoses are cut to the correct...
The hoses are cut to the correct lengths so that they attach neatly to the power-steering pump. One hose is pressurized with hose fittings on both ends and the other is a return line with one fitting and a hose clamp at the pump. The only thing that remains is installing the stock pitman arm and attaching it to the steering link. RC
It seems as though the supply and popularity of Classic Chevys are limitless. Street rodders and customizers are searching high and low for '55-'57 models and they keep turning up in a wide array of conditions: from engineless shells to completely restored cars. It really doesn't matter what condition you find one in, if you plan to hot rod the car, one improvement universally needed is modern power steering.
Mullins Steering Gears was quick to notice the need for a better system and designed an easy-to-install power steering conversion kit. The kit features a Saginaw power-steering unit; two installation brackets, one weld-on and one bolt-on; a rag joint to connect to a modern steering column; a small power-steering pump; a mounting bracket; and a pair of hoses. With this kit you retain the stock pitman arm and steering links for ease of installation. A suggestion would be to rebuild the original front suspension and replace the ball joints. The complete kit installation can be done in an afternoon, even if the car is completely together. In this installation, we installed it on the frame before the body was dropped in place. If you are building a classic Chevy, you'll certainly want to make this simple and inexpensive improvement.