Thread: "quick steering arm" mod on a manual steering 53 Commander?

I'n curious about what that steering arm looks like, is there a picture anywhere?
(I also have changed leaking power steerings into maual on a few cars (for example the -70 Satelite became real nice!) & haven't had much problems with it, & anyway, it saves tires to move the car ever so little when turning the wheels.)

The Quick steering arms have two 90 degree bends, effectively shortening them. The stock arm just bends downaround 15 -20 degrees then flattens out.


My dads '53 with manual steering is quite difficult to steer at parking lot speed (just moving) with 205-70-15 tires on the front. I can't imagine making it ANY harder to steer. My '62 GT with power steering, steers like most any car. It's not too easy or hard, but I will be installing shorter steering arms for wheel clearance, quicker ratio is irrelevant.

Your '67 Mustang power steering was a better executed version of the Stude Bendix power steering. I don't know if the Stude did it but the Mustang power steering box was a slightly higher ratio than it's manual box. If memory serves, manual was 16/1, power 14/1.

205 tires in the front...? for hard driving on reallyreally curved roads then?
Lucky I'm not going for that then!
Or maby that's just what I am...

So is it that the arms are just bended more to become shorter?

Originally Posted by Noxnabaker

205 tires in the front...? for hard driving on reallyreally curved roads then?
Lucky I'm not going for that then!
Or maby that's just what I am...

So is it that the arms are just bended more to become shorter?

That's how they look to me.


Yes his '53 Starlite has 205-70-15 Goodyear's in front, I thought they were the same 215-70-15 Goodyear's I have on my GT (he has those on the back) but was mistaken. It's not difficult on the road but very heavy when going slow as in parking. Evidently there were two different steering boxes and his is a different box than other '53's we've had that were much easier when going very slow. I just picked up a set of 235-55-17's for the GT. I doubt the power steering will care much about the larger tires, but I need to change the steering arms so they'll clear the wheels (they hit the rim now). It handles pretty good with the 215-70's but should track like it's on rails with the larger meat.

A 70 series tire will steer harder than a 75 series tire. I generally use a 205-75 on the front and a 215-70 on the rear. They are near identical outside diameter and look good. Steering effort was very good with standard arms. I would think with quick arms it gets a little harder but not objectionable. Well lubed thrust bearings in the king pins are the key to easy steering.

There's been a report in the last AOAI magazine (thanks again Lew for sending it!) of an Avanti II owner having a really hard time trying to get the old steering arms out when still on the car. After reading this, if I had to do it, I would remove the steering knuckles and do it with a bench press.
Nice day to all.

Originally Posted by 53SDude

BTW bensherb I kept the quick-ratio (power-type) steering box in the Mustang. It was used in the racing versions of that car without power steering. I much prefer the feel. Those old Ford systems were really sloppy, didn't hold on-center well. On mine the hoses were poorly attached by the guy who re-built it (more like baling wire and duct taped it together I'm sorry to say) and the hose fell on the header and started a fire - what fun! And at a cars and coffee meet to make it even more interesting! I cut the belt and yanked the power system asap.

Yea, way back when it was common to replace the standard manual box with the power box to incerase the ratio. It made it more difficult to steer but wasnt objectional. I installed a power box on my '65 convertable and dropped the upper control arm; with what would be a 235-60-14 today it wasn't bad. Of course, I was 40+ years younger then.

Originally Posted by christophe

There's been a report in the last AOAI magazine (thanks again Lew for sending it!) of an Avanti II owner having a really hard time trying to get the old steering arms out when still on the car. After reading this, if I had to do it, I would remove the steering knuckles and do it with a bench press.
Nice day to all.

YES! They are a keyed taper fit. I just removed some steering arms from a pair of loose spindles I have, all the pounding I could do with a 1 1/2 lb hammer made no difference at all. In the press it took about 4-5 tons of pressure and they let loose with a big BANG! as crusty as they were It was actually easier than I expected.

I like the air hammer idea, I'll have to give that a try on the car, it's a lot easier than dismantling everything to get it into the press. It should be easier, the car is a lot greasier than the rusty loose stuff that had been sitting in a shed for who knows how long.

Then there's the other side of things. I removed the ones on my Avanti last year.
The first issue I had on the inaugural ride, was blowing a pressure hose on the power steering. The hose wasn't that old, but the pressure required to move the newly assigned geometry had to be significantly increased. So first off make sure your hoses are in good condition.
Secondly, the arms made the steering wheel more of a tiller than wheel. They also augment any motion from road wander. Where before you could move the wheel 5-6 inches to make a correction, now 1-2 inches. One errant glance off the road while at speed that may cause your hand to move the wheel slightly and you could be in the weeds very quick. Caveat Emptor

I changed to the shorter arms not long after I got my Sky Hawk. That, along with radial tires made the steering quite difficult at very slow speeds. I've been thinking of changing them back. Is that worth the expense?

Originally Posted by plee4139

I changed to the shorter arms not long after I got my Sky Hawk. That, along with radial tires made the steering quite difficult at very slow speeds. I've been thinking of changing them back. Is that worth the expense?

It is if it will make the Hawk more drivable for you.
I would have recommended against that change in the first place.

Originally Posted by plee4139

I changed to the shorter arms not long after I got my Sky Hawk. That, along with radial tires made the steering quite difficult at very slow speeds. I've been thinking of changing them back. Is that worth the expense?

If you decide to go back to stock arms. I'll swap you a set of nice clean stock arms for your bent ones. it'll save me the trouble of bending them.

Originally Posted by lumpy

..My car has 165 15 front tires and a small block chevy . It is not darty ...

165-15 those are baby tires. My VW beetle had 165-75-15's on it when I got it, they were too small, I changed them to 175-80-15's.

Originally Posted by bensherb

If you decide to go back to stock arms. I'll swap you a set of nice clean stock arms for your bent ones. it'll save me the trouble of bending them.



165-15 those are baby tires. My VW beetle had 165-75-15's on it when I got it, they were too small, I changed them to 175-80-15's.

Baby tires or not .. I bet I can show you its tail lights any time you want I can assure you it doesn't have baby tires on the back

Originally Posted by lumpy

Baby tires or not .. I bet I can show you its tail lights any time you want I can assure you it doesn't have baby tires on the back

It's just that the tires on my Hawk are 2 3/8" taller and 2 3/4" wider than the little 165, even the tires on the bug are over 1 1/4" taller and almost 1/2" wider.

Originally Posted by lumpy

Ben , do you drag race much ? Im thinking you are missing the point about steering effort with small tires ...

Not in a long long time, and then it wasn't cars. I get it, it just seemed like an aufully small tire for a full size (not tiny) car, thought it's not too much different than what they came stock with. I actually tried 135's on the front of the bug once, steering effort was great, but I tend to corner hard and there was just not enough rubber on the ground and I kept pushing the front end. They were terrible for braking too just not enough on the ground.

Bensherb - Re: Steering arms: I believe the man who restored my car and installed the bent arms may still have them. If not, I'll take up your offer. I think I made a mistake changing them in the first place, but then again I had no idea what the downside would be.

Ok Peter, just let me know.

Originally Posted by plee4139

I think I made a mistake changing them in the first place, but then again I had no idea what the downside would be.

That's a great benefit of this forum. Many here have made similar mistakes and can share their experience.

As an example, when discussing an engine build, I often caution against installing an R2+ or R3 cam in an otherwise stock 289" and especially against putting it in a stock 259".

jack vines

Originally Posted by cdn56J

My '85 Avanti came with the quick arms. I installed a set from SI on my '56 Golden Hawk with PS, I am very happy with steering action.

Avanti changed to them to compensate for the change in steering gear boxes.