Welding/machining help please

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

If one wanted (for good reason, assuredly) to change around a CMP Chev steering box such that the cap (shown yellow) and the collar for the shaft (shown red) were reversed, how would one go about it? Can the cast housing be welded?

In the alternative, is there a commercial or miltary Chev steering box that is similar but reversed to the WW2 right hand drive type?

[Snowtractor]

...no problem did some today. Though in many areas welding of any sort on steering componments is illegal.
Preheat and post heat and either braze it (about 7 times as strong as base material ) or use cast welding rods and preheat and post heat it.
Sean

[Lynn Eades]

I would suggest you're headed into trouble. do you want the drop arm to come off the otherside of the box? doesn't it mean the drop arm will travel in the wrong direction? distortion? shrinkage? risk to life? legality?

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

The shaft coming out the other side will provide the correct direction. Given this is the secondary steeing gear...the main one is in front...it will only see use at 2 mph perhaps twice in it's life for demonstration purposes (the only other 'driver' control being a throttle).

A better solution is that somewhere there is a GM steering box on another vehicle that is already the mirror image of a standard CMP one. CCKW's being left hand drive gave me some hope for this but it is configured the same way.

Alternatively, if I can't get one working, I would want to reverse a casting for cosmetic purposes and leave the guts out. Then I run the risk of somebody trying to use it only to find out there is no steering at all!

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Bruce Parker
The shaft coming out the other side will provide the correct direction. Given this is the secondary steeing gear...the main one is in front...it will only see use at 2 mph perhaps twice in it's life for demonstration purposes (the only other 'driver' control being a throttle).

A better solution is that somewhere there is a GM steering box on another vehicle that is already the mirror image of a standard CMP one. CCKW's being left hand drive gave me some hope for this but it is configured the same way.

Alternatively, if I can't get one working, I would want to reverse a casting for cosmetic purposes and leave the guts out. Then I run the risk of somebody trying to use it only to find out there is no steering at all!

Now Parker... are you going to tell us what the hell you're up to? :

[Lynn Eades]

I had a 3/4 ton dodge that had been converted to rhd. They had just turned the box upside down. will that work?

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

If I did, then the truck would steer right when you turned the wheel left. I need to preserve the original gearing but have the shaft come out of the box on the other side. The drag link would also have to make a weird, non-scheduled bend.

Geoff, this is no mystery project, just that I now have good information (thanks James!!) on what a Fox rear steering gear looks like and am trying to get something in place, preferably working but may settle for cosmetic (ik).

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

The coloured one is a standard CMP box, the non-coloured is for a Fox. They are the same but for direction of the shaft.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

This is the rear steering gear (photo copyright by James-the-Lucky) I'm trying to reproduce.

Unless somebody knows where there is an original???

The steering box and column swing on an arm bolted to the division plate between the engine and crew compartments. The 3/4" diameter shaft operates a fork that drives the pitman arm onto the sector shaft to engage the steering wheel.

Please-oh-please let two or three MLUers each have one of these in their garge so a bidding war for the best and lowest price may begin. But please do not wait until I dummy up a replacement before you break the news that you have one!!

[Stewart Loy]

Bruce,

You mean to have us understand that your Fox has two steering wheels - preposterous!

Next you will be having us on about their being one for going, and one for coming!

Please try again on 01April.



Stewart

[greg anderson (RIP)]

Bruce-even with a good weld I would think it would be almost im possible to get proper alignment between the sector gear and the worm gear - the steering box would have been machined to very close tolerance -regards-Greg

[cmp_uc_guy]

Bruce,

I have some pictures somewhere of a ford 4x6 CMP that was converted to left hand drive by using the original steering box as you have shown. It was moved to the left and there were a few extra linkages, you know... I think it was upside down as well????. I'll dig up the pictures...

Rob

[cmp_uc_guy]

ok imagine the steering box on the left upside down, I think that it was below the steering knuckle instead of above. something like that

Rob

[Bob Carriere]

HI Bruce

I am convinced that a left ahnd copy of that steering box must have existed for Chev civvy models. I have searched my old truck manuals but unfortunately they are only going back to early 50 and th old ones form th 40s are for Dodge.

I would check the library for old truck shop manuals and look for 1938/39 models..... 3 to 5 ton size....... I am sure they did not create a new models for the CMP.... something off shelf was copied over to right side and casting made........ I would be tempted to invest time in research rather than welding or dummying up a set up......

A while back someone posted a web address with the CMP acronym that was putting up old shop manuals online for viewing ..... might be a good source.... anyone remember what it was called???

Good Luck with your project.

Bob

[Brian Gough]

Originally posted by Bob Carriere
A while back someone posted a web address with the CMP acronym that was putting up old shop manuals online for viewing ..... might be a good source.... anyone remember what it was called???

Bob, I think you are referring to the Old Car Manual Project:

www.tocmp.com
www.oldcarmanual.com


Brian

[Bob Carriere]

In the back of the Hammond junk yard......

...how many do you need Bruce....????

[Bob Carriere]

.......Alex made me do it....

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

and your weasley sidekick Alex too. Rust for you and bookworms for him.

(only kidding. You've got me thinking. Maybe it would be easier to leave the steering box alone and change the truck around?)

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally posted by Bruce Parker
and your weasley sidekick Alex too. Rust for you and bookworms for him.

(only kidding. You've got me thinking. Maybe it would be easier to leave the steering box alone and change the truck around?)

Bruce... We looked long and hard at those steering boxes trying to come up with a solution to your problem...And after some beer drinkin' and head scratching I thought the easiest solution was to shoot the box and flop the negative over..That would put the shaft on the proper side..
After picking him self up off the ground ,where he had fallen,killing himself laughing,Bob did the rest...
How sweet it is to realize that there are others among us that have as weird a sense of humour as myself....I'm truely among friends in the CMP world...

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Alex Blair
....I'm truely among friends in the CMP world...

Don't hold your breath on that, you wizened old bastard...

[Phil Waterman]

Bob may have flipped the image but the picture attached is not flipped. It is from a Chevy Cab over 1946 vintage.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Phil

I Knew it...... thanks for confirming my assumption that the CMP steering box was in fact flipped by GM or whomever supllied them... I am sure that some junk yard hunting would supply the said box..... I would aim for a late 30 or early 40 GM truck....

Bob

[Phil Waterman]

The cabover that the picture is from may be going for parts if so I'll snag the box.