Power Steering Surprise

Years ago, around15 now, while I was doing the plans for the M37 6X6 I decided that power steering was going to be a must. There had been info on reverse rotation steering boxes that matched the rotation of the stock M37s. I bought a pump to go on the 360 V8 I was putting in the truck and found a gear box unit from a mid 70s Dodge. Well this hunting season (September to November)trailering the 6X6 to three separate states for deer hunting and finally elk season here in Colorado was tough on the truck, I find some repair is in order. In New Mexico we took out three of the four motor mounts. The steering unit had been leaking slightly but now it has gone just about completely. The pump is now a steady drip from around the casing. A few years back on the earlier version of the G741 site there had been information about Chevy vans from the 80's that had reverse rotation units. Sure enough, they've got them. I pulled two from the local U Pull It yard and have kept one for a couple of years now while sending the other on to a fellow M person in Australia. I dug out the unit this weekend after pulling another pump at the local yard. I assumed the hose fittings would be standard inverted fllare, surprise, they aren't. They are some sort of 18mm x 1.5 fitting with a o-ring on the end. Nothing like a new challenge, so off to the internet I go. Lots of adapters to what is called AN, which looks very similar to the standard 45 degree flare, but I finally found where Weatherhead makes some adapters to 3/8 inverted flare fittings. They are 1445, 1446, and 1447. One site offering some outstanding information about adapting these newer units to older GMC motorhomes also mentioned cutting the metal tubes and using a compression coupling to join the old hose metal tube to the new unit metal tube. Apparently they are very close in diameter. Either method is promising so I don't have to run around looking for 70s 4x4 Dodges that are getting a little rare. All in all, the 40 bucks or so I had paid for a used unit and pump that ended up lasting 15 years through serious abuse is pretty satisfying

Regards,

That's Some Good News

Hey B,
I remember the bow-tie reverse rotation box, but the inverted flares are news, let us know how you do w/it?
Merry Christmas 2 U & Yours,

Inverted Flares

The older style boxes used inverted flares just like the brake lines only larger. The new style boxes use this 16 and 18mm 1.5 o-ring type fitting. I measured both new and old style hoses and the metal tubing is the same diameter so a 3/8 inch compression coupling will work just fine. The return hose is just clamped on so attaching it to the new return tubing will be a breeze with a hose clamp. Now to just find the time.

Regards and Merry Christmas to everyone.

RE: Inverted Flares

how about some bigger pics of your m37 6x6 please

Re: RE: Inverted Flares

73m819 said:

how about some bigger pics of your m37 6x6 please

Click to expand...

Hopefully this will show up. Stock transmission, transfer case,front axle and rear 6X6 axles. A Dodge 360 V8 with power steering and an engine driven air compressor with a small storage tank under the passenger seat. The wheels are the stock LAV wheels that come with the 11.00-16 Michelin tires. I make adapters that weld into the LAV wheels with the M37 bolt pattern. The bolts in the original 8 holes around the outer diameter for the LAV wheel pattern are there just for show, they make it look kind of like a combat wheel. They are tubeless. I have plans to make a set of adapters for the M715 and LAV wheels when I get the chance.

Regards

RE: Re: RE: Inverted Flares

thank you, you did a real nice job, a what if 1 1/2 t verson of the m37, like the ww2 m62 and m63s. what did you use for the rear springs and piviot, again great job, looks stock

RE: Re: RE: Inverted Flares

Wow! That's pretty cool, must have taken a lot of custom work to get that from the drawing board to real life.

Re: RE: Re: RE: Inverted Flares

73m819 said:

thank you, you did a real nice job, a what if 1 1/2 t verson of the m37, like the ww2 m62 and m63s. what did you use for the rear springs and piviot, again great job, looks stock

Click to expand...

I found a cut up frame section from the rear of a WWII WC 62 or 63 and used that piece. The frames are slightly different with the WC being an 1 1/2" wider on each side. The thirds and brake shoes are identical. I used the front 2/3s of one M37 bed and the rear 2/3s of another M37 bed to make up the 9 1/2 foot bed for it. I did this over 15 years ago. I must confess, when you drop two one ton pallets of wood stove pellets in the back, it does ride nicely.

Regards,