Bottom bracket bushing

[Lexveen]

Curiosity or not? I pulled a steering column from a ‘25 Pickup (an original one with steel bed!) to rebuild it. At the bottom bracket it had a huge play. As I use to do, I hacksawd the bushings and knocked the bottom one out. The upper one however did not want to come out. After several attempts and cleaning to bare metal with brake cleaner, the bushing stayed dark. Could find any brass colour and…. it turned out there is no bushing there. The bearing is plane cast iron. I searched the forum, found several topics about the bushings, but all brackets had two bushings.
Was this some kind of cost saving experiment by Ford?
Because there is no big radial force, plane cast iron will work when new, but when the bearing is shot (it is bigger now than 3/4 and a bit oval shaped) you need a bushing there. So I think about turning it out on a lathe to 7/8 and press a brass bushing in. Any suggestions?

[RVA23T]

Only 1 bushing used after 1921.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Only 1 bushing used after 1921.

Correct. Only one bushing.

[Lexveen]

I did my ‘26 Touring last year and there were 2 bushings. If one bushing is there, dus the shaft run free in the top or acts the cast iron hole a second bearing?

[DanTreace]

Later steering brackets only have lower bushing. And late ‘25-‘27 use a larger o.d. Bushing.

The upper is free space, helps hold more grease, be sure to install the felt grease seal in the upper groove.

[OlGeezer]

Brass will definitely hold up better than cast iron. Just make sure the dimensions are spot on, and maybe add a lubrication groove to help it last longer.

[Lexveen]

I continued the rebuild today. I tried to enlarge the upper diameter in the bracket to install an upper bushing, but on closer inspection that appears to be impossible, because the hole of the greasecup is 1/4 from the upper edge. So one bushing it will be. Reaming to the correct diameter is much easier, because you don’t have to worry about reaming two bushings in line. Ford was clever

[Allan]

Lex, reaming the bush to the"correct" size may not be the best way to go. Most steering shafts are worn to some degree where they run in the bushing in the bracket. leaving a ridge of original diameter between the wear and the pitman arm.
There is a way to improve things. If you withdraw the steering shaft, that unworn ridge can be machined down somewhat. Just don't go berserk in this, or the taper that takes the pitman arm will be reduced in length. Then ream the bush to an absolute very neat fit, enough to go on over the newly machined section, leaving as much of the bushing intact as you can. That way you will achieve the best fit over the worn section of shaft as can be had without fitting a new shaft.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

[OilyBill]

I vote for Allan-From-Down-Under's advice!

[Stephen_heatherly]

Turn the shaft until it is round again on the bushing end and make an undersize bushing to match.

Stephen

[Lexveen]

That is exactly what I did. I turned down the shaft just enough to get a good round surface (not too much to limit loss of the cone) and reamed the bushing that much the bracket could just be turned by hand. So thanks and we agree on that.

I wondered about one other thing: what gives the best lubrication? Grease or W600? Pressing the grease in with the little greasecup gives good lubrication for the coming 50 miles or so, but then it will be dry again. Grease does not run and the geease in the space above the bushing stays where it is. If I fill up the space above the bushing with thick W600, it will slowly run down the groove in the bushing and keeps it wet. What do you think?

[DanTreace]

Use grease, the grease will dissolve slowly to run down the steering shaft. Re-pack according to Ford Owner's Manual chart, every 500 or so miles.

Oil, like 600W will just weep too fast, and make a mess, besides, the steering shaft isn't spinning at speed.

Pack the grease cup with your favorite axle grease, IMO, red grease is best. Marine white grease will cake up.

[Oldav8tor]

We recently dealt with a steering shaft from a single bushing bracket where the steering shaft was worn and "ovaled". We turned the shaft down enough to make it round again and replaced the bushing with one that had a smaller ID that was then reamed to size.

We ordered the following from Grainger: Item13T607 - BUNTING Sleeve Bearing - 11/16 in Bore, 1 in OD, 1 1/4 in Lg,

[Original Smith]

Good to find this out. The real early T's use one bushing too, except it is the full length of the bracket.

[Lexveen]

I could reach a decent roundness at 18,2 mm, which is lightly larger than 11/16.
The bushing I made was 35 mm long and the max length that fits the bracket, which is 1 3/8.
Maybe w600 in winter and grease in summer?

[Oldav8tor]

I did the unthinkable - in my two-bushing bracket I replaced the upper grease cup with a grease zerk and drilled and tapped the lower bushing to install another. I grease with Timken bearing grease - it seems to do a good job.