Thinking about installing CPP power steering

[55mike]

Greetings… I’ve been driving my 55 for decades with the stock steering. As of late, I’m considering a winter project to install power steering. CPP sells their 500 box as a replacement . I also plan to not install a tilt column, rather I’ll use a replacement steering shaft and tube, with the stock top-collar.
what is the consensus on the 500 box? I’m somewhat concerned about the box clearing the header pipe. I had to flatten the tube a tiny bit to avoid contact with the stock box. But is the 500 box going to cause even more grief? How does the 500 box perform? Any other suggestions?

[Huckster]

I installed the cpp 500. Like it. I went with a tilt column but this thing is huge. Mine is 34”. Thinking about doing a non tilt as this one put wheel pretty close to you

[Troy]

Howdy, I've installed one on my '55 but I've not used it yet as the car is in body and paint. It also is in assy mode too. It fits well and I also bought the power steering pump and bracket assy. I hope it works great!!!

[55mike]

I installed the cpp 500. Like it. I went with a tilt column but this thing is huge. Mine is 34”. Thinking about doing a non tilt as this one put wheel pretty close to you

yes, for that reason I'm not interested in a tilt column. Fortunately, CPP has a different solution with a replacement shaft and tube, that I'll need to paint car color.

[Belair-o]

I installed the CPP power steering kit on my 57 (w/327 and Dougs Headers). I had no issues with the fit between box and header. I had my stock column (automatic column shift) shortened by a buddy - that worked well. As I started working on restomodding the car, more stuff came off, and it was years after I installed the box that I finally fired it up and took it on the road. The steering was real hard: sum-ting-wong. I contacted CPP and tried the possible fixes, but no good, and the box was far out of warranty. I ended up pulling the box, and installed a new one I got from Summit (because of their replacement policy), and all has been good, mostly. I like the feel and responsiveness, the car is a blast to drive on curving roads (has front sway bar, too), unlike my memory of driving the 57 I built in high school with original manual box. My only issue is when I take the car out after if has been off the road for quite a while, is the steering is initially pretty stiff, but quickly that works out. Why did I use the CPP box the second time, and not the Borgeson? I had gone through the brain damage of getting all the steering parts from box to steering wheel to play together. Shortened the shaft a bit, worked by way through a couple of flex connectors to find a short one that worked, had all the connections matched up (D vs. spline, ...), had the column shift working properly, had the column connector at the floorboards fixed so I had clearances, so rather than go through all that process again, I opted to just swap the bad box for the same manufacturer new box.
I wouldn't wait too long to test the box from when I bought it, if I was you.
Regards, Doug

[55mike]

I installed the CPP power steering kit on my 57 (w/327 and Dougs Headers). I had no issues with the fit between box and header. I had my stock column (automatic column shift) shortened by a buddy - that worked well. As I started working on restomodding the car, more stuff came off, and it was years after I installed the box that I finally fired it up and took it on the road. The steering was real hard: sum-ting-wong. I contacted CPP and tried the possible fixes, but no good, and the box was far out of warranty. I ended up pulling the box, and installed a new one I got from Summit (because of their replacement policy), and all has been good, mostly. I like the feel and responsiveness, the car is a blast to drive on curving roads (has front sway bar, too), unlike my memory of driving the 57 I built in high school with original manual box. My only issue is when I take the car out after if has been off the road for quite a while, is the steering is initially pretty stiff, but quickly that works out. Why did I use the CPP box the second time, and not the Borgeson? I had gone through the brain damage of getting all the steering parts from box to steering wheel to play together. Shortened the shaft a bit, worked by way through a couple of flex connectors to find a short one that worked, had all the connections matched up (D vs. spline, ...), had the column shift working properly, had the column connector at the floorboards fixed so I had clearances, so rather than go through all that process again, I opted to just swap the bad box for the same manufacturer new box.
I wouldn't wait too long to test the box from when I bought it, if I was you.
Regards, Doug

Thanks Doug.. I’ve had my car for over 35 years.. slowly picking at different things to upgrade. My wife asked me not long ago “isn’t it finished?”
yeahhh. No.

[chevynut]

I don't have a CPP power steering box, but a C4 Corvette rack in my Nomad. I pushed my Flaming River tilt column as far as I could forward to the instrument cluster. These floor shift columns are not hard to shorten if need be. This gives me a lot of room and feels very comfortable. I had a friend with an IDIDIT tilt column in a 57 and it felt like the steering wheel was in my face.

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[55mike]

I don't have a CPP power steering box, but a C4 Corvette rack in my Nomad. I pushed my Flaming River tilt column as far as I could forward to the instrument cluster. These floor shift columns are not hard to shorten if need be. This gives me a lot of room and feels very comfortable. I had a friend with an IDIDIT tilt column in a 57 and it felt like the steering wheel was in my face.

06170001.jpg

Yes, the tilt columns I’ve seen are just too close to my semi-fat gut. I’ll be sticking with the stock length, and fortunately CPP has a replacement shaft/tube that will work with my stock top collar.
my biggest concern is header clearance

[Huckster]

i installed 500 cpp box. had the tilt and it suck. to big. went with a ididit not tilt and it’s perfect.