Differences in 1955 & 1956-1957 power steering cylinder?

[jimntempe]

What was different between the 56 and 57 power Steering gear cylinder?

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[Ward 57]

What was different between the 56 and 57 PSteering gear?

The piston assembly & hoses. One set up for 55/56 & early '57 another for later '57s.

 

[jimntempe]

The piston assembly & hoses. One set up for 55/56 & early '57 another for later '57s.

I"ve got an earlyish 57. Is there any obvious and simple way to look at mine and tell?

 

[doug7740]

The piston assembly & hoses. One set up for 55/56 & early '57 another for later '57s.

jimntempe said:
What was different between the 56 and 57 Power Steering gear?

Attached are pictures of an early 1955 and a 1957 power steering cylinder. The difference between the two is there is an external vent tube on the 1955 power steering cylinder.

Also, you should have started a new thread asking about the difference between the power steering cylinders instead of including it in this thread.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Ward 57]

I think the pictures you posted are for an early '55 and then the later '55- early '57. The later '57 ram looks completely different and the hoses hook up differently also. The later doesn't have the 'finger' on the back and the hoses hook up to a different valve assembly.

 

[doug7740]

I think the pictures you posted are for an early '55 and then the later '55- early '57. The later '57 ram looks completely different and the hoses hook up differently also. The later doesn't have the 'finger' on the back and the hoses hook up to a different valve assembly.

Ward,

You are absolutely correct. The first picture is from an early 55 Thunderbird that was assembled on December 20, 1954. The second picture is from an early 57. I didn’t have a later 57 ram in stock, otherwise I would have posted that picture too.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Ward 57]

Ward,

You are absolutely correct. The first picture is from an early 55 Thunderbird that was assembled on December 20, 1954. The second picture is from an early 57. I didn’t have a later 57 ram in stock, otherwise I would have posted that picture too.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

I'm fascinated on the progress of the baby Birds. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when the hardware, engineers and sales department were in the same room together. The parts dept. has a bunch of leftover parts, The engineering dept. wants better and the sales dept. is looking to the customers. At that time Chevy was looking for sports while Ford was looking for luxury. I'm biased but I think the '57 was the best of the bunch. Then they went with the '58 which could accommodate guests or kids and outsold the '57s..

 

[Nico57]

so far so good..in this thread..where the OP asked about the "differences in 55 56 57 power steering ram cylinder..(why a different thread was suggested is a mystery to me..) anyway.., we have the 55 photo, and we have the 56 and EARLY 57 photo..but not a later 57 photo. (but not much description of differences), Does someone have the later 1957 ram cylinder photo to complete the topic? And, is there a date demarcation of when the 1957 production change was made? Perhaps a blow up diagram of each useful for rebuilds? Thanks.

 

[Ward 57]

so far so good..in this thread..where the OP asked about the "differences in 55 56 57 power steering ram cylinder..(why a different thread was suggested is a mystery to me..) anyway.., we have the 55 photo, and we have the 56 and EARLY 57 photo..but not a later 57 photo. (but not much description of differences), Does someone have the later 1957 ram cylinder photo to complete the topic? And, is there a date demarcation of when the 1957 production change was made? Perhaps a blow up diagram of each useful for rebuilds? Thanks.

I think the change-over was around March or April of'57. I can't document it but somebody has. Then there are the questions of end of production differences on the last of production when they slipped in '58 interior parts as the '57 sold more than expected and ran out of some interior parts such a knobs and other subtle parts.