any pointers on where to find a right handed sterring box for my 521?

[mytoy521]

Hey carnalitos I might be going krazy, but i would like to convert my 521 into a right handed steering side. Not that theres anything wrong with my original set up, but like a i said it would be nice i think. If any ratsun bros have any 411 on how to get a hold of one please speak up. I will greatly appreciate it. Or comments are also welcomed. Thanks in advance :cool:

[HRH]

Australia or England are about your only choices. I'd try Australia.

 

EDIT: I stand corrected!

[datzenmike]

I have an idea.

 

On the 520/521/620 the steering box is mounted inside the frame rail beside the front of the motor on the left side. To swap to the other side an Australian one would be mounted between the engine and inside frame on the right side. A sort of mirror reflection of itself. There actually is a steering column that could be made to fit on the right side between the motor and frame and it's right here in N Am. Next time you see a 720 or D-21 Hardbody look in the front of the wheelwell by the tire. The steering column is mounted more or less above the center line of the frame rail but the body of the steering box including the sector shaft and pitman arm mounts to the outside of the frame. Now just imagine the box moved over to the other frame rail and it would fit between it and the motor.

 

This is not a drop in swap by any means. All 720 and up steering columns are splined to allow collapse during accidents, have a small U joint to allow a bend and there is a rag joint between the box and the shaft to further isolate vibration and noise. You would need the complete column and use it or perhaps convert it to use the 521. The box itself will never fit the mounting holes on the 521 frame but that's what welders are for. The pitman arm is also different and I doubt the 521 pitman will fit the later spline.

 

I installed a 290zx power steering box in my 620. Had to get rid of the one piece box/column that was in it. I used a 720 column and everything worked fine. The 620 pitman arm fit the spline on the zx box. Years later I swapped a SAS Toyota front axle in and changed the box to a 720 and then a D21 (both power steering) that were mounted outside the frame rail on the driver's side. The stock 620 pitman arm fit the 720 sector shaft spline but when swapped to the D-21 it did not. Miraculously the sector shaft from the zx box that fit inside the frame rail could be rotated 180 and worked in the D-21 box mounted outside the frame. And away I went.

 

Have to ask... will the box fit with the stock alternator in place? I broke an alt stud off on my alt back in the '70s and a friend moved it to the other side of the block.

[yellowdatsun]

But why would you want to do it? It makes the vehicle harder to drive here in the states. The *real* rhd vehicles are cool because they were imported from another country, and are, as I said, real. Converting a usdm one to rhd will result in a fake car that will lose any and all coolness once people find out it's been converted. It will be cool for about 10 seconds, and then just be a pita because you can't pass anyone, can't go through drive-thru's, etc...............

[Draker]

But why would you want to do it? It makes the vehicle harder to drive here in the states. The *real* rhd vehicles are cool because they were imported from another country, and are, as I said, real. Converting a usdm one to rhd will result in a fake car that will lose any and all coolness once people find out it's been converted. It will be cool for about 10 seconds, and then just be a pita because you can't pass anyone, can't go through drive-thru's, etc...............

 

Makes it JDM as fuck.

[flatcat19]

I say do it.

If that's what you want to do, make it so.

 

You will be a pioneer.

[ZackTheImpaler]

We talked about doing this to my 720 to make room for downdrafts for a set of outlaws.

 

I decided it'd be too much of a pain!

[mytoy521]

I have an idea.

 

On the 520/521/620 the steering box is mounted inside the frame rail beside the front of the motor on the left side. To swap to the other side an Australian one would be mounted between the engine and inside frame on the right side. A sort of mirror reflection of itself. There actually is a steering column that could be made to fit on the right side between the motor and frame and it's right here in N Am. Next time you see a 720 or D-21 Hardbody look in the front of the wheelwell by the tire. The steering column is mounted more or less above the center line of the frame rail but the body of the steering box including the sector shaft and pitman arm mounts to the outside of the frame. Now just imagine the box moved over to the other frame rail and it would fit between it and the motor.

 

This is not a drop in swap by any means. All 720 and up steering columns are splined to allow collapse during accidents, have a small U joint to allow a bend and there is a rag joint between the box and the shaft to further isolate vibration and noise. You would need the complete column and use it or perhaps convert it to use the 521. The box itself will never fit the mounting holes on the 521 frame but that's what welders are for. The pitman arm is also different and I doubt the 521 pitman will fit the later spline.

 

I installed a 290zx power steering box in my 620. Had to get rid of the one piece box/column that was in it. I used a 720 column and everything worked fine. The 620 pitman arm fit the spline on the zx box. Years later I swapped a SAS Toyota front axle in and changed the box to a 720 and then a D21 (both power steering) that were mounted outside the frame rail on the driver's side. The stock 620 pitman arm fit the 720 sector shaft spline but when swapped to the D-21 it did not. Miraculously the sector shaft from the zx box that fit inside the frame rail could be rotated 180 and worked in the D-21 box mounted outside the frame. And away I went.

 

Have to ask... will the box fit with the stock alternator in place? I broke an alt stud off on my alt back in the '70s and a friend moved it to the other side of the block.

 

:huh:Thanks Mr,datsenmike I will consider not doing the switch over just thought id ask the ratsun bros.

[mytoy521]

But why would you want to do it? It makes the vehicle harder to drive here in the states. The *real* rhd vehicles are cool because they were imported from another country, and are, as I said, real. Converting a usdm one to rhd will result in a fake car that will lose any and all coolness once people find out it's been converted. It will be cool for about 10 seconds, and then just be a pita because you can't pass anyone, can't go through drive-thru's, etc...............

 

Thanks Mr. yellowdatsun. I dont think i want to switch the steering wheel any longer. Ill take all of your opinions not to do it. But i already did all the disc convertion on all four corners and put power windows in it that is a little late to stop but its kinda cool. and the brakes are extremely good compared to the drum brakes. thanks again for your advice.

[datzenmike]

:huh:Thanks Mr,datsenmike I will consider not doing the switch over just thought id ask the ratsun bros.

 

Never said you shouldn't, on the contrary, only that you might be able to do this will available Nissan parts right here. Anything is do-able with some work and planning.

[620mike]

on every post theres got to be a hater that makes the poster not want to do the mod WHY U GOTTA HATE...HATTERS HATE BECAUSE THEY CANT DO THEM SELFS..... So do the RHD and make it work it will be cool for alot more then ten seconds F**K what everyone else things as long as u like it... unless its ur DD then dont take the risk lol

[dirtydiesel]

i havent inspected the steering box on the 521 yet. but if i recall you can rotate the housing

[datzenmike]

I suppose you could run the stock box on the outside of the passenger side frame rail but you would have to change the lengths of the cross rod and the tie rods on that side. The symmetry would be off and it may affect the steering?

[yellowdatsun]

I'm not a hater, just using common sense and realities to point out a few things.

 

I have no issues against the disc conversion, if I had another 521 I'd do it too.

[HRH]

I will say, having driven a RHD vehicle around Phoenix back in the day, it's a really big pain making left hand turns against traffic. In fact, it's downright dangerous because you literally can't see. Not to mention drivethroughs, etc. To me, it doesn't make any sense unless it's a show vehicle. Cool, sort of. Practical? Not really.

[VoidDragon]

The only thing I've every had against RHD is that... Idk if I could shift gears left handed. It just doesn't feel right conceptually...

[wayno]

I have a RHD vehicle, I purchased it because of the fuel mileage/economy, I see nothing dangerous about it, I have no blind spots. It takes getting used to the left arm shifting, otherwise I would say go for it. The only problem I see with the steering gear is that custom parts will need to be made, as datzenmike suggested, the 720 steering gear would work if you have the room on the inside frame rail. As datzenmike also said, the pitman arm for the 521 will not fit the 720 steering gear, as I have already tried this. So this leaves the last option in my arsenal, this will work, and it gives you the option of having power steering. One of the unique things about the 521 is that the idler arm is reversable, so what you do is take your 521 steering box out, replace it with a stock 521 idler arm, you will have to use bolts with lock nuts, but the holes are there. Now you have a complete 521 steering system, with no way to steer it. this is what I would do next, buy a 720 steering gear from the pitman arm to the horn button, I would get the tilt column and the power steering gear, but thats just me. Next you need to fit the gear as far forward as you can get it on the inside of the frame in front of the pass. side idler arm, the idler arm and steering gear might share a bolt, I have not figured everything out yet, you will also need to beef up the frame in this area(sleeves, ect.), otherwise it will start to collapse when you tighten everything up, this might also cause alt. issues in this area, so the alt might have to be relocated to the existing drivers side which will cause issues with where to mount the power steering pump. The next thing you will need to have made is a custom center link(custom parts suck), it's not that hard to explain, but I am hoping the photo below will get the idea across, once the custom steering center link is in place, what you have is a 720 pitman arm sticking down, and a tierod connection waiting on the existing drivers side custom center link, I used the stock 521 center link to make the connection for my power steering setup in my 521. I had to have the pitman arm on the 720 gear redrilled/tapered so the tierod inserted up instead of down, and the custom center link also had to insert up, so it would be best to have ajustable tierods also. without power steering you would be done except for installing the column itself, but I have not done or thought about this part yet at all. wayno

 

 

 

[yellowdatsun]

Having driven in England and New Zealand, I can say that the whole left handed shifting thing is actually really easy. The hard part (over there) is keeping the car on the correct side of the road.

[.sunlover]

I also without hating would vote to keep the 521 lhd as it was designed to be the best match for our roads. it seems that a vehicle most comfortable on the road would have the most value to someone that plans to drive and keep it. In the end, it's your 521, I made mine to please myself, and you should do the same, but maybe first ask yourself what you're looking for in a truck: drive, show, function, have a 1 of a kind, just weigh it out, all you have to worry about is what makes you happiest.

[620mike]

I also without hating would vote to keep the 521 lhd as it was designed to be the best match for our roads. it seems that a vehicle most comfortable on the road would have the most value to someone that plans to drive and keep it. In the end, it's your 521, I made mine to please myself, and you should do the same, but maybe first ask yourself what you're looking for in a truck: drive, show, function, have a 1 of a kind, just weigh it out, all you have to worry about is what makes you happiest.

 

 

WELL ASSUMING THIS WOULDNT BE A WEEKEND PROJECT FOR HIM I WOULD HOPE HE HAS ANOTHER VEHICAL TO DRIVE. SO IT MUST BE FOR SHOW... MAYBE NOT AT A CAR SHOW BUT DRIVING DOWN THE STREET GETTING LOOKS....ANYTIME I DO SOMTHING OUT OF THE NORM I DO IT FOR ME AND THE SIMPLE FACT THAT I CAN SAY I DID IT. AND THE MORE THINGS I CAN DO, (GOOD) THAT THE NORMAL PERSON CANT MAKES ME HAPPY...o shoot caps lock was on sorry.. but im not re typing....

[drastic520]

if you search thru my old posts, you will find that I did the conversion on my old 520. It really wasnt that hard to do. I did use the 720 steering box and column and stripped it down. Then everything went in the 520. Tje pitman arm I cut and made one out of both. Worked very well. Just gotta make sure its welded properly and reinforced. Pedal placement was the most time consuming part. With a lil patience, anything can be done.