Classic truck ownership often comes with a specific soundtrack, and unfortunately, that soundtrack frequently includes the agonizing whine of a failing hydraulic system. We have all been there. You pull into a show or a gas station, turn the wheel to park, and the truck announces your arrival with a loud groan followed by a puddle of fluid on the asphalt. Ignoring these warning signs usually ends in a roadside repair, but Tuff Stuff Performance Accessories has a much better solution. Their new chrome Saginaw-style power steering pump is designed to silence the noise and clean up the engine bay in one shot.
Replacing a failed unit usually means a trip to the local auto parts store for a remanufactured part. The problem with “re-mans” is the uncertainty. You are essentially buying a used housing that has been cleaned, painted, and resealed. You never know the true mileage on the metal or if the internal tolerances are still within spec. Tuff Stuff takes a completely different approach. This unit is built with 100 percent new components. That means a brand-new reservoir, fresh internals, and a new dipstick right out of the box. It even arrives topped with a custom billet chrome cap, eliminating the need to hunt for dress-up parts later.
The internals are calibrated to deliver 1,200 psi of pressure with a flow rate of approximately three gallons per minute. This is the sweet spot for most standard steering gearboxes, providing enough assist for easy parking without making the steering feel twitchy or over-boosted at highway speeds. Builders using a Mustang II rack-and-pinion setup might need to swap the flow valve to drop the pressure slightly, but for traditional steering boxes, this power steering pump is ready to run immediately.
Steering systems are often the last thing to get attention during a restoration, yet they have the biggest impact on driveability. Eliminating the slop, the leaks, and the embarrassing noise completely transforms the experience behind the wheel.
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