rack and pinion

[will scratch]

I'm wanting to get information and pics on how to do rack and pinion steering setup. Would like to go with manual to do away with the pump. How bout you guys that have done it give us some pros and cons, work involved, parts required, etc. My goal would be focused mostly on the weight savings off the front, so is it worth doing and what are the real benifts. Thanks.

79 Blazer 2wd; flip kit drop spindles and springs.

[djracer]

I have a mustang II fatman fabrication bolt in kit. It has a manual rack. It saves a ton of weight.

[midevil1]

Originally Posted by will scratch

I'm wanting to get information and pics on how to do rack and pinion steering setup. Would like to go with manual to do away with the pump. How bout you guys that have done it give us some pros and cons, work involved, parts required, etc. My goal would be focused mostly on the weight savings off the front, so is it worth doing and what are the real benifts. Thanks.

79 Blazer 2wd; flip kit drop spindles and springs.

I made my own with a 79 to 93 foxbody manual rack. UPR bump stop tie rod's and extenders. I used 1/8th" plate for gusset's and 1 1/2" pipe clamps for mounts. You have to cutoff the original mounts for it to fit to the crossmember. Truck steers like a dream and the amount of rotations on the wheel are atleast half of original. Was quite simple to do and might've taken 8 hours total to finish. I have one pic and will take somemore of the finished product. It was worth it a 100 times over......

[68GMCCustom]

any change on the turning circle?

[Wild83C10]

You can stick with a power rack, just buy an aluminum rack.

[midevil1]

Turning radius is better than stock.

[regan wilson]

Originally Posted by midevil1

Turning radius is better than stock.

I have Mustang 2 type rack on mine and fabbed the rest . My turn radius is way more (wider) than stock but , It drives down the racetrack like a Caddy.

[C20-67_N_MO]

Originally Posted by regan wilson

I have Mustang 2 type rack on mine and fabbed the rest . My turn radius is way more (wider) than stock but , It drives down the racetrack like a Caddy.

Yeah once I get my truck to this point I will have a rack on my truck.

Just seems the way to go.

Now I need to save up for this and my dream motor SBC 434!

[kpeztruck]

Originally Posted by regan wilson

I have Mustang 2 type rack on mine and fabbed the rest . My turn radius is way more (wider) than stock but , It drives down the racetrack like a Caddy.

I have to agree with Regan on this one. The turning radius was a good bit wider, but goes down track very well. I had fabricated another crossmember in front of the front suspension crossmember, due to my engine sitting low in the chassis. Finding the correct rack location for proper bump steer was time consuming. I tried the bump steer kits, and got scared of the size spacer required. As a result I spent more time moving and trying bump steer measurements until I was happy.
The new front suspension uses the same Mustang II rack and has less than an 1/8" of bump steer. It is just taking too long to come to market with the suspension. Paul Baxter

[C20-67_N_MO]

Anyone have a link from a vendor for one of these kits?

Would love to have this on my truck!!

[midevil1]

Originally Posted by C20-67_N_MO

Anyone have a link from a vendor for one of these kits?

Would love to have this on my truck!!

Custom Classic Trucks and Classic Trucks have tons of AD'S for vendors with these types of kits. Fatman Fabrication is one of the better known vendors.

I perfer to make everything myself. Thats just me. My truck is one loooooong conversation piece. If you have the ability and the means to do it yourself. It is not that bad of a project. I bet I have less than a 1/4 the cost of one of the aftermarket kits in my steering and eveything is stainless or billet.

[will scratch]

Originally Posted by midevil1

Custom Classic Trucks and Classic Trucks have tons of AD'S for vendors with these types of kits. Fatman Fabrication is one of the better known vendors.

I perfer to make everything myself. Thats just me. My truck is one loooooong conversation piece. If you have the ability and the means to do it yourself. It is not that bad of a project. I bet I have less than a 1/4 the cost of one of the aftermarket kits in my steering and eveything is stainless or billet.

found this

http://www.customclassictrucks.com/t.../photo_28.html

Interesting cross member here, some fatman stuff. but i sure like the idea of pipe clamps and a manual rack (1/4 cost) would like to see more. what did you use from rack to spindle couldn't tell from your pic.
thanks all for the feed back.

[midevil1]

I used these spherical tie rod ends from UPR and their bumpsteer kit.

Brakes are from a 72 Impala SS and I crossdrilled them for shorter stopping distances.

[C20-67_N_MO]

Originally Posted by midevil1

Custom Classic Trucks and Classic Trucks have tons of AD'S for vendors with these types of kits. Fatman Fabrication is one of the better known vendors.

You have any links to these guys?

And if I had the parts list I would gladly piece it together myself!

[team39763]

Midevil1, could you show us another pic of how you mounted the rack? I'm seriously considering this as my next mod for weight reduction.

[69trk]

I'm also very interested...

[midevil1]

Got a local member coming by to take pics for the same thing. I will get as many pics as I can to post on here.

I really need to start a build thread, HUH? Most of my build pics are stuck on my crashed laptop, otherwise I would show you guys all my homemade parts......

[68GMCCustom]

Originally Posted by midevil1

Got a local member coming by to take pics for the same thing. I will get as many pics as I can to post on here.

I really need to start a build thread, HUH? Most of my build pics are stuck on my crashed laptop, otherwise I would show you guys all my homemade parts......

any updates on the pics of the rack and pinion setup? I am planning on doing this... rather then rebuild the OEM complete steering system.

[djracer]

Originally Posted by midevil1

Got a local member coming by to take pics for the same thing. I will get as many pics as I can to post on here.

I really need to start a build thread, HUH? Most of my build pics are stuck on my crashed laptop, otherwise I would show you guys all my homemade parts......

You can buy a cheap usb reader for your old laptop hard drive so you can get your stuff off it if the drive itself isn't bad.

[midevil1]

Originally Posted by djracer

You can buy a cheap usb reader for your old laptop hard drive so you can get your stuff off it if the drive itself isn't bad.

Power supply is bad. SORRY guys I forgot about this thread all together. Taking it to get all the info retrieved. Let me see what I have for pics on this laptop.....

[C20-67_N_MO]

I sooo want a Rack and pinion setup.

If I do the conversation, what parts should I look for in the junk yard or pick-n-pull yards to piece this system together?

Thanks guys!

[midevil1]

No need to go to the junkyard. You can get everything new for relatively cheap. Foxbody mustang manual or power rack can be had at any local parts house. Tierods and extensions can be bought from UPR products or ebay. Supplies to build Mounts can be bought from local stores.

[C20-67_N_MO]

Originally Posted by midevil1

No need to go to the junkyard. You can get everything new for relatively cheap. Foxbody mustang manual or power rack can be had at any local parts house. Tierods and extensions can be bought from UPR products or ebay. Supplies to build Mounts can be bought from local stores.

Any idea what year to ask the parts store for one of these racks?

And what about Tierod ends and extensions? From what vehicle would they fit the 1967-72 Chevy Trucks?

Thanks.

[68GMCCustom]

I was wondering....would it be possible to use the original mounts on the rack by welding some like 1-1.25" heavy wall DOM tubing to the OEM crossmember...with grade8 bolts straight thru the rack mount into the tubes with a lockwasher and a nut on the inside of the crossmember. Would be as strong as the original rack mount?

and I've heard of using a t-bird rack over the Mustangs....whats the size difference?

[midevil1]

Originally Posted by 68GMCCustom

I was wondering....would it be possible to use the original mounts on the rack by welding some like 1-1.25" heavy wall DOM tubing to the OEM crossmember...with grade8 bolts straight thru the rack mount into the tubes with a lockwasher and a nut on the inside of the crossmember. Would be as strong as the original rack mount?

and I've heard of using a t-bird rack over the Mustangs....whats the size difference?

You will have to channel the stock crossmember to use the original mounts. It will stick out to far and too low to fit to the spindle mounts. The way I did it came from the way that the Prostock cars mount theirs to the crossmembers. I took a 1.5 tube and smacked it with a hammer in my mounts and it didnt budge.

T-birds are the same rack up to 1988. They were then changed to the sn-95 chassis. The rack is wider on the 89 and up T-birds. Factory didnt offer a manual rack, so aftermarket is where you would have to get one. $$$$$