I guess I need a steering rack

[69burban]

I have a 69 suburban. I used to be a dealer for Turner Enterprises. (What happened to Bill is a mystery to me) anyway, I have his droped crossmember, upper and lower control arms. My project sat untouched for about three years. I'm finally back into it, and have gotten to the point of installing steering and then brakes.
Turner told me I could still run my stock steering. I trial fitted the steering and it doesn't even come close. The tie rod hits the lower control arm bolts and bushings. He sent me a "tie rod flip kit" consisting of the parts in my hand in the pic. They don't really help.
What steering rack would I use to make this work? how hard is it to weld one to the crossmember? I know I would have to notch the frame to clear the tie rod ends.
Thanks in advance for any help or insight!

[smashingchuck]

I used his kit to raise my crossmember. It was a real pain in the ass and fit like ****. he told me the steering would be fine.... it wasn't. I ended up raising the whole steering assembly (idler arm, steering box, etc) up the same amount as the crossmember, and clearanced the frame to clear the tie rods. problem solved and it works fine... and it didn't cost a thing.

[smashingchuck]

and when I say "clearanced the frame" i basically c notched it like you would in the rear of a truck that was lowered just a little.

[69burban]

Thanks Smashing. Do you have any pics of how you moved everything up? That would also solve the problem of my upper control arm hitting the steering shaft.

[fastbagged68]

Check out this link. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ad.php?t=60649 I got Bill Turner control arm and I notched mine crossmember. I got a rack on mine. I am either going to narrow my arms or buy a porterbuilt crossmember.

[69burban]

Thanks for the link fastbagged! your burban is awesome! I can see where the rack bolts to the cm in some of the pics in that thread. I'm assuming that the 2 holes are cut and then threaded bungs welded to the crossmember, then the rack bolts to them. is this correct? I would love to do a manual rack to keep stuff clean, but would it be a bear to steer?

I guess I need to notch the frame either way to clear the tie rod ends. I just have to decide if I want to do smashingchuck's free way, or spend some bucks on a sporty steering rack. Smashingchuck's may be a little less work, any pics of how you moved yours Smashingchuck?

Thanks again for all the help

[smashingchuck]

Originally Posted by 69burban

any pics of how you moved yours Smashingchuck?

Thanks again for all the help

sorry... don't have any pics on my computer any more, but I'll describe it the best I can. for the idler arm, just measure straight up the distance you want to move it, and redrill the two holes. the steering box gets a little more complicated. get some 3/8 stock, and using countersunk bolts, bolt it to the frame where your steering box goes. then measure straight up the same distance you moved you idler arm, and drill your holes to mount your steering box with. you may now have to unbolt the plate... I can't remember. with the idler arm bolted up and the steering box now bolted up, use a torch to start removing the material that is in the way. just keep moving the idler arm back and forth until it has full travel. do the same with the pitman arm. now attach the centerlink and the tierods, and check for clearance again, removing any part of the frame that may still be in the way. Next, using some more 3/8 steal, rebuild the lower flange of the frame going around the steering, essentially creating a "c-notch" around it.

got it??

oh yeah... you will still have to use three flaming river u joints and some double d shaft to go around the control arm... no way around it.