Rack and Pinion?

Anybody on here try converting to a rack and pinion set up for your powered steering?

Thanks,
Scott

no one ???!!! really ???

I just put rack n pinion on my 64 E100. I mounted it to the axle. I used a "v" gearbox from an isuzu rodeo, and a slip shaft between the two. It is not power but works great.

dan nachel wrote:I just put rack n pinion on my 64 E100. I mounted it to the axle. I used a "v" gearbox from an isuzu rodeo, and a slip shaft between the two. It is not power but works great.

. Hey dan could you post a pic or two of how looks. I was thinking of doing that same thing, and what rack did you end up using...and did you have to by longer tie rod ends for it to work?....thanks.

I second that, I was thinking along the same lines but using a power rac,
got one off an 03 mustang and a v box off a pathfinder just haven't had the
time to mock it up.

Guys, I've tried for two knights now to post pictures. It just aint working!  But basically, I made a mount for the rack n pinion out of 1 1/2 inch tube. The tube fits inside the side of the front axle. Then the tube is held to the axle with brackets. I did have to make the tie rod ends longer. I cut them and added a length of pipe with plug welds. The hardest part was mounting the "v" gear. I had to remove part of the frame so that the slide shaft would not interfere with the brake peddle. I boxed in the part of frame that was removed. Soon I will be posting a build thread because along with the rack n pinion, I added disc brakes on front, a 302 engine, an 8.8 rear with 3:73 gears, the five speed trans from a mustang, and 31x10.5x15 tires. I just extended then shocks temporarilly and can't wait to get new ones, because on my dirt road it rides like a brick. Out on the highway it rides great.

Dan, I sent you a PM.

Got your pm. Thanks for the help.

sent you another PM Dan.

hey scottyp still waiting on pics of your rac an pinion set up

I'll post the pics he sent me.

One thing I forgot to mention, when I redid the king pins, I reversed the spindles so that the tie rod ends would be in front of the axle. (left on right side and right on left side)

what is the rac from?

It's a mustang rack. I don't know what year. The seller was going to put it on a 63 ford street rod, but found a chrome one he liked better. I got it for $40.00.

I removed the manual steering in my 65' however i also converted the front end to ISP using a Mustang II type kit, drop spindles and a manual rack and pinion. The rack has to be oriented to face forward instead of backwards of course. I also am using an Isuzu Rodeo steering gear box that returns the steering shaft at nearly a 90deg angle. The issue you will run into using the OE leaf springs and the rack is how/where to mount it and allow the suspension shift (IMO)

okay. maybe i'm missing a lot here. the thought that you mounted the rack and pinion to the straight axle, scares the hell out of me. the axle is meant to move up and down, and the rack and pinion is meant to remain stationary. this seems like a fine enough idea, until I think about the idea of coupling my steering shaft to a rack that is moving up and down.
so my question is this. . . .
how do you couple the steering v box to the axle without having excessive scary bump steer and other completely horrible unsafe things? are you running a collapsible double steering knuckle between the rack and v box? if this is the case, it still scares me badly.
please let me know what i'm overlooking here.
thanks.

I'm using a telescoping shaft between the V box and the rack. The shaft came from a steering column. I've had it on there for about 6 months now without any issues.

wow. well, if it works for you, then it works for me. nice work.