Rack& Pinion Fab/Install UPDATED

68` B-body

Stock K member and box is 74lbs.
This is 33lbs,but have a few things to add. Should end up at about 40lbs.

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9 Tie rod ends will need to be lowered quite a bit.
They make a kit for that ,but may fab my own.

Now time to pull the engine/trans. and sandblast the under side of the body.

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What are you going to use for spindles? Nice fab work! Are you going to use strut rods to locate the control arms?
Mike

Thanks
Yes I will be using the stock struts to the front. Have to fab that piece yet.
Planned on stock spindles.
Any suggestions on a lighter one?
Was considering A body spindles.
But wasn't sure what to do with the height difference.
Was thinking that if I could get a lighter spindle what is available to hook it up?
Any idea what it takes?

The reason I asked was now you are front steer.

I have read you can't just swap the spindles from side to side to point the steering arms to the front.

I have no experience with this to help you out. It seems all the front steer stuff uses Pinto/MII components.

I'll be interested to see what you come up with.

Hmm,you only have to swap the lower ball joints.
not the spindles.
I did this on my Cuda 20 years ago. Still using it,no issues.

Ok, I guess I should have went out to the shop and looked under my car. The old memory isn't as good as it used to be.

Apparently the steering arm angle with the ball joint swap from side to side doesn't change the steering geometry? I'll have to keep that in mind.

Did you use the position of the lower ball joint tie rod connection point to determine the height of the rack?

Mike

I never measured the tie-rod height before and after because I knew I would have to move it to get an acceptable bump-steer toe pattern.
On the Cuda I bent the steering arms to get a zero toe pattern. But the engine is back and not in the way on it.
The 68` Satellite the engine is in the way of getting the rack high enough.
I have 1-3/4" difference,so the outer tie-rods will be lowered a similar amount,then tweaked to a best bump steer pattern. Perfect may not be practical. If I was doing some sort of road racing then I would need to whatever it takes to get a perfect pattern.

Just swapping lower ball joints will mess with the steering geometry. I have pictures of the spindles I made/ altered for my Road Runner I will post later. Uses a modified stock lower ball joint, but not the ball joint arm.

Jeff

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Just swapping lower ball joints will mess with the steering geometry. I have pictures of the spindles I made/ altered for my Road Runner I will post later. Uses a modified stock lower ball joint, but not the ball joint arm.

Jeff

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It adds caster,moves the bottom of the spindle forward .110 by my measurements
I don`t think it is a drastic change.

Jeff,I`m very interested in seeing how you did yours

Looked at making a bolt on steering arm,but that I don`t think its the simple route. I can get a pair of tie rod adapters and use rod-ends instead of tie rods and be done.
Trying to avoid fabbing/modifying wearable parts since who knows if I will have the means to duplicate them down the road or the problem for a new owner in the future as well.