a-body Rack and Pinion

[72scamp500]

 I own a 72 scamp with a 500 cube low deck stroker setting beside it. This weekend In Hot rod magazines Mopar tribute addition I saw a 1970 Duster with Rack and Pinion. The car was Sox @ Martin's 1970 drag car. Bigblockdart.com has allot of cool tech stuff on it but why havent i seen rack@pinion on any cars. If any one has one send pics or tell me how it works.

[abodyjoe]

http://www.reillymotorsports.com/gallery/

[Jim_Lusk]

There's R&P on several cars. Anything with an AlterKtion has one.

[Bakaruda]

I have a bud wuth a rack on his car I would not do it if the car is a street car.

[72scamp500]

Why not for street use? I have swaped the steering arms arround on the spindle and now i will fabricate brackets for the rack. The mod will take 50+ bounds of the front of the car and is cheaper than a manual box.

[Jim_Lusk]

Swapping the steering arms for front steer is not a good thing. It screws up the Ackerman (more turn on the inside tire than the outside). If you look at Bill's suspension the steering arms angle outward to make front steer work properly.

[Bill_Reilly]

The steering arms are designed to provide the correct ackerman in a rear steer system. Swapping them to front steer doesn't work because they have the opposite affect and you won't be able to steer the car. Putting a rack into the Kframe can be made to work ok, but to get it even close you'll have to fab up your own steering arms.

The best way to do that is to make a pair out of thin junk metal and use washers for spacers - this stuff will be easy to bend and adjust. Once you get it all adjusted that the geometry is right, copy the shape with better stuff to make the permanent arms.

It's not the rack that causes problems, it's the geometry - All the pivot points have to be adjusted to work with the new pivot points of the rack, which is easier said than done with the stock suspension parts that were intended for a rear steer layout.

To get an idea of what you need to do, You can do some online searches for terms like Ackerman Steering and Bumpsteer, which are the two biggest problems you'll experience.
In a drag car, steering isn't much of an issue as long as it's close enough that the car is stable, but on the street, steering geometry is top priority.

[HemiDemon]

I have a 1971 Demon with a 392 Hemi. I upgraded to rack n pinion steering and made it work right.
I have a web site with pictures and details.   www.MoparMuscleOnline.com

Bruce

[Bill_Reilly]

Hey Bruce. Didn't know you made it over to the new board. That car is a good example of how to make it work...

[abodyjoe]

I have a 1971 Demon with a 392 Hemi. I upgraded to rack n pinion steering and made it work right.
I have a web site with pictures and details. www.MoparMuscleOnline.com

Bruce

  wow impressive..  thats alot of work...  one question though..  why do all that work and keep the drum brakes??

[Jim_Lusk]

Bruce, very impressive.

[Bakaruda]

If you are doing what Bruce did I would say go for it.

[72scamp500]

thanks guys. Bruce you must have as much free time as i do. I will follow your plans. Wish me luck.

[HemiDemon]

Thanks for the kind words about my Demon. I would also like to say that flipping the steering arms around WON'T work.  I used the rack from a Dodge Dakota because it measured 24 inches from knuckle to knucke. That is the same distance from lower control arm pivot to lower control arm pivot. I made the links that run from the rack to the hub the same length as the distance of the lower control arm, pivot to pivot. That made the steering link end just inside the space between the brake drum and the inside of the rim. Adding beefy disk brakes would require more work. I am using Raybestos (? spelling) hi preformance brake shoes. I have never had any problems with fading or stopping. I don't usually drive much over 120 MPH so it works or me.

Good Luck,
Bruce

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