Rack and pinion - homemade Steeroids with GrandAm rack

MYBAD79

MYBAD79

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The steering conversion finally began .... I have removed the steering linkage, steering box, power steering pump, etc..... Damn that crap is heavy.....

Here's what goes in:

Manual center rack from a '88 Cavalier, same as a Pontiac Grand Am rack. Difference is the GrandAm did not come with manual steering. It's the same rack that comes with the Steeroids kit.

The U joints I use are Flaming River FR1722DD (5/8" - 36 spline to 3/4" DD) - that's for the rack input shaft to the 3/4"DD shaft.... Then a FR1746DD (1" - 48 spline to 3/4 DD) from the Corvette steering column to the DD shaft.

I also have the power steering rack on my shelf asvwell as the correct U-joint for it --- I can post part number and dimension tomorrow, I think it is 17mm but not sure.... It is definitely different than the manual rack though....

The 3/16" and 1/4" plate material should be delivered tomorrow, I'll fab some really nice brackets for the rack ---stay tuned..... :D
 
3/16-1/4" material, WTF you building here a battleship???

I have just two simple supports, pass side is a 1" angle, 1/8 thick, with a flange welded on to position the clamp over to miss the power steering lines...the end of the factory clamp was heated and bent over with the bolt going in vertically to the mount, on bottom, so clearance is same as the control arm

on driver's side, it's two angle iron pieced welded into a square tube, cut and bent about 30* and spaced off the frame front two mounting bolt about 1/2 inch, again some added steel going from the bottom of the bracket to the front outer frame hole where the steering ram used to go, the amount of twist I have on the rack position allows just two universal joints.... been on the road over 11 years now....

I got an adapter block made by a machine shop, using stock tie rod ends with extended sleeves....

:smash::clap: total cost was less than 200 bux.....80 of which was due to the machine shop.....

:smash::clap: BTW, I have sketches of those brackets if you want....
 
Brackets

Karsten - you have a PM too.

Hey GENE - Mind loading those drawings in the DOWNLOADS section?
I'll share my pics of the Steeroids Brackets.

Cheers - Jim
 
No direct answer for you - but I have had the impression that you can drive the Grand Am rack either manual - or power. Any truth to that? Mine is mounted to the chassis - and nearing hook up in a few weeks - planning on -- (dadadadada) Hydroboost Gene! (good natured jab)
BTW Google says 2.25 lock to lock.

Cheers - JIm
 
Last edited:
phantomjock said:
No direct answer for you - but I have had the impression that you can drive the Grand Am rack either manual - or power. Any truth to that? Mine is mounted to the chassis - and nearing hook up in a few weeks - planning on -- (dadadadada) Hydroboost Gene! (good natured jab)
BTW Google says 2.25 lock to lock.

Cheers - JIm
Click to expand...

On my '72, the way it is installed, I have 2.75 lock to lock, now the knuckles can be shorter on the much lighter G/A, and so with smaller tires the turns maybe much less.....

now I did limit my steering when I bought the car, and put on the '92/later 89 vette wheels....and so doing 255/50/17 in front, the radius needed limited, so to build up the snub/stopper on the lower control arm....keeping the modern tires off the frame/whatever....

at any rate, the turn radius was less than my '87 vette....go figger....

:gurney:
 
The manual rack is shorter than the power rack, not sure I want to use the rubber cushion mounting feature like stock.... Probably looking into aluminum clamps but not sure yet.....

Today I wiped all the stock steering parts clean and put all that stock stuff in a box: pump, steering box, linkage.... Damn that stuff is heavy..... :crap:

The power rack is 2.75 turns, I think "think" the manual rack is 3.5 turns.... We'll see .... I hope the manual rack works, I'd prefer to not use a pump and power steering lines.....
 
I would think my pix/sketches have been posted here over the years, but if not, here goes....one time I went to post a pix and this site said it was already here.....:shocking:

Well, so it seems maybe they can be a helpful suggestion, the red bracket is actually holding the rack, the blue bracket is on the pass side

and don't forget the 1/2" spacers holding the bracket off the frame on the driver side....

it's an impossible thing for ME to draw, but at the bottom you note that 3/4w x1/8" thick bar bent ~45* on each end, one to the forward/outer old steering ram mount bolt on the frame bottom, and then triangulated to the lower section of the mount, below where the clamp goes...

long ago I had pix of these outta the car, but methinks they gone in a computer crash, damn lightening.....
 

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reference material

Karsten - if you are interested in seeing some reference photos of brackets and the center link for the Saginaw CTO R&P seach under my user for "rack".

Grampy
 
phantomjock said:
No direct answer for you - but I have had the impression that you can drive the Grand Am rack either manual - or power. Any truth to that? Mine is mounted to the chassis - and nearing hook up in a few weeks - planning on -- (dadadadada) Hydroboost Gene! (good natured jab)
BTW Google says 2.25 lock to lock.

Cheers - JIm
Click to expand...

I drove for at least a year on a power rack, in manual mode. All I did was connect the lines side to side and left some fluid in it. I might have a photo.
 
Grampy said:
Karsten - if you are interested in seeing some reference photos of brackets and the center link for the Saginaw CTO R&P seach under my user for "rack".

Grampy
Click to expand...

I did.... I saw your threads and photos a while ago..... Very "inspiring" :D
 
rtj said:
phantomjock said:
No direct answer for you - but I have had the impression that you can drive the Grand Am rack either manual - or power. Any truth to that? Mine is mounted to the chassis - and nearing hook up in a few weeks - planning on -- (dadadadada) Hydroboost Gene! (good natured jab)
BTW Google says 2.25 lock to lock.

Cheers - JIm
Click to expand...

I drove for at least a year on a power rack, in manual mode. All I did was connect the lines side to side and left some fluid in it. I might have a photo.
Click to expand...

How hard was it to turn the wheel??
 
Photos, finally.....

Here's the stock steering stuff removed:

photo_zpsc1a91f01.jpg

.
photo_zpsb7654614.jpg
.

Here are the two racks: power steering is a bit longer than the manual rack:

photo_zpsa304a78d.jpg
.

Here are the two input shafts- the power rack on the left is 17mmDD, the manual rack is 5/8-36 spline
photo_zps2d06bbd0.jpg

.

The manual rack only has a narrow small diameter where the rubber clamp attaches.... Not sure that I like that, I saw somebody posted photos of machined aluminum clamping pieces not too long ago....

photo_zpsa9083e27.jpg
.
 
got the material last night.... shipping was very reasonable considering the box was 45lbs .... I bought some extra so I can make a few more brackets :D

photo_zpsf88b5d16.jpg
 
MYBAD79 said:
got the material last night.... shipping was very reasonable considering the box was 45lbs .... I bought some extra so I can make a few more brackets :D

photo_zpsf88b5d16.jpg
Click to expand...

50 lbs of metal for something that can be done better with 5 lbs of metal....judging that mine has not failed, YET....and looks solid as a rock, and the threads about steeroids and others? failing.....


knock on wood, I do keep checking though, an example of ONE is kinds sketchy for mass production, I know, but my welder buddy did the fab work, finally got the left side mount correct on the second try.....I'd done plenty of free hand electronic fab work over the years, and a bit of minor mechanical, but never did tackle anything as criticality ONE as steering, Unless you count a certain diffy swap that is still on the road 20 years later.....:3rd:
 
MYBAD79 said:
rtj said:
phantomjock said:
No direct answer for you - but I have had the impression that you can drive the Grand Am rack either manual - or power. Any truth to that? Mine is mounted to the chassis - and nearing hook up in a few weeks - planning on -- (dadadadada) Hydroboost Gene! (good natured jab)
BTW Google says 2.25 lock to lock.

Cheers - JIm
Click to expand...

I drove for at least a year on a power rack, in manual mode. All I did was connect the lines side to side and left some fluid in it. I might have a photo.
Click to expand...

How hard was it to turn the wheel??
Click to expand...

Well considering it has 11 or 12 inch front tires, not bad. Only time I really notice it is parking.
 
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