Rack and Pinion and Front Suspension..... Done!

18+ is probably a better length, but my center bracket is pulling the tie rods in very close and above the rack output traveler....my bump stear is not great, but better than stock.....
 
I can get them up higher by mounting them vertical. Horizontal mounting is too wide to get up high and still clear the lower A arm pivot.

I'm trying to get the load path as close to the axial center line of the rack. That's the weakness of CTO racks. The offset load wears the center nut.
 
BBShark said:
I can get them up higher by mounting them vertical. Horizontal mounting is too wide to get up high and still clear the lower A arm pivot.

I'm trying to get the load path as close to the axial center line of the rack. That's the weakness of CTO racks. The offset load wears the center nut.
Click to expand...

Yup, same thoughts on my mind, and so I made my compromise with unequal tie rod lengths and kept the adapter block as close as I could, using the stock tie rod ends....and wound up with significant bump stear because they were right on the center line of the output traveler....too low, and someone said to raise the tie rods at the rack, so off came the machined adapter and cut the ears off, and my buddy welded them on the block, up top a couple inches and pivoted the ends to they are vertical with the stem facing down, grease fitting up top....not ideal for grease and water, but best I could do.....one of the difficulties on this was because I had the steering wheel input shaft up high as possible/rack turned so that I even cut a crescent out of the lower rear engine mount, up next to the frame, and the reason for THAT was to allow use of just two universal joints from the collapsed column ....compromises made with reality vs desires.....the doo-able vs dreams.....

:nuts:
 
BBShark said:
I can get them up higher by mounting them vertical. Horizontal mounting is too wide to get up high and still clear the lower A arm pivot.

I'm trying to get the load path as close to the axial center line of the rack. That's the weakness of CTO racks. The offset load wears the center nut.
Click to expand...

Okay, fair enough.
Heim joints are more compact, maybe that would help.
I started looking for a custom mustang style rack a while ago, but never got too far. I think Detroit speed uses one in their prototype.
 
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Finnaly finished the R&P. I wave to redo the front caliper brackets but thats it. A couple of weeks I will have a rolling chassis!

45988a0b35ede5.jpg

45e4bae8d15e29.jpg
 
Shark, that's impressive! Awesome work.
I need to get mine going too. I put it up for awhile until I get my barn completed. Ill try to tackle the R&P and the wiring... hopefully by this winter.
 
very nice....i put witness marks on the big bolts on the R/P unit after i noticed one of them loosened up
 
it was the big bolts in the center of the rack that went to the bracket that went out to the tie rod ends.


they were torqued up pretty high I recall. i am not sure why loosened up


on your photo they look brown or tan color
 
I was concerned about the twist on that bracket because the tie rod are pushing off axis. I tried to get those two bolts up as high as possible by mounting the rack so that the bracket was as short as possible. Also there is a bend in the bracket which helps with twist. The bracket is 1/4 thick with the mounting holes as tight as possible.

I'll keep an eye on them if I ever start driving it again!
 
i think it was the continual road vibration and twisting that loosened mine up. it was 15yrs ago but i believe they were torqued to a high spec with lock tight on them. so after they loosened I redid them and then added white witness marks. and eyeballed them frequently
 
The two rack output bolts never have come loose on my car...SO FAR.....but I had the adapter machined to use the OEM bolts that came with the rack from the junkyard....it was a fresh rack, clean as if new.....

:2nd:
 
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