Thread: '23 bucket with bump steer

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I think Bob is right. I have never been a fan of rack and pinion steering on an I beam or tube axle set up. To work right, they have to move with the axle, and therefore be mounted to it, like the one you described you saw. But they become unsprung weight, and it is hard to get the steering column shaft to move with the axle movement.

I also think they look somewhat ugly on there, but that is just my personal opinion.

Don

Don
how would you use a rack on that type front end would you need a spline shaft and sleeve to alow the suspension to work seperate from the car(steering column)???

My buddy who died a few years ago had a rack and pinion on his T bucket, and it never really worked out well. His was mounted to the frame, which by all accounts is not the way to do it, as the front end will "steer" as the car rises and falls.

As for the ones mounted to the axle, you have hit the problem on the head. How do you make the steering shaft slide in and out of the steering rack as the car bounces up and down? I don't have that answer.

Someone will probably cite that new steering setup where they use essentially 1/2 of a rack that is bolted to the frame rail, and it moves a drag link to steer the car. But that setup is really no different than a conventional box, in as much as it acts to simply move the rod in and out. A true rack, on the other hand, mounts in the center of the axle and acts as the tie rod, except it is controlable with the steering wheel.

I think the fix for jjpop's problem is what bob suggested. Use a panhard bar, or a dead perch to keep the cross steering from moving the axle from side to side.

Don

Don
if you were to use a pan hard or dead perch wouldn't that just try to pull the tierod ends out of the rack as the suspension moves up and down??

No, I meant to use those items with his existing cross steering setup, not the rack and pinion one.

Don

OK I just couldn't get that set up to work in my mind. thanks for setting me right on that. I have never had the opertunity to work on a front end like that so I didn't know.

I've never run a panhard bar and never had a bump steer problem because I always run a Ford pickup steering box with a traditional drag link that runs fore and aft. When I am steering, the forces are straight forward and backward, rather than side to side, as when using a Vega or similar cross steering box.

Everything I have ever heard is that it is manditory to run a panhard or dead perch with these cross steering boxes because of the way they shove the axle from side to side when turning the wheel.

I have also heard that radial tires accentuate the effect because the sidewalls are made to flex. Don't know if that is true, as I always run bias plys. This is one of those subjects no one seems to absolutely agree on, and there are 100 ways to go about it.

Don

Originally Posted by DennyW

Yeah Don. On my 34 Chevy (ford powered) truck, I want to keep it pretty much stock working in the steering department. I want to keep the side link look. The stock one of course was mounted on the frame, but with the motor situation now, I was planning on redesigning a s10 type steering box on a plate setup, and still keeping the side link. I have a 3 bolt, and a 4 bolt box. Suggestions maybe on that ?

Denny: I'm sorry I missed this post. You and I must have been typing at the same time.

Does your Chevy truck have the two parallel springs like stock? I'm not sure if the Vega style box can be mounted to run the side drag link. I just have never played with one. Can you post a picture of your set up, and maybe we or someone else on here will be able to come up with something for you.


Don

Sorry Denny, I never have. Sounds like you have it sorted out though.


Don

Originally Posted by DennyW

Yeah Don. On my 34 Chevy (ford powered) truck, I want to keep it pretty much stock working in the steering department. I want to keep the side link look. The stock one of course was mounted on the frame, but with the motor situation now, I was planning on redesigning a s10 type steering box on a plate setup, and still keeping the side link. I have a 3 bolt, and a 4 bolt box. Suggestions maybe on that ?

Take a look at the Borgeson site.

They have photos of a lot of different steering boxes.

More than likely you'll see something you can use.