Thread: Rack-Pinion or Manual steering Box

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I want to get rid of my power steering pump ETC,I no what I can get from JEG'S PINTO,Mustang and so on.Id like to no what I can go find in the salvage yard that I can make work on my 1985 Monte Carlo.Fabracation is not A problem keep in mind this is not A street car it is A NHRA Bracket car.

Mine is new, but it's a "pinto' style R&P. If your after a salvage yard unit I would get measurements and go see what you could find. Last time I was at the salvage yard they had piles of subframes with R&P still on them. Do you have stock front suspension, strut, .....

Things to consider

Are spindles steered from front or rear? Pinto &Mustand are front

I think your car is rear steer

Look for a rack from one of the Chrysler things

IT's stock non strut,I havn't priced A salveged unit yet and I don't have A core to exchange at the yard.If it's not to much more Ill wait till after the Holladay's and buy new,I was told I could also go with A Chevy S-10 Manual box insted of the rack-pinoin.I wan't to end up with one Deep Groove pulley on the crank to run my Altenator, and Im putting A Moroso drive on the water pump.

The S10 manual box is a direct bolt on to replace the power box on the Camaro so I would bet (and I don't gamble) that it will do so on the Monte--it will really be your best bet and if i remember we only paid like $50 for it.
It may be a slower ratio than your power box but at hight speed drag race that's a bonus

IT's front steer good looken out,I hadn't considerd A oil pan issue.

Thanx all, now I have A reason to go play in the snow at the bone yard saturday I reconed some S-10's a wile back should still be their.

For a bracket racer, a rack and pinion would be great and if it's a front steer car the Pinto style rack would be a good one to use. A rack and pinion is so much lighter then a steering box and all the steering arms. Less weight means a quicker car, and front end weight is the best weight to lose!

I hear you dave,Can't wait to get rid of these cast heads for some Aluminum ones that should get another 6" day light under the front's,

the S10 is the box to use you can save some weigth with the rack and can help if you go big engine and need more room

Do I use the S-10 pitman arm or the monte.

This is a good thread and I'd like to horn in if I may... I'm looking for R&P for a '68 Firebird... it's rear steer. Anyone know a good replacement? The aftermarket has some but it seems the period Camaro/Firebird specific units are quite a bit more spendy than your run of the mill pinto unit...

thanks and sorry for the hijack

-Chris

Rear steer is the issue on the rack, Skids... Best might be to measure the room available between the back of the crossmember and the oil pan, then go junkyarding and measure some of the rear steer racks you find and see what will fit... Friend of mine converted his '67 to front steer spindles, then used the Pinto stlye rack.. No idea which spindles he used, but it sure did free up a bunch of room by going to the front steer rack!!!!

PS--one of our local "self-proclaimed genius" types put a front steer rack behind the crossmember....worked great excep left is right and right is left....oops!!!!!

Going to a rack on yours, might also want to consider coilovers instead of the stock springs and shocks and do away with a few more pounds of ugly fat!!!!

For spindles, measure the total length of the spindles you have know and see what you can find for front steer spindles that are the same, or close enough to be made to work. If the ball joint taper is different on the spindles it's no big deal either...just run a taper ream through the spindles to match the angle you have on the ball joints, or use the ball joints that are correct for the spindles you use!!!! Some searching and engineering a long with some careful fabricating can make it look like a factory installation and the savings in weight and quicker steering (with a faster ratio rack) makes it worthwhile.... Getting the bump steer correct with a rack and pinion is really the only major design issue on the project....

Originally Posted by skids72

This is a good thread and I'd like to horn in if I may... I'm looking for R&P for a '68 Firebird... it's rear steer. Anyone know a good replacement? The aftermarket has some but it seems the period Camaro/Firebird specific units are quite a bit more spendy than your run of the mill pinto unit...

thanks and sorry for the hijack

-Chris

your spindles are then same as A body gm front steer from 65to 72 the spindles have a bolt on arm. by bolting the arm in back that make yours rear steer from GM so maybe you could make yours front steer by swaping your bolt on arms ? i know your car has the cross member could be in the way for a rack the arms are not the same from A body but the spindles are but the arms for the disc brakes use a bigger bolt thru the spindles that can be drill out .i made new ldle arm bracket and new pitman arm for the gto when i had to cut and box the cross over for the bigger engine could have gone rack but that would of been less work

Thanks guys... yes I think I'll need new spindles for front steer or if it's just matter of different arms for the spindles I got.... crossmember is a deal killer for rear steer... running drums all around now and was planning to go disc as part of this project... I'll see if father time and mother pocketbook have it in the cards this winter..

-Chris