rack and pinion ????

[gemini]

I'll start rodding my merc when someone makes a bracket (S) for rack and pinion in a turdlane or the meteor. Noticed in a magazine flaming river makes brackets for rack - bolts right to old bolt holes into the 65 mustangs close so very close. ;D

[w2zero]

You can do this. I don't remember where I had it but start checking out the GM mid size front drivers and there is one that has the rack bolted up next to the firewall and really long tie rods. That one is very like the one that the Flamers sell. The outside of it moves so you bolt an adapter on it to hook up to your inner tie rod ends.

Run a flag up on Woody's Fairlane site and maybe the guy with the downloadable drawings is still around. The specs were very very complete and included machine shop type dimensions. Maybe I saved that, not sure.

[gemini]

At least someone has tried, not close enough for me. The must. II rack is so universal I saw a car in progress getting crossmember and it looks quite straighforward but he cut things out and then realized he should have reinforced prior to cutting. The unknown for me is the rear struts and notching for the "anti dive angle" I want a really great steering merc with lots of room for a 351 windsor someone with a great deal of talent should get the ball rolling for lot's of us enthusiasts to utilize the stock crossmember, like the 40 ford guys. not a show car front end but serviceable, probably cheper to rebuild and perform way better! COME ON GUYS LETS GET SERIOUS forget Crites components .If we could swap the crossmember things would be a lot better.

[w2zero]

That GM rack is rear steer, like the Meteor and Fairlane. The M2 is front steer so it requires more fabrication. The best solution is to remove the mickey-mouse tube from the back of the crossmember stubs and replace it with the mount for the GM rack. As I recall it is necessary to mill an elongated slot in the housing and extend the mount for the tie rods out the back of the housing. That would have two holes corresponding to the inner tie rod connections in the moveable portion.

Aside from the rack there would be some g5 or better bolts, two or three u-joints for the steering and toss the steering box, the tube, idler arm, and center link. It would be quite possible to use the boneyard steering u-joints as well to make the swap. For non-rag joint steering shafts you would need to cut and grind for a D type adapter.

I really must make this one day.

[jonesfactor]

heres a place that makes mustang II crossmember.
www.autoworks.cc/mustang_ii_crossmember_conversio.htm
ill soon be doing a mustang II front end, subframe connectors, driveshaft loop and a 4 link rear. pigs do fly

[w2zero]

My only problem with the pinto conversion is that you do some extensive cutting of the car to make it fit the suspension swap. RRS makes the setup I mentioned but it is still a late model J car type rack. They also make a strut conversion that eliminates the upper control arm and allows significant reduction of the strut towers. They cost a lot but is very nice stuff.

www.rrs-online.com/html/steering.htm

www.rrs-online.com/assets/galleries/rackfit/

There is enough info there for me to build the R&P

[w2zero]

Turdlane indeed! Were it not for sharing a platform you would have better luck searching for early Ferrari parts.

Remember this is made for a Fairlane so you can't bolt it on your car named after a guy that ran around naked in a helmet.

www.dearbornclassics.com/cgi-bin/more_info.cgi?part_number=RAP66B&type=B&year=66&category=STEERING