Monday, September 5, 2011

Steering Redux?

So I need to do some fixup work on the steering, since I did not get the rack mounted level. Starting to think about doing that now. The weather is still too hot but it seems like I've gotten lazy and I want to get back into the cars. The rack and pinion system is nice in some ways but I am unhappy with it in others... for example, the rack seems to fight back just a tad when you turn the wheel very suddenly. Almost like the fluid on the one side of the ram can't get out of the way of the pressurized side of the ram fast enough. I can't say I've ever experienced that on the '49er's rack. Then there is the issue of turning radius... or the lack of it since the rack went in. With the '49er, the kit came with replacement steering arms. This rack was supposed to not need them, but that would have been while using the rack on the car it was designed for, which is not this Pontiac.

Thinking I might want to return to a conventional worm gear box... I just happen to have the one I started to prep for this car sitting out in the back garage. I'd need a set of tie rod ends and maybe an idler arm... or maybe not. I'd have to look over the original parts to see if they are at all worn or damaged. The car is low mileage but these parts are not expensive, so maybe I should just replace them anyway. Either way, I would retain the Flaming River pump and steering column. I can just sell the rack and it's cradle, or park it on a shelf.

Hmmmm...

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