espop125

I just put a new AC Delco steering rack on my 1986 Z51 Corvette and I think something is wrong. I have an appointment for a alignment in 4 days but when I put the new rack in I tried to get the front toe as close as I can with the wheel straight but I dont have enough treads on the driver side to toe in the wheels. Are the inner tie rod ends adjustable so that the alignment shop can get it right or is my rack need exchanged. Also when I turn to the left the wheel turns way more than it should and to the right not enough.

danno85

The only adjustment is where the outer tie rod end screws onto the inner. There is something not right with your replacement steering rack.

Ape0r

Sounds kind of like you didn't have the rack set straight when you attached it to the steering column. Attaching it a turn or two off would create exactly the condition you describe.

Not having seen the hardware, my advice would be to disconnect the steering column from the rack, set the steering wheel and rack straight, and then reattach. When I say set rack straight, you should have equal extension on both sides from the rack housing.

ddahlgren

With the outer ends disconneted comlpletly!

Another easy way is to count the turns from lock to lock then use a marker on the shaft and rack and to hard lock in one direction and then go half the travel in the other direction make a straight ahead mark and then do the tie rod ends to get toe with the wheels pointing straight ahead.
Dave

coupeguy2001

If your rack is for a regular C4, putting it in a a Z51 car will give you that problem of more turns to one side than the other.
You need a steering shaft from the column to the rack from a base car because the bolt to lock it onto the rack is in a different position on a Z51 rack. Or go get the right rack. They sold you one for a base car.

espop125

I double checked and the rack is centered but still have this problem. What I think gm did is put the wrong inner tie rod end on the driver side because it looks different and is longer than the passenger side

samsonb

It wouldn't be GM. It would be whoever the lowest bidder was to AC Delco. I think the AC Delco racks are just rebuilds.

falconxls

Where did you buy the R & P from? I have been looking for one myself and was told that the later model C$ I think 90 - 96 used longer inner tie rods. I don't know if this is true.

glava2876

I went through this earlier in the year with a NAPA rebuilt rack. I intsalled the rack and from center it had about 1/2 turn more one way than the other.
This must be a real problem, because NAPA has a separate PN for the Z/51 and Non Z/51 rack
They sent me a replacement and I bench tested it before installing and it had the same problem.
I eventually spoke with the NAPA helpline and the rebuilders and they finally bench checked a third one and sent it -it was fine.
I'll bet that there are other Corvettes out there that have the wrong rack -which you can still align, but won't turn as far one way vs the other.

samsonb

Was that a matter of they rebuilt it wrong, or gave you the wrong steering ratio rack?

glava2876

As I recall, they were rebuilt wrong -internally they were not centered correctly -they have marks to line up or something?
Again, they made it right, but I still had to do all thework!

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...last-call.html

samsonb

I believe those Napa racks are Cardone.