Email me through here, and I can easy send the files to you....

I maybe able to find some pix also, but have to search, it was all photo'd long time ago when built, but several computers since then, it was before USB ports and thumb drives yet....

 

Vette427-sbc,
Thanks for the post, your info is just the kind of stuff I am looking for.
Great info, is the car tough to steer when its setting still with it being a manual set up?

Any body else have photos or info they can contribute from their setup?

Riggs.

 

No problem
Im not going to tell you that the car is easy to steer if you are stopped or moving slow, like when parallel parking, because its not. BUT, it is also not impossible. If you are after a REAL sports car feel when driving I would say no doubt stick with manual. The power assist is way too much in my opinion, and gives the car a twitchy feeling when you are at speed.
I had the opportunity to drive a Lotus elise, which is also a manual rack, and it is very similar with the "weight" of the steering. So if you have a chance to drive one, well, thats what it feels like.
I think one of the main factors to keeping it bearable at low speeds is the weight on the front end. I have a small block, aluminum heads/intake, electric fans, no vacuum crap and the fiberglass leaf spring. I also keep my front tires at around 36psi when im just cruising, 30-32psi if im driving hard. If you are really worried about it being a little too heavy at low speeds, then go for the standard ratio rack. My car is a sport ratio (2.5 vs 2.7 turns lock to lock). If you still feel that the standard ratio is too heavy, you can go 1 step further and put the tierods on the outer spindle holes. And if thats still too heavy, just put in a power steering pump (i run a power rack, just no PS pump hooked up)
Basically, you cant go wrong with starting out with manual steering (if you are really looking for a sports car feel), as you can keep making the steering lighter, all the way up to full power steering.

 

Who has had luck with manual racks, and are they difficult, compared to
a power rack to steer with the car not moving?
What rack are you using?
How did you build your setup? Or the prefab unit you may have bought
what did you do to make it better?


I also noticed other threads in my searches that seamed to have dropped
off and really not finished with updates would like to hear from them
as well.

Thanks,
Riggs.

 

Hey vette 427,
You are running a 92 Grand Am power rack with out the power steering hook up?
If this is what you are doing then I think this would be the best way to go, like
you said I could add a pump to it latter if I thought I needed it. I just wasn't
sure that you could run a power rack with out the pump, or if you did finding it
real hard to steer.

Thanks for the info,
Riggs.

 

Yep- I run a sport steer, power assisted rack, but without the pump. steeroids says it is ok to do this as long as you occasionally add PS fluid to the rack to keep it lubricated.
BTW- there is a NON power rack that you can get from the grand am, but the ratio is somewhere around 3.5 turns lock to lock- way too much for me

 

Riggs 74,
A couple of facts (as I understand them):-

R&P is a great system, providing it is designed into the car at the factory. However, the best response from R&P occurs when the rack is front mounted. i.e. it's in front of the cross member, not behind it where the Steeroids ( and others) go.

The worm and ball type as fitted to Corvettes works best when rear mounted, so it's best to either get your original box rebuilt or fit a modern integral power steering box, such as the Borgeson one.

This box has a 12.7:1 ratio and about 2.5 turns lock to lock and as mrvette implied, is the way he'd go if he had to do it again. You use your standard Pitman arm, pump and relay rod, but replace the control valve with a "drag link adapter". Only two new hoses are needed, one high pressure hose from pump to box, and one return.

Due to the slightly longer "input shaft" you have to compress your (collapsible) steering shaft a little, but that's not hard to do. You lose the ram, four old hoses and the control valve, all sources of leaks in a 35 year old car.

You gain a modern (Delphi 600) box with internal power assist that is variable depending on steering wheel position. Almost no power at straight ahead, then progressively more as you turn the wheel such as when parking. Exactly like a modern car.

I'm about to fit one to my car and I recommend that you at least look up their website, www.borgeson.com before you shell out your hard-earned. You will spend a lot less than $1,000 for the complete kit.

Regards from Down Under

aussiejohn
7 weeks to go

 

Aussiejohn,
Thanks for the info but I have to ask what would I gain from this new gear box?
Would this solve my main problem that the car is twitchy, and the seams to dart
around when you least expect it. There is no play in the tie rods, but as you
drive there is about an inch play left and right so the steering is not real tight.
I was hoping that a rack and pinion set up would make the steering the most
responsive of all up grades. I did not notice this problem when I was running a
235 70 15 size tire on the front but since I have gotten new wheels and tires
the feel of the steering has changed a lot. The new wheel set up is 285/40/18
on the rear and 245/45/17 on the front, but I also leveled the car buy lowering
the rear 2''. Here is the before and after,


I know that lowering the car probably has changed the front end
alignment but I don't think it has changed much, the car drives
straight and true, I just have problems when I am switching lanes
and corning.

What are my best fixes for this, I looking for the feel of a moderen
sports car.

Thank to any and all that wish to help,
Riggs.

 

Riggs, put in a power rack Grand Am 2.7 turns at most....and i'ts fine....pretty sure you will like it....

IMO, front/rear steer is a minor item compared to many other inputs on the cars....

 

Riggs, I just raised the rear of mine about an inch and a half. My rear spring is worn out. It changed the feel of the steering for the better. Perhaps some tweeking on your alignment will give you good results.

 

I did a rack way back when. lots of documentation on my personal site.
Click on my name over there <---
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c3/427v8/c3randp.html

Aussie johns facts are a little different than the facts in my world. Front steer is always better, rack and pinion is always better than gear boxes.
Better means better road feel, better response, better predictability.

The C3 is rear steer unfortunately, the grand am rack helps tremendously.
If you have problems with rut wander (tramlining) a power rack will basically eliminate it. This because most rack upgrades use solid end links with no deflection. this keeps the tires where you point them, unlike the rubber bushed stock system that does what it feels like doing.

I went from the stock system to a manual rack to a power rack. the power rack is a dream. Manual is OK, but it's a heavy car and throwing the car into a corner really requires power steering. Manual steering is just too slow.

 

427V8,
Thanks for the heads up, Aussie John I know was trying to help but I don't
know that a new gear box would fix my problem. With both you and MrVette
guiding me through the rack set up I know now that the rack system will be
going in. I actually found your site the other night from a post from earlier this
year, Great write up by the way, Thank you.

I hope to start buying parts maybe this weekend but won't be putting it in until
mid to late July.

If anybody else would like to show off their set up, please do, the more photo's
the better.

Thanks to all,
Riggs.

 

Would anybody else care to share any more photo's of their
rack and pinion system and also their thoughts.

Thanks,
Riggs.

 

Riggs,
Do yourself a favour and pop over to the Tech section and read 682XLR8's write-up of his steering upgrade. In it he says that his straight line wander ( that you also said that you suffer from ) has gone and the car is now great to drive.

I'm sure that you will reconsider your plans to go to a R&P.

Regards from Down Under

aussiejohn
6 weeks to go

 

Not trying to be picky, but are there any heat issues with the headers and those u-joints? I ended up putting a heat shield around one of my header pipes to keep from frying one of those expensive joints.

 

My car is a 65 and I installed a Steeroids system. I did it because the stock system needed rebuild and I found a used Steeroids setup for less than half of new price. I like the setup and would recommend it if you want a more sports car like, quicker steering. All that said I think there is something wrong with your car and changing to a R&P isn't the only way to cure it. If the problem started after you replaced the wheels and lowered the car I would start there. Get a good 4 wheel alignment. Make sure it is right. Maybe you new tires have a tendency toward following ruts in the road. Swap the 15" back on and see it it helps. I don't believe the symptoms you describe are normal handling characteristics of a C3. JMHO.

 

how does the steeroids setup compare with the stuff available from VB&P?