Well, this weekend I am going to start installing the Steeroids kit on my 1980.
Before I dive in, is there any tips, suggestions, comments, concerns, or answers that those who have done this before would like to give?

I plan on putting the front end up in the air as high as jack stands will go and do all the work from under the car, then drop it to do the steering shaft work. Does this sound right?

Is there any special tools or tricks I should know about and get before I start? I know I need to borrow a pitman arm puller, and plan to the tie rod ends loose.

Any suggestions that will make this go more easily? Let me know what information you all have.

Thanks.

 

yup....1. final adjustments with weight on wheels. 2. replace lower steering column bearing and start soaking them now.
3. figure out where your turn signal cam is in the middle and do the best job you can in lining up the steering shaft flat spot and new steering joint keeping this in mind. you have one shot at this, once its tapped on to the steering shaft and seated you don't want to say... oops...
good luck you will like it.

 

Hey there,

*If you have headers, just save yourself the pain and frustration and remove the left one at the beginning. I tried to keep it in the car. One tube had to be dimpled. Make a long story short, I could have saved a lot of time if I had just removed the header to begin with.
*Make sure your lower steering column bearing is good. These are still available from GM and are easy to replace.
*Take your time setting up the u-jointed shaft between the column and rack. I had some binding at first but kept at it. I finally got it right on.
*I had to grind a small semi-circle out of the rear of the engine mount to clear the rack.
*Also had to grind a small amount on the lower flange of the lower control arm where it interferred with the inboard end of the left tie rod.

The installation really isn't that hard. Just take your time and follow the directions. Be prepared to install and remove the rack a few times to check clearance issues and make the necessary adjustments. The instructions say to mount the center tie rod bracket first. I waited and did it after the rack was installed. It makes the rack a lot lighter and easier to move around and install. Especially if you are working alone, as I was.

I can certainly say that it was all worth it. I really like how the car drives and feels. It was a great improvement over the stock steering.
I hope all of this rambling helps. Best of luck and enjoy your new steering.

SharkPilot

 

Like the others I replaced the bearing while I was at it. Got mine from GMpartsdirect.com.

EDIT: Just checked my order history and I do not see the bearing so I must have gotten it somewhere else but have no idea.

 

Put the car on ramps instead of jackstands. That will hold the alignment -- more or less. Adjust the tie rod assemblies so they ease into place. Same result. Other potential side benefits include a straight steering wheel and no messing with the turn signal cam.

By doing this (with a drive-on lift, however), I've been driving the car for a year and haven't bother with an alignment!

Good luck!

 

i left the car on the ground,
didn't remove my headers,
2 hours later i was driving with steeroids installed,
no probs,
natt

 

I know nothing about the lower steering column bearing.

Where is it at, and what needs to be done to remove and replace it?

And Camaroneil, what headers do you have ?

 

My lower column bearing is a bit loose, for over ten years now, the last 3 or so with my rack install....so, it's a non issue....frankly I dunno why it's there given the collapsable rod/column design anyway....other than as a dust/wind shield...

I feel NO clunking or other operational difficulties...period....

course MY design is not the same on the input shaft...so I only use 2 universal joints, collapse the column, and I changed headers to something that cleared the steering and simplified the total engine compartment completely....

only thing is...I had to install heat shields over the 5-6 plugs...
BFD....

GENE

 

its a piece of cake....its on the steering shaft where it starts to go into the firewall....it has a "wire spring retainer" and the bearing holder looks yellow....cost about $12 from corvette central....the administrators said they would add back the first pages of my post that details this but it has not been done yet. when it comes back i will post it.

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heres a phot walk through for you


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sorry these are out of order i'm out of town working on a "dial up" and its taking forever,sorry

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I'm finishing up my install now. Other than what everyone else has commented about. I used a drill bit just smaller than the set screw on the steering shaft ujoint to dimple the steering shaft. I wrapped the drill bit with electrical tape to protect the threads. This way I was able to center the steering wheel and the rack, ant not have to take it all apart and grind a flat spot on the steering shaft. On my '71, I only had about 1/16 of an inch clearence between the left tie rod bolt head mount and the lower control arm (the lip at the bottom below the cross shaft), when at steering at full right lock. Steeriods tech support recommened I grind the lower control to achieve at least a 1/4 inch. One of these days when I get mine finished I'll have to meet you in Phoenix and swap stories.

Dale

 

hi,
i've got hedman headers,
the only ones i could get here in the uk,
neil

 

Ah thank heavens !! For once I get a break.

I have the Hedman headers too. Mine have the A.I.R. pipes but those won't be in the way.

Do these look like the ones you have ?

 

my style and the interference which required the wee persuader to step in, number 5 tube was the issue

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Those metal vise grips are a try these, much easier on the rubber hose:

 

those lines were toast and were replaced (if you look close you can see we just cut them out and they are 1/2 the size they should be)....i would never do that on good lines.....we left those there until we did the swap with the new lines....

 

I do have one more question:

According to the directions, step 12, it says:
"During installation it may be easiest to allow the shaft to float between the upper and lower u-joints. Don't tighten any setscrews until both ujoints are installed on the shaft and the rack and pinion unit is in place. Be sure that the setscrew holes are aligned with the holes on the shaft before tightening them."

Well, there no holes on the shaft to align the set screws into. The shaft that came with my kit is splined on both ends, but there is no divot, machined area, dip, spot or anything that looks like it is a place for a set screw.

To me, it looks like I can lock down the set screw any place I feel like it (which may be a good or bad thing).

Any ideas ???

 

hi,
my headers look nothing like yours, they look more like the ones a couple of pics up on bobs vette, the pic with the engine on the floor,
i left the shaft floating, (in fact i didn't tighten any of the joints up as i'd heard a lot of problems with binding) just tightened everything else up,
then, i just made sure all the angles of the joints were as smooth flowing as possible, tightened the set screws using the shorter one for where the headers were, no binding, i was amazed,
i normally have bad luck with everything,. and being 5000 miles away from where i got the kit i was a tad worried,
but for once in my life everything just fitted great and worked even better,
hope it goes well,
keep us posted,
neil

 

don't recall.....the middle set screw in my case whch hit the header just goes on the flat spot of the shaft....let me look at some pictures


edit are the u joints splined also? if so i wouldn't worry about it....my u joints were not spined nor was the shaft....the splines will stop it from rotating...