I am going to give up on the stock Corvette steering with it's control valve. I have been having some high speed handling problems. I find the car steers great one moment and then on another type of road feels twitchy.
I have 2 choices. The steeroids type rack and pinion.
Guys be patient . I have to jump in and out of the forum to get links
http://www.speeddirect.com/
The other alternative is a Jeep Cherokee box.
http://www.corvettesteering.com/55-57%20chevy.htm
It is a modified box for $675. I problem is the company is not all that easy to deal with. I asked questions and got a somewhat annoying reply to the effect that is cost $50 to ask questions if I do not buy??
I am also concerned with Ackermans. Ackermans is a sudden toe OUT condition caused by mixing rack steering arms with a steering arm designed for a steering box.
I could modify a Cherokee box but is the pitman shaft long enough??
Any help on the advantages of the either system would be appreciated.
To me at $1249 the steroids is just too pricy. The Jeep box sounds good but if the company is hard to deel with the $675 could also be overpriced ?

 

get a rack and pinion and make it a variable speed assisted unit

 

As you know, I LOVE my rack install.....would never go back....wonderful at high speeds, consistant handling, don't follow any ruts in road....better steering for today's better tires....

GENE

 

Gene did you use the Grand AM 94 rack or a 92 Grand Prix. They are different. Even the 92 Grand Prix has 2 different racks.

 

I like the steroids package but at $1249 AM that is about $2000CDN by the time taxes, exchange, brokerage fees.
I also like the center takeoff of the steroids. It allow you to use the correct length of tie rods to control bump and also placement of the inner tie rod rod ends. Get them as high as possible.
A little more on Ackerman. For our stock systems they use a staight arm but rack and pinion wants curved arms to prevent a massive toe OUT on turning.
I am concerned about this using my straight arms with a rack and pinion system.
I always check to and bump with the wheels pointing straight ahead. I feel I should start checking them in a turned positon too. Toe can jump out an extra 1/2 inch just due to ackerman affect.

 

Norval, I have the cherokee box from corvette steering. I love it. And he's even improved it a bit since I bought mine. He now has the correct pitman arm being made new. The only thing that is a little hookey is the mounting flanges. The cherokee uses 4 metric bolts, vette 3. SO there are some adapter plates that come with the kit. I ordered the kit without the lines so I could plumb in the hydraboost and use nice braided lines.

There are no instructions for install and I didn't know to collapse the steering column until there was enough room for the ujoint style steering coupler. I have lots of pictures of the install, and can provide them as needed but I am going to be a little busy the next couple days with a funeral........I'll check back a little later for any questions.

 

I wonder if you took your control valve apart and put some stiffer springs in, if that would get rid of the twitchiness.

zero cost.

 

My control valve is brand new and I didn't want to touch it. I ran fast across country last Wednesday night for about 125 miles and the car was great but a short stretch of highway really brought out the twitchiness of our systems. At well over 100 that could get you killed.

 

I wonder about header clearance. My stock box has about 1/4 inch maximum in one spot. Would this Jeep box add to the clearnace problem?? Adding an adaptor plate to the back adds thickness. I assume the pitman arm is just a simple bolt up deal.
I would love pictures some time. Send them to nwilhelm@rogers.com
Thanks

 

Picking a rack is not simple. I priced them this moring and they are only $150 but which one? I thought the 92-94 GRand am but when cheeking my notes from past posts they talk about the 92 Grand Prix. They are totally different racks with options in each???
I like th steroid center take off. It allows placement of the inner tie rod and any length of tie rod sleeve. The length of the sleeve affects the bump curve. Also you want the inner tie rod mounts as high as possible.

 

I too got the runaround and was told I would have to pay 50 dollars for each question asked. The guy sounds like a grouch. I want to know if it uses the manual pitman arm and the manual drag link. I think I pretty well understand the rest of the install. My understanding of finding the manual pitman arm and drag link might be tough.

 

Norval,
why not buy a rebuilt Cherokee box and make your own adapters...

Of course you still need the manual relay rod don't you?

 

Norval, Tom was very nice to me. I think the post about the consultation fee is to keep the BS from taking the mans time for nothing. When I read it it was a fee for information un-related to his products that cost $50.

The alternative to the "Hokey" mount is to take out a section of the frame wall and replace it with a new mount that relates to the Cherokee box. That would be my approach if I was to fab this up. My car is apart so it would be much easier to do. I think I could actually weld an upper tab to bolt to and make it work better. Remember this is to be a bolt on system and alternative methods may be much better IMHO.

I have used a set up similar to this with a death trap of merging a 606 Saginaw PS box with the lower half or a 55 Chevrolet box. This is a similar idea but the 808 has the correct dimensions to begin with.The point is that the 606 box mounting tabs were higher than the 55's so we added a tab to attach the top mount of box to. This mount was attached to the top of the 55 frame rail. See the pic's I sent you on the CS mount.

I know about the spacer but it is not that thick and the box is supposed to be milled down at the mating surface to accommodate this. I can't remember who but someone used it with a BB and Hookers.

I have a 2002 Grand Cherokee and the feel of the steering is great with this box. I'm going to try it and if I don't like something, I can always re-enforce it or alter the attachment method for support. jim

 

Just something to consider.

About 1 in 20 or 30 NEW valves we get for resale from Chevrolet leak and none of them have been zero adjusted. We test and adjust each one here before we ship them - this makes them truly 'bolt=on' and of course greatly limits returns.

I don't personally have the Steeroids rack but have never had any negative feedback from the ones we have sold.

Depending on how much $$$ you want to spend, making sure the valve is correct would be my first choice before getting into $675 for a special box or $1249 (they’re $125 less at VBP with the discount code) for the Steeroids setup . Hope this helps...

Sincerely,
Alan G.
Vette Brakes & Products, Inc.
http://www.VBandP.com
800-237-9991

 

The $50 scared me. Just to ask questions??? I can make a pitman arm and a drag link.
I could also make the adaptor for the Jeep box. I just have to commit to a system and start gathering the parts and ideas to make it work.

 

Norval, you should be able to whip up your own? Why pay big bucks for a kit if you can just buy a grand am rack w/ the sporty steering ratio and make your own brackets. Hell, that's what steeroids did, they took that Idar guy's drawings and started selling the kit. If you need the drawings of the brackets, I still have all of them somewhere. You could also use a rear steering Opel or Saab rack, they are the same racks.

 

You know I could make it myself. No way I will pay $1249 for the rack and pinion.
I am having trouble figuring out exactly what rack to buy?? I like the steroids center take off, like it alot. Do you know what rack they used. The Grand am or Grand Prix and what year???
I would love the drawings if you could find them.
Thank Marck

 

I spoke with Tom a few times regarding his system, always answered my questions cheerfully. Maybe he's gettin' old & grouchy. He has the dimensions of the box posted on the website somewhere, I printed them to compare to the original. Acording to Tom the Cherokee box is no wider and will not cause any more of an interference than the orginal. It can also be used with the P/S relay rod & control valve. The kit includes an adaptor to install in the control valve to make it solid.

I believe Chuck Harmon had this setup in his Vette. Based on the pics on the website it looks like it will fit a small block with headres easily. A big block will probably require some tuning


Jim

 

pictures



[IMG] http://images.andale.com/f2/127/122/..._3__Small_.jpg [/IMG]

 

Norval, a 93 grand am fast ratio rack is probably what you want, you know us guys on this side of the pond also do most of our own home engineering and I know someone that put together his own system (sent him the drawings) and he used a 93 grand am rack. I'll look up the pics, keep an eye your email