Anyone ever think of making a conversion for a C-3 to use a rack & pinion steering system? It would be especially nice if it could be done with a bolt-on method in case you ever wanted to return to original.

I'm wanting to go with 17" Billet Corvette Rallyes from Wheel Vintiques 8" & 9 1/2s with offset T-Arms.

It sure would be nice to drop the extra weight and gain some steering response with the newer rack steering.

It seems like the C-3 steering is the same as 55 chevy and that will soon be 50 years old. Surely it couldn't be that hard would it? PROSOUTH

 

check out a site called steeroids they do racks.
I also noticed that a member here has a rack on a C3 at least in his sig.
I couldn't tell you how they will do, I've been waiting for some input from others.
the rack sells for about a 1K and is supposed to be a bolt in set up. If you do go this route please let me know how it works.
tom

 

I rolled my own rack, concurrent with Steeroids doing their rack development work....my system cost me about 200 bucks total junkyard rack, nice and clean from an '89 grand am Pontiac....CTO rack rear steer....used junkyard combination of Lumina/grand am...etc steering input parts...had to change headers though, to another style, as they still hit the input shafts...
a buddy welded up my mounting brackets...several times...test fitting and all...

GENE

 

You should state your year. No R&P plans.
Steering is Excellent on my 77 FE-7 !

:cool:

 

I have a '72 convetible, with stock controll arms, but urethane everywhere...
smart strut setup, and I can say for sure the rack and pinion is THE way to go before putting one thin dime in a stock steering setup....
and that is with everything in new/excellant shape too....
the road feel is GREAT, the steering input MUCH more sensitive, car is responsive now, feels like another car, just can't get OVER the change, it's a whole NEW CAR!!!....

I obviously greatly encourage the changeover....it's worth the time/effort...
or money especially if your current steering is in need of repair/parts/alignment//etc.....
and with these sharks being 20-33 years old now, most all suspecsions are worn out many times over.....making that 200 bucks conversion price well worth it, time and effort being only a week's worth of evenings....assuming someone can get the welding done...it's really NOT rocket science....

GENE

 

Hey Gene could you post a pic the system and is it power assist? My power system is seeping and with a BB it is tough to service. Did you use universal joints to connect the column to the rack or is it a straight shot. Welding is not prob. but is it a front or rear steer?

See what you get when you tell folks how trick your car is and how inventive your are for doing it yourself!

Thanks for the info.

Todd

 

Jim, I'm a bit ahead of you...

I have a set of 17 x 8 and 17 x 9.5 wheels on order from Boyd's.

I have a Steeroids rack and pinion conversion kit on order from Speed Direct.

I have just received a transverse monospring from Vette Brakes & Products, as well as their tubular upper A-arms.

I already have the Van Steel offset trailing arms.

Sounds like we rather think alike, no? :cheers:

Gene: I didn't know you'd changed to R&P! Thanks for the encouragement that I've started down the right road. Hope my system ends up working as well as yours!

-Noel


[Modified by Noel Carboni, 1:02 AM 2/16/2002]

 

Thanks for the response. I have visited the steeroids site and didn't see $1200 worth of supplies there. I'm just an old do it yourselfer like Gene and was kinda wanting some input on how to go about doing one with someone elses input of their trial and errors.

This sounds like a good project for me, it would help if I could get a little input on what rack to obtain or other necessities and/or things like bumpsteer and whatever else needs to be considered before starting.

Talked to Vette Brakes at Knowville Corvette EXPO sometime back and was told that they had a thought on the subject also.

I did one on a Dodge Challenger drag car I had about 15 years ago but was only wanting it to go straight and lose some weight. I changed it from a rear steer to a front steer by swapping the spindles from left to right. Couldn't tell that it mattered at the time. Lost a bunch of weight and opened up the engine area without the big heavy steering box in the way.

I'm a little more concerned about my '80 Vette than I was that old Dodge. Lateral Pressure or G force on a tie rod and rack mount is a lot more on a Corvette that is glued down with the new tires and suspenion that is available today than that old drag car had to contend with. I don't really want to have a worry "Will this thing will hold or not?"

So come on and everyone brainstorm and voice their ideas, then we'll process all of the input and information and might just come up with an inexpensive and safe improvement for our cars.

Gene how about you first? Tell us how you did it.

PROSOUTH

 

We engineered and fabricated and 84 R&P unit into my new C3 frame two years ago. It looks like a factory installation since we tacked things in place and had it professionally welded. I seriously doubt anyone takes this route ever again.

Now to finish the custom panel and console and and a list of other things.

Spike

 

Hey GENE, do you have any pics of your setup?

Dave

 

You guys are right that you can roll your own for less than the Steeroids will cost you, but it will be tough to match their strength and cosmetics. For me, the system had to be both robust and nice to look at. I totaled up what it would cost for me to put together my own R&P to equal the Steeroids, and the parts cost was over $950 with a rebuilt rack. I allowed $200 for the brackets, and after seeing the quality of workmanship and powder coating on the Steeroids brackets, I think that figure was low. Take it for what it's worth...

-Joe

 

Spike :cool:

Was it really that hard?
Seems to me the long steering shaft would be the hardest...

But front steer IS the way to go...

 

Spike, where did you put it? Were you able to shoehorn it between the crossmember and the front sway bar? Must have been tight! I'd love to see a picture.

 

Thanks Todd, it's a rear steer car, so I just followed suit, it's a rear steer rack too, obviously....same as Steeroids uses...I just combined junkyard steering universals much as for driveshafts, peened the bearing cups in place per original installs...it's power assist...hooked to original pump or the serpentine pump I have...either way...I used a 3/8 inch compression union coupling...brass.....for the pressure line, return is hose clamped...

GENE

 

Prosouth, being an old ET, I put my own DPFI on an old Pontiac 455 once...
and put a GM computer on my Volvo I/O driven boat, for DPFI, and of course the L98 type injection on my '72 here....
and did the 700r4 install myself too....
and the wheels...'92 on the '72....
figgered out to ditch the springs behind the caliper pistons...etc...long list on this '72...

at any rate, due to ease of obtaining material I used two 1" angle iron pieces welded into a square tube...strong as hell....for the main support, and it uses the two front steering box mount frame holes, sweeps down toward the rear a bit, and then has a bracket welded to the outside positioned to hold the rack at a proper angle to allow a good input angle on the steering, assuming the original wheel columb is collapsed, since the linkage is at an angle, and not straight on, there is no forseeable safety issue, I feel....
the orginal tie rod adjustment couplings were cut in the middle, rod welded into the center of them, and a sleeve welded over the outside, for strength and cosmetics....keeping original tie rod ends (were allmost new)....
had a steel block machined to adapt that rack output to the tie rod ends...

I had sent the pix to someone else for assistance in placement here on this forum, but never heard back....I have a small series of what I did....on the car...

GENE