Hi,

Those of you who have converted to the Steeroids rack and pinion setup, and who have headers: I'm curious what headers you have and how well they fit with the steeroids U-jointed steering shaft setup.

I have an old header on the driver's side of my '82 and the Steeroids arrangement really doesn't fit down through to the rack well enough. The best I can do by adjusting things this way and that is to get it to barely rub on one of the header tubes down at the bottom, but I feel that in the wheel and I'm concerned about heat transfer into the linkage. I had to reduce the thickness of one of the heim support lock nuts and cut a slot into the heim enclosure just to get this far.

As I was considering redoing my exhaust anyway, I'm willing to change headers. It will probably be necessary.

Anybody got any good experience with headers and Steeroids fitting well? Any photos?

Ideally, I'd like a 1-3/4" tri-Y setup with ceramic coating inside and out. Am I hoping for too much?

-Noel

 

ttt

Anybody got headers and Steeroids?

-Noel

 

I would like to know the same What type header ar you running now?

 

I have an old Blackjack AK5000 header on the driver's side.

I see from your sig photo that your #1 tube goes back rather quickly. That may free up some space down at the bottom, but chances moving the #3 tube out from the engine, which would be a problem.

I'll try to get a photo of my hardware online tonight.

-Noel

 

I have the same questions as Noel. Has anyone talked to the manufacturer - Speed Direct in Tx about this?

 

Hi Noel,

I'm running Stahl headers on my 80 with the R&P. I haven't had the time to take any images and should be able to do so by or during this coming weekend. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I have side pipes. Everything cleared and the headers were very expensive but very effective.

Haven't heard from you in a while, hope you are having some fun and that all is well with you.

Ken

 

Hi Noel, where you've been lately? I have the Steeroids kit installed in my 1979. My answer might be bit of the line since I'm running big block and headers, if I remeber correctly you've got small block, right?

Anyways here's my story. I have stahl's sidepipe headers with 2-1/8" primary tubes and 3.5" collectors. Here's pic of the headers:



The passenger side is perfect, it clears everything like it should. The problems with my set up came on the driver's side. I had to massage 1st and 3rd primary pipe to get the clearance needed for the R&P kit :cuss

Here's pics how it fits now:



In the pic the steering wheel "pole" isn't yet installed, but you'll see the "modifications" I had to make. My new tubular A-arms are also real close.



Another shot.

FYI I would like to say that the bracket on drivers side tends to bent a bit (or more than it should IMO) when you turn the steering wheel with out power steering been hooked up. I think the material is too soft for this application and I'm now planning making new bracket from harder stainless steel. Please let me now if your behaves the same way! :cheers:

 

Groovy

Saw those headers adaptors in the book 'How to Hot Rod a Small-block Chevy'. Did you buy or make them?

 

GJay, you know, I don't open up and criticise unless I have experiences to relate to....and in doing myown system, based on the Idar Anderson design ideas I noticed the same sort of side/lateral flex in the mounting bracket I did, the driver's side is the only one that holds the rack laterally, in any installation even a '92 Grand Am....well that mounting bracket I made was NOT flexing, but it did flex/twist the frame turning manually when parked, OR with power assist...SO I took a short stout piece of angle iron from lower portion of support up at an angle to the outmost forward bolt that used to hold the steering ram bracket in place...that triangulated my bracket so it is stiff as hell, cured that lateral movement...

NOW having said that...so it seems in spite of everything I did to mount the rack for clearance of the input shafts, I had to change headers....

so now I have a set that goes straight to the center from the outer two cylinders, and then down with the middle two into a group that then goes backward into a collector.....and pipes....

I don't think there is a pix of that in my sig file, but the description should be clear enough....totally differant type/style of header than the more stylish swept back and down traditional header design....
again, no problem on the pass side....
somehow I"m not surprised at the header interfearances....had tohappen...

as it is, I have one inch of clearance from the #3 cyl pipe to the final input universal on the rack....too close, but the grease and such seems fine....
no problems so far....trip to Atlanta and back last friday and car is fine....
wife drives it to work everyday in traffic....

GENE

 

Fevre, sorry for me beeing stupid here, but I have no idea what are the headers adaptors you mentioned? :confused:

 

My bad, from this angle looks like an adaptor plate in there plus your are running a big block. It is a plate used to allow the use of 1 7/8 primaries on a small block without denting the heck out of the primaries to get the the bolts in.

 

mrvette, thanks Gene for the large amount of very useful information on the bracket issue. I have to take the headers off during the next winter and I'm going to make some modifications to the two primary tubes mentioned above so they'll clear the r&p system nicely. One thing that I have learned during my body off crusade is that there is no such thing as bolt-on parts for C3 Corvette!! :yesnod:

 

Fevre, ok that clears it. That's just how I got them, no adaptors, I think ;)

 

GJay, thing is there is NO way to account for every engineering change possible with every design....so most all aftermarket companies will design around a stock setup, like GM would, and maybe a few most popular aftermarket things....like headers in this case...but I swear, there are no two headers exactly alike...none....

only thing is hearing of frame/bracket flex problems with the steeroids bracket...that's bad news....affects handling a LOT....cant have that bracket/rack shifting posiitons on us....needs to be triangulated to the outer edge of the frame....
forces should be similar to the box on the frame though...so I don't see why it should flex...but mine did, and far as I could detect with someone else on the steering wheel and me looking...my wide tires on the ground and engine still....that thing flexed about one inch side to side....bad news...
of course mine being a basic bent/welded square tube type thing...I assumed having just the forward two bolts on the frame mounting being used, that allowed for flex....but steeroids uses all 3 original mounting holes...and as I thought it did NOT buy anymore lateral stiffness....
but not my design..and I did not know for a fact that it matters, still don't in fact...BUT, my design is stiff as a teenage di ck now.....

GENE

 

Thanks, all, for the info! It's nice to be online with you guys again.

Gene, so where did you get these "high clearance" headers?

-Noel

 

NOel, I paid 40 bux from a local dirt track race car type place for them....

and NO imput as to source/mfgr....but see my sig file...I would ASSUME someone makes them commonly available that you can find that basic concept....

GENE

 

Thanx, Gene.

I have a Dynomax header in a box, all pretty and ceramic coated. I'll try that one first. Perhaps the tube routing will yield better clearance.

-Noel

 

Regarding the flex issue, there is an additional gusset in the kit that bolts to the steering ram bolt holes and to the actual rack mounting bracket. The bolt holes didn't match exactly so I test drove the car without it and the flex was evident. With the gusset bolted in place I haven't noticed any flex. Maybe the gusset wasn't included in the early kits???

Sorry, can't help with the headers.

rgds Tomi


[Modified by Tomi72, 3:15 PM 9/10/2002]

 

I got one of the early kits and that gusset was there. I also found the holes to be a bit off, but I made it fit.

I'm not to the point yet where I can speak to whether it flexes.

-Noel

 

Has anyone installed the kit with Hooker headers and sidepipes? I'm curious if the Hookers cause any problems.