Rack and pinion

[57 imposter]

I was just cruising thru this forum and found quite a discussion back in 2011. I installed R&P steering and found the "twitchy" steering to be unacceptable. I felt the problem was caused by the stock caster spec. so asked the front end shop to realign the front end with up to +4 degrees of caster. they were only able to get +2.5 degrees without getting the camber out of spec. while the improvement was significant, it still was not what I wanted. So after much head scratching, I decided that I had to figure some was to get more caster into the upper control arm. I seemed that I could either build a control arm with a couple of degrees of caster in it or I would have to move the control arm backwards. That was a much easier solution. so after converting degrees to a measurement, we determined that the control arm would need to move somewhere between 3/16/and 1/4 of an inch. I got cold feet and moved it 3/16 by cutting the seven rivets off the upper control mount moving it back 3/16" and reattaching it.  When that was done, we reassembled the front suspension and set it on swivel plates and checked the caster. With the same shims in the same location I now have +5.25 degrees of caster. I will be very easy for the shop to bring the caster back to where we want it. Will it work? don't know yet but sure hope so. 

[Ford Blue blood]

Stock 57 pump or the GM pump?  Reason I ask is the stock 57 pump is much higher pressure then the GM pump and that increased pressure will give the "twitchy" feeling you are experiencing.

[RICH MUISE]

Don't want to hijack his thread by any means, but it's along the same lines. Am I going to be able to use the stock Ford pump on the 4.6 for the rack and pinion? I believe we discussed this in the past, and the answer was yes, or I would have remembered I had to do something diferent. I'm alot closer to that point now anyways...won't have to remember for so long a time.

[57 imposter]

I used a No Limit front end in my uni-body and they use a thunderbird rack. I installed a 4.6L complete crate engine and used the power steering pump that came with the engine and it drives like a new car. BY the way I also used the A/C compressor that came on the engine to run a Vintage Air system which has also worked perfectly. I had asked vintage air about using oem compressors with their system and was told I should order a compressor from them. I didn't, and the 4.6 compressor as well as the one on my 5.0 have worked fine.

[57 imposter]

The pump I am using is the stock 1989 pump that came on the 5.0L engine. It is running a G.M. Cavillier rack so if anything the rack is getting less pressure than it is designed for but it has worked well for about 15000 miles. like I said getting as much caster as i could corrected over half of the problem and I am pretty sure getting the other 1 1/2 degree will fix the rest. I guess I'll know for sure if I ever get the thing put back together

[RICH MUISE]

thanks for that info. I was sure not wanting to try to fit something else on that engine for either a ps pump or compressor. That stuff is fit in there so snug you can't hardly see it.

[Frankenstein57]

We milled 1/4" off the cross shaft of the upper control arm

[RICH MUISE]

Mark...Elaborate if you would. For what reason did you make that change, or more accuratly, what problem were you having that you corrected with that mod? Because of the Rack and Pinion? Spindle changes? Were there other changes to the front end suspension or steering? I'm trying to figure out if this a problem myself and others will have because of the R & P and Granada dropped spindles.

[Frankenstein57]

I went with the Torino spindles, couldn't get the camber/ caster numbers I wanted so we shaved the shafts