rack and pinion systems

[rockymountaincustom]

I am new to the forum, but have been reading some of the messages and it seems like a good place for some info. I am building a 57 conv. resto mod. The bare frame has been re welded and there is not one piece of stock suspension under it. The rear end is a triangular 4-link with disc brakes a large sway bar and air ride. The front end has tubular a-arms disc brakes, a huge sway bar and air ride. I have been waiting for my Wurthit designs steering for some time now, and finally got my money back. Not sure what happened there, but I fear the worst. can no longer get ahold of him, and his web site is down again. What I am looking for is some details on his rack system. what rack he started with, and any pictures of the system. I understand dearborn classics is going to offer one that looks just like ricks, but I don't want to wait. been waiting too long as it is. any help will be appreciated

[cool57]

88-94 Chevy Calivere are a rear steer rack with the inner rod connections at the center of the rack

[cool57]

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Join Date: Dec 2004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdroog 
Thanks for the heads up. Looks like I need to do a junkyard scrounge.

NP...

did a little searching in my notes (the ones i could find that arent still packed in a box someplace) and in some of my saved links etc...

the rack you need is as i mentioned, a center take off unit... the most popular and prolly easiest to find is the cavalier unit, years 86-95...NOT the later ones as i had mentioned before!!!

FAST ratio racks:
NAPA part # NRP22109
A1 Cardone # 22109
ACDelco # 3616340
CV Unlimited # RP239HD

SLOW ratio racks:
NAPA # NRP22108
A1 Cardone # 22108
ACDelco # 3616318
CV Unlimited # RP239
APSCO # 4513

price, WITH core is round $110, so boneyard pickin' aint really worth the effort for the $25 core charge you'll save IMO after payin $5 to get onto some yards and the screwin around gettin it off the car plus $15 for the part... your mileage may vary
the part that is gonna require the most screwing around with is the bracket that bolts to the takeoff on the center of the rack and receives the inner tie-rods ... take a look at a stock setup where the inner rods mount to the center link, and compare to the mount points on the R&P... the R&P rod end mounts will be facing front center on the rack, and need to be bottom center of the rack, so the bracket is a short stubby "T" then bent over at 90*


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[rockymountaincustom]

thanks cool57 this will help alot. I spent the day measuring and looking through books at the local napa store and may have something else going to. I jerked a rack off of a 97 lumina at the salvage yard today, and it may work also. I will take a look at the reacks you mentioned in the morning. I tried to put some pictures off the frame and suspension on the site this evening but the pictures wouldent load. I have to take other pictures with less pixels.  thanks again.

[KidKourier]

rockymountaincustom     If you can find a copy of Custom Rodder Magazine (July 2005) it has an install article on Wurth's  rack and pinion kit with install pictures and pictures of all brackets,the rack,and misc. pieces. Rick,s web site disappeared a couple of weeks ago with no explanation,don't know if it was due to health or financial problems. To bad, everybody that installed his kit said it handled great.Maybe he could find someone to produce it for him or sell parts list and bracket configuration to the do-it-yourself guys. I've been looking around for a power rack and not much out there unless you want to cut your frame rails off at the firewall and weld in a stub (Fatmans). Skip

[rockymountaincustom]

I don't subscribe to custom rodder, but after going to the web site and seeing the cover, I new I had seen that cover. sure enough I was getting that mag in 05. The coolest part was I actually found it. I ordered the cavalier rack this morning, but I am still getting the parts I ordered yesterday. That rack is a end pull and if I got all my measurements right the inner andouter tie rods I ordered will make this other rack work also. Back when you could get ahold of rick wurth, he told me they had problems with his setup not working with air ride. This might solve the problem when you lower the car at a car show the short tie rods will be at less of an angle and will not get bound up.

[KidKourier]

  Called Dearborn Classics today and asked about their rack & pinion setup for 57 Fords, they said that they had discontinued  it as of January 31st, there were to many problems with it.Appearantly their kit wasn't a direct copy of Rick Wurths.Anyway,that's one less choice we don't have.So I guess I'll keep looking.  SKIP

[wv 57s forever]

i talked to them about a year ago and they said that they were getting it from rick.

[wolfpupsdad]

 that makes sence , when ya read both adds their almost word for word. goes to show ya , ya just never know

[rockymountaincustom]

I built a bracket today that cradles an end pull rack off a Lumina. The car I am building is a major custom job and I am not to worried about it being a bolt on set up, so I welded it to the cross member. actually it is just tacked into place for right now. The rack is alot smaller and compact, and when I get the inner and outer tie rods and finish mocking it up I will post some pictures of it. I really like the way it looks so far. and it would not be that hard to drill holes and make this system a bolt on. will keep you guys posted.

[custom57]

Just to let you know My car is the one that Rick found out that his design didn't work with air ride, I was riding it pretty low going down the freeway and the tie rod hit the line and broke it. I also fixed how it was designed, so that I can now ride it low and not hit the line. pictures at that time where sent to rick. I also had changed the line ends that he had originally had for ones that tucked the lines a little better.

[Frankenstein57]

FYI, I recently pulled the rack from a 92 or93 grand am , looks just like the cavalier piece. Center pull, came off real easy after removing the brake booster. Mark

[DanTudor57]

Custom57, got pictures. I will be riding pretty low on Rick's previous design and want to make sure I make the proper mods on this rack... Any help would be appreciated.

Dan

[tarheel57]

I know this is a old topic but I will ask anyway. Dantudor57 ( or anyone )did custom57 ever reply on what he changed on the design of his rack and pinion to keep anything from hitting the lines on the rack when it is ridding low? Or have you or anyone made any modifications on the rack design to allow the car to ride at a lower stance.My car sits pretty low and I love the way it sits and looks and drives with the rack and pinnion setup .Mine has the Wildhog kit on it, not the Wurths.I have only had my 57 done and on the road a little over 1 1/2 months and got up under it this past weekend to see how everything looked after taking a 4hr trip each way 2 weekends ago to the all ford show in pigeon forge tenn. I love the way it drives with the rack & pinion but I did notice that it looked as if something had bent or moved one of the lines that runs along the rack unit itself.I bent it back but Im thinking in time this might give me a problem,so this is why I looked back at some of these older topics to see if anyone else running the rack setup with their car lowered was having any issues. If any of you have experenced this can you tell me what you done to help it. Thanks Tarheel57

[gasman826]

I made mine but is similar to the available kits.  I have air bags, Granada spindles, OEM control arms (slightly modified).  The fluid line on the right end of the rack contacted the tie rod adjuster sleeve(swedged ends).  I bent the line out of the way.  With the suspension bottomed out, there is no interference.