Thread: R&P and bump steer

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i have question about rack and pinion i have a 1954 chevy truck is there a r&p that i can pull out of the salvage yard and make a mounting plate for it thanks

PM Smiliesafari.He installed a Mustang R&P in his Safari van.In fact,I would be getting the attaching points from him should I do a R&P conversion on my van.

The rack and pinion steering conversion is a lot less complicated than some people would have you believe. I did the first sucessful (that I know of) r&p conversion, in this kind of vehicle, on my 1996 Safari van. This conversion has been in the van for several years now and has worked perfectly. The reason I did the r&p was to replace the sorry drag link type steering that these vans come with. The drag link is hung on two idler arms that for some design flaw wear out in as little time as two years. And I'm not talking about cheap chinese junk parts. I use Moog suspension and steering parts. Some things to consider: The rack must come from a vehicle that has the same steering location as the vehicle that it's going to be used in. By that I mean front steer or rear steer. Is the steering in front of or behind the axle centerline? The rack should have enough travel that the spindle stops can be reached. It should be located in a vertical and horizontal position as near as possible to a straight line with the steering knuckle tierod attachment points. It should be from a vehicle of the same weight as the one that it is going to used in. If it is a power rack then almost any modern power steering pump will work. You will most likely have to modify or have custom hoses made.

Originally Posted by 54 chevy guy

i have question about rack and pinion i have a 1954 chevy truck is there a r&p that i can pull out of the salvage yard and make a mounting plate for it thanks

The 54 Chevy truck has a solid front axle, so replacing the steering with a R&P unit is going to be difficult without inducing bump steer. The only way this is possible is to attach the R&P unit directly to the axle, but then you have the problem of providing a flexible steering shaft from the steering shaft to the unit. It also greatly increases unsprung weight which adversley affects handling and ride.
Of course, you could install a Unsteer R&P unit to replace your steering box, but this is not something you are going to find in a salvage yard. I have never heard of anyone building a Unisteer type unit from a salvage yard R&P, but I suppose it is possible if you have the machining capabilities.