Can't turn left

[thejoe]

The steering arm from the power steering box hits the L side long tube header making L hand turns very difficult in tight spaces.

The header has been dimpled at this site (I'll try to post a pic). I'm concerned about dimpling it more since I don't want to reduce the flow a lot more. Can I grind down the steering arm a little bit at this point?

I'm not keen to replace the headers and may just have to live with it. What are your thoughts?

 

[7991LXnSHO]

Headers are made to be dimpled or beat on to be custom fit. That’s a lot safer than weakening a steering arm.
Or you can drive for UPS if they still make all right turns.
Yes, this needs fixed.

 

[thejoe]

Makes sense. How much of the diameter of the header can I restrict before I create an air flow problem?

 

[thejoe]

So this is how much of a dimple the header has. How much more can I put into it?

 

[7991LXnSHO]

You can go s lot more than that. If it is a smooth dent, the disruption will be minimized. And even if it costs two Hp, you have to be able to drive safely.

 

[2Blue2]

making L hand turns very difficult

So much for joining Nascar


Header clearance dings are a time honored tradition!

 

[thejoe]

This is what I ended up with. Can get to full left lock now, but I can feel the header vibrate against the wheel. It works for me. I may need to fix it again later if it cracks or something, but I doubt it will be a problem. It’s just over 1/2” deep. Look ok to you guys?

 

[65ShelbyClone]

I didn't replace my headers...I removed the power steering.

Does your PS ram have a drop bracket attaching it to the frame? If not, that's probably why there's interference. The brackets are a little hokey and some people recommended welding it to the subframe or the bolts tend to loosen.

 

[thejoe]

It has the drop bracket in place. Thanks for the heads up - I’ll keep an eye on those bolts.

 

[Noobz347]

Wait a tick...


In the image I saw, it looked like the bottom of the bolt was the portion that was hitting the header as the steering shaft rotated.

Is this correct?

Mark and shorten the bolt. Remove it, put the nut back on it and file it until it meets the top of the nut. Reinstall it.

If it's still not short enough, you can use a shallow castellated nut and drill the bolt to accept either a pin or some safety wire.

 

[thejoe]

It was not the bolt that was hitting, it was the arm itself. Here is what is looks like with full left lock now.

 

[Noobz347]

Now I see it. I was looking at the wrong component.

You could also shave some material off of that bell-crank and even add a heat resistant isolator in-case it does make contact. This might involve more disassembly than you desire.