How can I tell what kind of steering rack do I have

stevesLX

Member
Nov 12, 2006
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cincinnati
O.K. guys I have planned to just go with a new rack however everywhere I call wants to know if I have a sport suspension or not and I suppose being a LX it does not. They are also aking if its a 2 bushing Ford gear or a single bushing twr gear. The old rack has a stamp on it that says RF EOBO 3550. On the old rack itself there is a rubber bushing that goes on either side of both of the mounting holes. On the frame itself there is two long round metal dowls that hang out of the mounting holes that the bolts go thru and the rack slides on those dowels and the bolts go thru the dowels and then a big washer and nuts. Beyond that I dont know. I looked at one this morning and all the hardware that was there was the rubber peices for the rack and 2 other rubber peices that have some metal fittings in them. There were no long metal dowels or nothing. That one was what they called the 2 bushing ford gear. They didn't have the single bushing TWR gear in stock for me to look at. Any help would be appreciated. This is for a 89 LX.
 
The new racks usually dont come with the metal dowels or bolts...you have to reuse them. I got the sport one because thats what came on my GT and it was exactly the same number of turns as it should be but if you are running bigger tires you might as well get that one bacause it supposedly helps them not turn too far.
I would say just go ahead and get the sport one, but...i dont recall seeing the Ford vs. TWR choice anywhere. Sounds like maybe its either a rebuilt ford or aftermarket part?? :shrug:

edit: i guess TWR means Tom Walkinshaw Racing....or thats at least what i looked up lol

i wonder if it would be any better....are the prices the same?
 
My car has a TRW rack, it is a two piece rack, one side is steel and the other side is aluminum, so use a magnet and see, a ford rack is all aluminum. You probably have a ford rack. I think that the sport rack is the TRW because the TRW has a 15:1 ratio where as the ford rack has a 20:1 ratio.