Manual Steering: Ok for a DD?

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Active Member
Aug 16, 2004
1,947
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NE CT
#1
So I had a couple tires put on the car yesterday and they told me I needed inner and outer tire rods. Now my rack has a really bad dead spot, my power steering pump is starting to whne and the fluid has always been black with metal in it (I have run at least a dozen quarts of flid through this over the years) stays the same.

So since I am looking at either an entire rack, PS pump, etc. I was really thinking manual steering to clean up the engine bay a little as well. Who has actually done flaming river conversion and how bad is it to live with every day? I live in the country not the city so that should help a lot (not many slow speed turns).

Also what P/N kit from flaming river would I need?
 
#2
Most people who do it use it for drag racing. It's ok when you have skinny tires up front, but if you have wide tires up front, it's very hard to turn. If you get the flaming river setup, you also have to get the stronger steering shaft. It's going to run you about $400. A factory replacement rack is pretty cheap. Don't bother just changing the inner tie rod ends. Once you pay for those, you might as well have just gotten a whole new rack. Something to consider on the outer tie rod ends regardless of which rack you get. When you replace the outer tie rod ends, consider getting a bump steer kit. It makes alignment adjustments easier. It's about $40 more than just changing the outer tie rod ends.

Kurt
 
#4
Yeah, it's pretty bad. I think it might be one of those things that would sway you against driving the car as often as you would like too. Unless it's your daily, which is going to make you not want to drive at all. When you go to 275 tires up front, you can feel it get harder even with power steering up front.

Kurt
 
#6
My power steering pump starting squealing, and I thought of doing the same thing. I pulled the pump off and ran a short belt for a day. Going around town wasnt that bad with my 255's, but I tried to take a curve on a country road at 70 and could barely keep the car in my lane. I bought a new power steering pump right after that... Not sure how much the FR rack would help, but its not for me.
 
#7
Unless you've changed any of your front end geometry (changed from non stock spindles, A-arms, ball joint design, or rack location, etc), you will be wasting your money on bump steer adjustable tie rod ends.
 
#9
I was looking into this because removing the ps pump would make my turbo install much easier. I loved the manual steering in my old RX-7, but that was a ~2400# car with super small tires on it. The 3350# Mustang with 275's up front wouldn't be very fun imo.
 
#10
Last5.0 said:
Unless you've changed any of your front end geometry (changed from non stock spindles, A-arms, ball joint design, or rack location, etc), you will be wasting your money on bump steer adjustable tie rod ends.
Click to expand...

Come on, how many Mustang owners actually intend to keep the stock ride height forever.

Kurt
 
#11
Didn't say anything about ride hight. You can lower the car with shorter/stiffer springs and still not need bump steer ends because the suspension pivot points are still the same. It's when you start swapping to different spindles or control arms that change the original suspension geometry of the car and you will need the bump steer rod ends.


Some good (and true) info here....
 
#12
I think the primary advantage of the bump steer kit is that it has a double adjustment screw, so you don't have to bust the ball joint ends out everytime you make an adjustment.

Kurt
 
#14
I wouldn't do it, My rack went bad and had to drive like that for 20 miles, Hated it, If it's a street car, you want the power steering, i am replacing my rack and pump and lines, I NEED the power steering
 
#15
hollywoodstang said:
I wouldn't do it, My rack went bad and had to drive like that for 20 miles, Hated it, If it's a street car, you want the power steering, i am replacing my rack and pump and lines, I NEED the power steering
Click to expand...

PS rack with no PS is harder to turn than a manual rack... ive considered switching but untill my car makes like 500rwhp... its not worth it..


And i got a brand new rack for free it would suck not to use it...
 
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