OK - Friday I'm ordering a Randall's Rack

68 & 00 GT · Apr 14, 2004

Unless someone talks me out of it quick.

I'll never road race the car so it's strength shouldn't be a problem.
What do yall say ?

GT2K · Apr 14, 2004

I say Flaming River has their header clearing rack shipping now for previous customer exchanges and will have part numbers for small blocks and big blocks after the 40th in Nashville... so I'd get it from them. Your call though.

68 & 00 GT · Apr 14, 2004

I didn't know Flaming River had racks to clear headers now
When are they supposed to be available ? Is it better than the Randall's ?

harryo007 · Apr 14, 2004

flaming River

I think Flaming River and Randall's Rack are simillarly priced, but with FR you get tilt steering.

bnickel · Apr 14, 2004

the FR kit with the rack is a lot higher, also the FR kit is manual only only, while the randalls rack is power. personally i would go with the randalls rack, the crossmember FR is using is basically a copy of the randalls rack, i think they stole the crossmember design form randall.

taylor4g63 · Apr 14, 2004

whats the website u getting the randalls rack from? I've been looking at updating my steering and i'd like to look into it...

Ronstang · Apr 14, 2004

If Flaming River actually has a rack that clears headers now based on what they told my fgriend a few weeks ago then it is not going to be good. They claimed they were making a header friendly rack by moving the pinion closer to the frame.....WHICH WILL RESULT IN TERRIBLE BUMP STEER! You guys do what you want but it seems that some of these companies just don't do all the engineering necessary to truly solve a problem, they simply want your money. If Flaming River is so hot then why did they release a rack that wouldn't work with headers.....when the averavge customer that would want a rack and pinion is the same customer that PROBABLY has or wants headers? Either their engineers aren't that great or their marketing team is a bunch of morons.

Cbarton · Apr 15, 2004

Good point!!

If Flaming River is so hot then why did they release a rack that wouldn't work with headers.....when the averavge customer that would want a rack and pinion is the same customer that PROBABLY has or wants headers? Either their engineers aren't that great or their marketing team is a bunch of morons.

68 & 00 GT · Apr 15, 2004

Yeah I definately want a power rack. Still sounds like Randalls is what what I'm getting. Anyone heard anything bad about it ?

BTW taylor4g63 - http://www.randallsrack.com/

GT2K · Apr 15, 2004

Ronstang said:
If Flaming River actually has a rack that clears headers now based on what they told my fgriend a few weeks ago then it is not going to be good. They claimed they were making a header friendly rack by moving the pinion closer to the frame.....WHICH WILL RESULT IN TERRIBLE BUMP STEER! You guys do what you want but it seems that some of these companies just don't do all the engineering necessary to truly solve a problem, they simply want your money. If Flaming River is so hot then why did they release a rack that wouldn't work with headers.....when the averavge customer that would want a rack and pinion is the same customer that PROBABLY has or wants headers? Either their engineers aren't that great or their marketing team is a bunch of morons.

I don't know... TCP did the same thing, what are your thoughts on their rack? It's fairly common to get the base configuration worked out when designing a new product, THEN you work on variations.

AND, I won't pass judgement on their header version until I see it and perhaps actually drive it too.

68 & 00 GT · Apr 15, 2004

GT2K said:
I don't know... TCP did the same thing, what are your thoughts on their rack?

My thoughts are that it's insanely overpriced, and climbing.

GT2K · Apr 15, 2004

68 & 00 GT said:
My thoughts are that it's insanely overpriced, and climbing.

I'd have to disagree based on the price TCP was claiming to sell them for (I say claiming since they for all intents and purposes are out of business at this point) not what Mustangs Plus brought the price to so they could buy more hot dogs

There was a lot of engineering and quality in the TCP racks themselves, YES the pumps were marked up too much but that's what resellers do and it's the price some people pay for one stop shopping.

Anyone else watch the Aussie developments in the field?

Ronstang · Apr 15, 2004

You guys spend your money how you choose but considering FR uses standard rack technology and is basically adapting a rack (maybe shortening it some) to work in the old cars......and they even said they would be relocating the pinion CLOSER to the frame to allow header clearance which means there is no way that the tie rod can be the same length as the lower control arm so bumpsteer will be even worse than a lowered car with stock steering....IT'S A FACT. Go do the measurements yourself. I spent a great deal of time R&Ding a rack install in these cars. I settled on a GM J-car rack that would be highley modifed/adapted. I mapped the entire suspension on the floor and worked out all the travel etc. It can be accomplised but not without major work and NO conventional style rack will ever not induce MORE bump steer.

I suggest that every one interested in the FR kit call them and barrage them with as many questions as they can until they are satisfied with the answers before laying down the $$$. Measure the distance on your centrlink from inner tie rod hole to inner tie rod hole.....then ask FR what the distance between the inner tie rod pivots is.....if the measurement isn't the same or really really close then your car will have more bumpsteer than it does now, possible dangerous amounts too and only hard driving on rough surfaces will really give you an idea of how bad it can get.

Good luck.

jim7485 · Apr 15, 2004

Another Rack option---

I have been trading e-mails with these folks who will have a power rack for early Mustangs for sale starting around June 1. www.speeddirect.com

A comment and picture from their website>
Please note that in this picture, the vehicle is on jack stands - that is why the tie rods are so dropped.

jim-

one2gamble · Apr 15, 2004

with all the new racks coming out, why is the price not dropping?

imshaggy2000 · Apr 15, 2004

jim7485 said:
I have been trading e-mails with these folks who will have a power rack for early Mustangs for sale starting around June 1. www.speeddirect.com

A comment and picture from their website>
Please note that in this picture, the vehicle is on jack stands - that is why the tie rods are so dropped.

jim-

Thats the exact same thing as randall's Rack, and the same thing as Ronster is using, and the same thing I'm working on for my car, just a modified J car rack.

imshaggy2000 · Apr 15, 2004

one2gamble said:
with all the new racks coming out, why is the price not dropping?

Because companies need to make money here in america. The j car racks probably cost them $100 each + Other parts $100 + labor to make the kit $200 + Advertising + Insurence + they have to pay for their building, land and equipment + they have to make a profit.

Personaly I dont think they are high priced, but I'm not going to buy one because I can make my own.

Ronstang · Apr 15, 2004

imshaggy2000,

That doesn't look like a J car rack since the center section has the mounting points on the wrong side.....forcing the rack to be put way behind where the original crossmember is located (and retaining it) so this unit will NEVER clear long tube headers.....another company that just doesn't do their engineering.

streetgrande69 · Apr 15, 2004

Ronstang, actually that is a j-car stock rack. the j-car rack is mounted on the firewall, so the tie-rods do attach to the front in the same orientation as pictured. but your rifht in saying that it won't clear the headers.

speed direct is using a unmodifided rack. randell uses a modified rack, the take-off is on the aft of Randalls rack. i believe the dodge intrepid rack is a better canidate anyway.......and it is a center, not a end/side take off.

this(speeddirect or sixto) is the origional j-car rack research, this set-up started all this. i've made a set of sixtos brackets before, it didn't clear my stock 351w manifolds in my 69. so i figured that you needed to come off on the back. i lost interest, but the infamous thread is in the faq's. its really good to read.

randell reconized this, modified the rack to "take off" from the oppisite side, allowing it to be placed further forward. there is actually a-lot of r and d behind randalls. if i did't come into some cash, i would've got randalls, not the power tcp. as far as speed direct, good luck clearing headers with it.

imshaggy2000 · Apr 15, 2004

Ronstang said:
imshaggy2000,

That doesn't look like a J car rack since the center section has the mounting points on the wrong side.....forcing the rack to be put way behind where the original crossmember is located (and retaining it) so this unit will NEVER clear long tube headers.....another company that just doesn't do their engineering.

It still looks alot like a J car rack to me, here's another pic from their web site

That is the stock side a J car rack's bolt holes are on, yes they should be modified to go the opistie side like randall's rack is, so this companies is much worse then his. I think his rack is a good product.

I guess streetgrande69 beat me too it so just ditto to what he said.

OK - Friday I'm ordering a Randall's Rack

68 & 00 GT

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