Options for R&P Steering

buckshot923 · Dec 21, 2003

I know this topic has been beat to death - but I need some opinions. My 65 manual steering has to go. I cant take it anymore. Are there any low buck alternatives to a R&P kit. I know Taurus racks have been used for 67+ but are there any swaps that will work for a 65? i am trying to avoid spending lots of $ for a kit from Flaming River or Randalls. I am cheap and need cheap answers!

oboebrian · Dec 21, 2003

Somethings are just not cheap. You can do a bunch of junkyard engineering and come up with something, but do you have the skills, equiptment and time to do so? The R&P and any suspension changes if not done correctly can literally kill you or cause a major accident.

That said, if you can't spring $ for a R&P kit, then why don't you just

a) rebuild your steering box, or buy a rebuilt one
b) get the upgraded standards style steering box from Flaming River (tons cheaper than teh R&P)

DarkBuddha · Dec 21, 2003

buckshot923 said:
I know this topic has been beat to death - but I need some opinions. My 65 manual steering has to go. I cant take it anymore. Are there any low buck alternatives to a R&P kit. I know Taurus racks have been used for 67+ but are there any swaps that will work for a 65? i am trying to avoid spending lots of $ for a kit from Flaming River or Randalls. I am cheap and need cheap answers!

This isn't intended only at you buckshot (though it does apply...), but I'm under the impression that people want EASY CHEAP READY-MADE BOLT-IN GREAT-FITTING WELL-ENGINEERED parts. Sound about right? I think I've finally come to the realization that it is simply not an option. You may be able to get one or two of those things in any single product, but after that, every one of those criteria become compromised...

What does this mean? There is no EASY CHEAP READY-MADE BOLT-IN GREAT-FITTING WELL-ENGINEERED rack&pinion available for your (or any retro-fit) application. Ultimately, you are gonna have to either lay out some cash or do your own work to make it relatively cheap. Notice I used the word "relatively"; this is not by accident and it is not semantical. I still think you'll end up spending a fair bit of cash trying to fab up a crossmember, buying the rack, getting everything machined, etc... and I'm assuming you have the gear to do metal cutting, tig welding, grinding, etc. Add to all of that the time it will take, and suddenly a rack from Randall or Flaming River, or even TCP (I've had my issues with them), can start to seem like a fair deal... Think about it.

buckshot923 · Dec 21, 2003

What I am saying is that I would rather fabricate it myself than pay through the roof for a kit. As for the gear to do the work - not even an issue - I have it and have very skilled help. I just wanted to know if there was an alternative out there before I start fabricating.

DarkBuddha · Dec 22, 2003

buckshot923 said:
What I am saying is that I would rather fabricate it myself than pay through the roof for a kit. As for the gear to do the work - not even an issue - I have it and have very skilled help. I just wanted to know if there was an alternative out there before I start fabricating.

Cool... then I'd recommend combing through several of the rack&pinion threads that have been posted on this forum previously. There were several mentions of places you might look for possible donor racks. Here's the one principal thread I was thinking of: http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=128170&highlight=tcp+rack

And for some design ideas, you might check this out: http://www.1969stang.com/articles/rack.html

Hope this helps. Good luck.

chepsk8 · Dec 22, 2003

Put on your thinking cap....

and get to work.....

DIY, have fun, and get real satisfaction out of it.

Two good possibilities: Escort / Tempo rack, or Cavalier rack piggybacked to your original center link. while you're at it, add Granada discs, Power booster, two for one improvement....

TheAnswerMan · Dec 22, 2003

Check out these prices. It makes you think about what your time is really worth, as well as how long it would take you to work out the bugs in your system. $750 for a engineered, designed, proven, warrantied and guaranteed rack? How can you go wrong?

And yes, they are working on a power version to be released sometime early next year.

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/f...=872675&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

daveoxide · Dec 22, 2003

buckshot923 said:
I know Taurus racks have been used for 67+ but are there any swaps that will work for a 65?

Start looking for a rack similar to a Cavalier style rack (like what TCP uses and so does Randallsrack). A Taurus rack won't work too well since it uses the ends of the rack to attach to the spindles, a Cavalier will use a similar setup to stock.

The biggest hurdle I had was getting the link between the steering column and the rack working perfectly. That is where ingenuity really comes into play .

Have fun with it!

RGS0907 · Dec 22, 2003

buckshot923 said:
I know this topic has been beat to death - but I need some opinions. My 65 manual steering has to go. I cant take it anymore. Are there any low buck alternatives to a R&P kit. I know Taurus racks have been used for 67+ but are there any swaps that will work for a 65? i am trying to avoid spending lots of $ for a kit from Flaming River or Randalls. I am cheap and need cheap answers!

You don't say what the problem is. The manual box in a light 65/66 is tight and (usually) fun to drive. Why not give the original design a chance? Sounds like you need a new gear box or if you really feel up to it, buy the parts and rebuild yours. Also, one trick is to put grease into the box instead of oil & the steering will feel tighter & smoother. Just make sure that there is no other slop under there including the upper & lower control arms, idler arm etc. otherwise, whatever you do will be wasting your time.

buckshot923 · Dec 22, 2003

I have a restomod thing going on with my 65. I have upgraded to front disks among other things. It takes some muscle to turn my 17x8's . I am going to go ahead with the R&P conversion in the next couple of months. I dont mind the hours of knuckle and brain busting work- I actually enjoy it. Thanks for the suggestions on racks to use- I am going to research this thoroughly before beginning.

66P51GT · Dec 22, 2003

From several Q&A sessions I have read and personal inquiries with TCP, upgrading to a manual R&P will require about the same effort as a stock manual - perhaps more if the ratio is different. The advantage you get is the lack of any slop associated with old vintage units.

Options for R&P Steering

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