Steering rack question

[black93lx]

I replaced the K-member with a tubular one on my 91 lx. I also changed the spindles to 99 GT ones as part of a 5-lug conversion.

well, after i put on the tubular k-member and new spindles, my track got a little wider. no big deal.

so i centered the steering rack but when i went to put the tie rod ends on, i noticed that with the rack centered, the drivers side tie rod end only had a few threads holding it on. didn't seem safe.

to correct this, i uncentered my rack so the drivers side tie rod end had a few more threads holding it on.

i'd like to fix this properly now so i get 1 complete turn in either direction instead of 1.25 turns right, and only .75 turns left.

can i get a longer inner tie rod end for the drivers side? can i get a longer tie rod end for the drivers side? can i make a longer inner one?

thanks in advance.

 

[black93lx]

i've heard you can put 99 GT inner tie rod ends on a 91 rack. The 99's are longer so it should solve my problem.

question is, how do i get the spiral pin off the inner tie rod so i can change it out? some post said to put a screw in it and try and pry it off.

any other suggestions?

thanks in advance.

 

[stang&2Birds]

and only .75 turns left.

Yikes.

You need a bumpsteer kit with longer adjustment sleeves.
IMHO, buy MM only! Somewhere on the "other site" I posted pictures of different bumpsteer kits. For some kits, the quality is cr*p!

BTW: With 96+ spindles, you really should use the bolt-through bumpsteer kit. But, that requires that you take the spindles off the car, and have a real shop make the proper hole.

However, even the bumpsteer kits with tapered stud will still reduce the bumpsteer that you currently have. And, you'll have a safe amount of thread on the adjustment sleeves.


FYI:
Adjustable Tie Rod End Kit, 1979-93, SN95 arms, tapered stud [MMTR-7]: Maximum Motorsports,
Tie Rod End Kit, 1979-93, SN95 arms, tapered stud
Part # MMTR-7 ; $149.00

MM Adjustable Tie Rod End Kit, 1979-93, with SN95 control arms and a FOX steering rack, tapered stud style spindle.

Bumpsteer is a term for the situation where the front toe changes as the suspension moves up and down. If the toe changes more than a very small amount it will cause the car to change direction, making the car unstable and unpredictable. MM offers two types of Adjustable Tie-Rod Ends. The tapered stud type can be used to make moderate changes to the geometry. It is best suited for use with a stock K-member, and does not require any modification to the spindle. The bolt-through spindle type has a much wider range of adjustment. It is required for most situations when installing a MM K-Member and requires drilling out the tapered hole in the spindle to accept a 5/8" bolt.

The installation of any adjustable tie-rod end requires that your car be measured for bumpsteer. This can be done by following our copyrighted step-by-step instructions. Look at our MMT-4 Bumpsteer kit for all that you need to be able to measure and adjust the bumpsteer on your car.

 

[88LX]

hi jeff.

 

[black93lx]

thanks for the tips on the bumpsteer kit. I don't think i have a problem with bumpsteer though. let me explain.

when i centered the steering rack and tried to connect the spindles to the tie rod ends, the driver side tie rod end only had a few threads holding it on. that worried me. so what i did was turn the steering wheel to the left a little and then reset my steering shaft. that's why i've only got .75 turns left, and 1.25 turns right.

so i guess 99 spindles aren't good to use for a 5-lug conversion. I did buy some offset steering rack bushings so that the tie rods are basically level when the car sits on the ground. haven't noticed any issues with the steering when i hit bumps. pretty solid.

 

[RydeOn]

Your either going to need SN95 inner AND outer tie rod ends or the MM bumpsteer kit. If you price out these parts it makes more sense to upgrade to the heim joint setup, which was already suggested.