rack install failed

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B.D.A.

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tryed to put a rack +pinion in a 73 dart,had drum brakes,installed spindles and rotor set up out of a volare,the tie rod is sitting level just like the control arm,but when i move the car and turn the wheels it pulls the suspension down to where the l.c.a. and tie rod now are pointing up somewhat.if i jack it back up the ride height returns to normal,tightening the torsion bars after it has settled doesn't help. while it is at rest and at a good height,if you jounce it up and down the tires tow in and out,i believe mr. lusk has experienced the tow causing the suspension pull down. now i also was showed a diagram of certain fulcrum points that need to be in sync,such as the inner tie-rods being in line with the lower control arm bolt,could this be the problem,or are the spindles possibly causing this as i am not positive if the car i took them off was infact a volare,but i believe it was,it had the ball joint in the l.c.a and i installed my ball joint onto the spindle?hope this isn't to long winded,just doing the best i can to describe the problem,any thoughts are appreciated.thanks marty
 
You need bump steer class 101...you looking in the right place. Sounds like pivot points are not correct.....for starters
 
going to post some pictures soon i hope,just learning the picture thing,see some on my newly posted photo gallery.
 
its hard to tell from the pictures but the rack runs under the pan right where the center link did before,the worm gear part of the rack is the only thing lower,but not as bad as it looks.the purpose of this contraption was to allow the use of any old manifold,and to keep clear of everything around the starter it uses a quite different approach,by using a small transfer gear box that then redirects the steering shaft from front to rear, its out of a izusu rodeo,and or pathfinder. but they used front steer,so the rack is from a honda,but as it seems its a poor choice as the inner tie rod measurement is several inches wider than the centerlink,and i think getting one with the same spread as the center link may possibly help.
 
some pictures of how the steering column ends up.that crossmember its mounted to doesn't hang down lower than the bell housing,it places the rack in beween the oil drain plug and the trans inspection cover with room to get a socket on drain plug and converter bolts.
 
I can see your problem in #5 and second group #7, the rack needs to be raised or LCA inner pivot point lowered. When you say "tie rod sitting level like control arm" it needs the pivot points to be parallel, the tie rod is level but the LCA angles down.

The difference in inner lengths as you said does matter and ideally they should be the same but being parallel is paramount.

Oh I forgot, lowering the tie rod ends will help and kits can be bought to do this.
 
Oh my....im going to start by saying the rack probably needs raised into the k member another 4-6" or the tierod ends lowered the same at the knuckles. Even then I would be scared to drive it. See, your pivot points are inline with your torsion bars, and that pretty much makes it impossible to get a rear mounted rack to function decent. So your other option is the good ole cantilever/spacer at the knuckle setup to lower the tierod ends. Clear as mud?
 
As I remember someone posted this swap a couple years ago on this site
if you search hard enough you might find it
You have to cut bottom from front k frame , insert rack and pinion reweld
 
I opted for a fully-engineered front axle from "Control Freak Suspensions" and the installation and set-up went very smoothly. This kit comes with various front disc brake options for better braking as well.

My car has a modified slant-6 so I had to find my own solutions for the motor mounts, but I believe "Control Freak" can make these for any Mopar V8.

I'm not sure what steering rack you are using but I've seen cases where people find a part from another car and try to modify it for their application (I saw a blog where a Canadian modified a Jaguar rear axle for a Triumph TR7 or TR8 ; une solution très canadienne - see the "Red Green" show on You Tube). At the best, it takes lots of time and engineering to develop a homogenous and functional solution. Kits are more expensive in monetary terms but bring fewer problems as well.
 

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yes,thanks everyone,will mess around a little with the bump steer stuff,but may scrap the idea.it can be put back to stock easily enough and then i'll be back to exhaust manifold fitment or headers,still difficult,and pricey,the rack deal using salvage yard parts cost me about 200.but i do understand it has to be safe and functional.the mounting of that transfer gear is not the way it finally was installed,it is much more secure now.i don't mind trying something,but in the end you have to make a decision whether its viable.again thanks everyone.
 
aa-1159 said:
As I remember someone posted this swap a couple years ago on this site
if you search hard enough you might find it
You have to cut bottom from front k frame , insert rack and pinion reweld
Click to expand...

This is true. I am personally following that setup. But the rack was mounted "in" the front of the k member. Making the car "front" steer. The thread was by a member Blacklace I'm not to each on posting links but I will give it a try.

AJ
 
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