Opinions on a plan of attack

[CUDAGUY]

Car: 66 Valiant wagon, sloppy school bus manual steering, KH discs, 8.75, HD leafs, etc. (pictured below)

Problem: flat out worn out everything and cracked steering box pad on the k-member.

Idea for budget soloution/improvements: replace all bushings with fresh stockers. Replace upper contol arms with large balljoint ones to gain some roll-camber. Ditch the manual box in favor of a 16:1 neon power rack and pump I have kicking around. Weld bracing and tabs on lower arms for a 1.625 hollow chevy truck sway bar I have. Fresh set of KYB's to replace the ancient red-ryders.

Not sure about the rear just yet.

 

[4spdcuda66]

Steering box pad is an easy fix with a welder. The manual steering box can be rebuilt and you'll probably notice drastic improvements in steering manners after the rebuild. I think those manual boxes were fairly tight when new. Your car is nearly fifty years old and in need of some work. After those improvements, your plan to re-bush everything should get you back on track. That's how I would approach it. Sweet wagon BTW!!

:burnout:

 

[CUDAGUY]

Ive fixed it twice before, yet it keeps getting stress cracks in different places and firm feel wants $329 to rebuild plus $225 to change the ratio to 16:1....and Im still stuck with manual steering, have to cough up money for a new idler/pitman/inner and outer tierods/tierod sleeves...and still using a 50-year old system (not saying its bad, my Cuda drives great)

My trouble is, Both of my dailys are neons (pictured below), one is very tight (konis, eibachs, big factory sways, urethane bushings, fast ratio steering, and around 170hp) and theres a HUGE difference in the way they drive...and then theres THIS...that is by far the worst thing Ive driven (my old 390/C6 F250 on trailer tires handled better by miles) and the 20-whatever:1 steering is a pain almost to the point I dont want to drive it. The neon is just as quick but so much more stable to drive.

 

[66fs]

You know that 1st gen Neons are one of the best handling cars to come off the line? Since you know what a good early "A" can feel like, with the Cuda, I'd go that way. I've had a couple manual boxes rebuilt by Firm Feel and they do really nice work. Maybe go with a 20 to 1 manual box? I'm rebuilding the front end on our 67 Barracuda and had Firm Feel reinforce a 73 K-Frame for it. But, you can do what you want. Look at some Austrailian sites. Their steering wheel is on the opposite side but they have done what you want.