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620 Rack and Pinion


]2eDeYe

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Mustang-II complete front suspension is a common swap on old hot rods, and they use a rack & pinion.

Speedway motors offers weld in crossmembers for things like 32 Fords.

Maybe adaptable to our trucks ?

 

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Mustang-II-IFS-Std-Tubular-Control-Arms-Stock-Springs-Dropped-Spindles,35270.html

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I discovered a few things designing a power steering system for my 620.

 

 

 

Most cars, correct me if I'm wrong, have the rack and pinion (R&P) under the rear of the engine somewhat close to the fire wall and behind the front tires.

 

You cannot use this style of R&P in the stock 620 location.

 

The 620 uses a one piece steering column and box.

 

 

So...

Will a car R&P fit behind the front wheels and clear the torsion bars?

Can it also be mounted level with the stock steering knuckles? (if not you will introduce bump steer)

Can you mod a stock column, shorten it, support the center in the column tube, add one or more U joints to bend it downward to a R&P?

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All is possible. Not sure what is needed.

 

Some relevant quotes

 

Saw your interest in possibly making a rack and pinion swap. This is some research I did for Icehouse for 510 swaps. Thought it might be of interest to you. These are copied straight from the pms I sent him, so it's geared at 510s, but the info still might help.

think I might have a good option, but that is for you to decide. 1995-1999 hyundai accent. According to specs + math, inner pivots are around 22.25 inches apart. Came in both manual and power. Power is easily available through O'Reilly and AutoZone. Manual is special order, but easily internet available. Im fairly sure there were more of these on the road than MR2s. The steering neck seems pretty far to the side and not very large. I ordered a power rack in to my store so I can take real measurements on it. I will have it tonight to measure it. Let me know if there are any specific measurements that would be helpful to you and i will get them.

Oh and its 2.8 rotations lock to lock. Not sure how that compares to MR2.

Inner pivot to inner pivot, on centers, measures out at 22.5 inches. Total accent rack width with inner tie rods. 45.25 inches. Those tie rods are m14x1.5 so the 510 outers will fit them, just have to use two of whichever 510 outer is right hand thread.

The tie rods that come on the accent rack are about 12.35 inches long end to end. I can get inner rods in a large variety of lengths ranging from just over 6 inches to about 13.5 inches long that will fit the rack and the 510 outer rods. I have a list of part numbers so all I need to know is total rack length, center of outer to center of outer joint, that you want and I can tell you what inner tie rods to use.

Also, the steering neck on this power rack is relatively small, even with the fittings and it is very far to the side, so I'm hoping that it will clear the pan, or that with some 90° fittings it will turn and clear the pan.

  

Mr2 and accent are actually very similar in size. But the mr2 stuff is getting very hard to find, so icehouse was looking for something more easily available that would also work.

Today I looked in to a whole new idea that I think might work well. The smart fortwo. They are front steer though, an rhd rack would have be used, flipped over. Luckily that car has been sold for years in Europe, where it is much more popular than it is here. Rhd racks are cheap and plentiful on eBay. They came in manual and electric assist.

I think they might actually be too narrow, which is perfect. Spacers can be made to put the inner tie rods in the optimal position.

I can't tell if the rack has m12 or m14 threads in it. Regardless, I'm confident I could find an inner tie rod that would make this all function with the factory outer tie rods.

This is the rack, without inner tie rods. This thing is compact. Might be perfect. $_3.JPG

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I'm working on some other ideas as well. I'm trying to get better info on that smart car rack, as well as looking in to two other racks, one of which comes in either pneumatic or electric from the factory. Hopefully I will have some info for you next week.

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For off road with big tires.

 

 

If you could replace the center link with a rack and maintain the stock geometry? Might be doable.

the column would be the easyish part

 

 

I'm working on some other ideas as well. I'm trying to get better info on that smart car rack, as well as looking in to two other racks, one of which comes in either pneumatic or electric from the factory. Hopefully I will have some info for you next week.

 

Already said this won't work in stock location.

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The more detailed info I have, the more useful my ideas might be.

 

Could you guys get me some measurements? Redeye had posted couple of these elsewhere, but we may as well get it all collected in one place.

 

Total distance/length from outer tie rod to outer tie tod, on centers, where they bolt to the knuckle.

 

Distance from center to center, inner tie rod pivots.

 

Number of turns, lock to lock, on steering wheel.

 

Distance of travel, from lock to lock, the outer tie rods travel.

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Actually the US smart car might be great. I was thinking the 620 was rear steer, even though my 720 is front steer. Smart car is front steer rack and pinion. I'm definitely looking in to that one more.

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G-duax Mustangs are front steer cars. Those racks can be purchased in custom lengths it's true. If anyone has the money to buy a $500 custom mustang rack, that would do it. And make all my work pointless

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Ford fairmont 78-82 use front mounted power rack and pinion .. The same for those round mid 80s T-birds..  We use them to build bog buggys

 

There is probably a drag race power steering delete unit one,,,  as both of those were used quite a bit in that sport.. for awhile

 

 

Edit.. 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Mustang-T-Bird-Fairmont-Capri-Fox-Body-New-Manual-Steering-Rack-Pinion-/170712532495?hash=item27bf42860f:g:b9EAAOSw5IJWcgU3&vxp=mtr

 

.

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You're going to have to spell it out for me Mike. I'm not seeing the problem, but all I have are some internet pictures and a 4x4 720 to look at.

 

The smart car rack is front steer, so is the 620. So the rack could go in place of the center link and seemingly come close to factory geometry.

 

Not sure what I'm not seeing. Since you have already been a ways down this road, let me know what I'm missing, so I can look for a way around it.

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Some of the info from my first posts isn't necessarily written the clearest either, and is partially based on my ASSumption that 620s were rear steer. I have since corrected that in my research.

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Nice one Laecaon what was the overall length and travel?

 

 

For thread reference the 620 center link is approximately 20" long and travels 3-5/8"

 

I'll get some of the other requested measurments once I can get back under my truck.

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