80LS1T Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Well recently my steering gear box took a dump so I decieded to get rid of it completely. I bought all the stuff necesary to swap in a power rack and pinion from an 83 280zx. So today I went to work to put it all in thinking it should clear everything fine........wrong! The steering shaft from the column to the rack and pinion hits my custom header. So now I have to either come up with some sort of crazy steering shaft set up or buy the JTR header and rework part of my exhaust. So what can I do with the steering shaft set up? Can i put some sort of extra u-joint in there to go around the header? I would rather not buy the header just for the fact that I may be selling the engine/tranny combo this winter to go with another set up. Of course I could always sell the headers to some else doing the V8 swap. I would like to have the steering shaft as close to the frame rail as possible so that it's out of the way for any further engine choices... Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Ok I think I know what I am going to do. I am going to purchase a double u-joint, 2 support bearings and some tubing to modify my steering shaft set up. It should work but we will see. I am going to have to make some brackets for the support bearings and modify my original shaft/u-joint set up but it should work...... WE WILL SEE!..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Someone (240 Hoke? I dunno, been surfing WAY too much to recall who) used a steering shaft box from a Nissan truck. You run the shaft right along the frame and into the box. It basically acts like a 180* box so you can shoot past the headers and then down to the steering rack from the front side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerryb Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 I believe that's marcg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted August 28, 2008 Author Share Posted August 28, 2008 Parts are on order....1 double u-joint and 2 support bearings. I just have to make some mounts for the bearings. Pics to follow if all goes well! Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Parts are on order....1 double u-joint and 2 support bearings. I just have to make some mounts for the bearings. Pics to follow if all goes well! Guy Good luck and take some good snaps of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 I have everything all mounted and welded up. I am going to install the "contraption" tomorrow at work and do an alignment. It worked good when I took it out the car the last time so it should still work good now that its reinforced and painted. I'll take some snap shots of it tomorrow and post them when I get home! Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZ1 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Very interested in pics of your new steering set up!!! Subject I have thought about but have not even began to attempt. Love the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted September 7, 2008 Author Share Posted September 7, 2008 Well of course I forgot my camera when I went to work yesterday to finish up but I did take some pics of it installed in the car today. Let me just say that this was a little on the difficult side because if you don't have the u-joints just right they bind up. I have a total of 4 u-jionts and 2 support bearings in my system. This is all mounted to a plate that is bolted to the same location that my old gear box was bolted to, so there are 4 bolts that hold the plate to the frame rail. The steering feels great now and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZ1 Posted September 8, 2008 Share Posted September 8, 2008 Nice, thanks for the pics!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 That is some crazy linkage! I'm glad to see you locked it all down using those heim joints! I only added one ujoint to my steering to clear the turbo, and it took some setup work to make sure it would not bind. Lots of testing on the hoist before I took it for a drive. I used to think about it while driving initially, but it doesn't bother me anymore, and the car steers just fine on the street, the track, and parking lots. Been installed more than 7 years now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted September 10, 2008 Author Share Posted September 10, 2008 Yeah I am still thinking about it but I'm pretty confident in my set up. No binding what so ever. Feels good to have a car that steers normal again! I'm sure it will be fine but I am probably going to worry about it for a while! LOL Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Mileski Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Just a thought here, but when you say that, unless everything is just right, the steering binds, wouldn't you worry about one of these many critical componets loosening up and binding up your steering at a critical time (like going around a high speed bend)? It just seems like too many joints, supports and links that could loosen up at the wrong time and suddenly, you can't steer. Maybe if it just caused a little slop, that would be acceptable, but a bind? Mike Mileski Tucson, AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 What I ment by "unless everything is just right it will bind" is that if you don't have the support bearings and u-joints set up right to begin with it will bind. The top support bearing nuts are welded to the plate so the nuts can't turn and the lower support bearing nuts are loctited(red stuff). Worst case senario is that the lower support bearing nuts come a little loose and I will feel that slop in the steering. Guys do this stuff in race cars all the time. Its not uncome to do what I did in circle track cars. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMWHYR0HEN Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 I also have a steering shaft issue now. Do you mind sharing where you got your parts? u-joints and all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted September 15, 2008 Author Share Posted September 15, 2008 I bought everything from www.speedwaymotors.com . I used 3/4" tubing and a 3/4" smooth bore double u-joint. The support bearings are just the regular heim joints with a 3/4" hole in the. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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