Sport Rack?

Topic: Sport Rack? (Read 1506 times) previous topic - next topic

Sport Rack?

February 26, 2010, 12:09:01 PM

So I screwed up my steering rack while trying to swap springs last night. (Punched a hole in the right bellow with the lower A-arm bolt.

It was a little leaky anyway and had a whole bottle of stop leak in it just slowing it down. So I figured I will just replace it.

I hate how easy the wheel is to turn. I saw on Autozone they have a "sport" model that "requires more effort to turn". Sounds like a win.

Has anyone tried it?
-Z

Sport Rack?

Reply #1 – February 26, 2010, 12:13:22 PM

The 15:1 rack requires a matching pump as well. You can't mix std w/ hi-effort racks/pumps.

Sport Rack?

Reply #2 – February 26, 2010, 01:21:35 PM

Thats strange, because it only shows one pump for the car. I also saw through my search that there is some debate about the power steering pumps.

http://www.coolcats.net/tech/advanced/steeringrack.html
Answered my questions. Forgot to check there first.

Sport Rack?

Reply #3 – February 26, 2010, 01:36:23 PM

If they only show one pump, I go elsewhere.

I've driven a car with a std pump and 15:1 rack before. Most of the time it was fine. When it wasn't fine was on a quick transition from one direction to the other. What it would do would be "pump-up" and lock itself up while you were trying to complete your turn in the other direction. Not fun.

Use the std pump if you want. I won't.

When I was looking before, NAPA would show 2 different pumps.

Sport Rack?

Reply #4 – February 26, 2010, 01:58:17 PM

Look for a V8 Mustang pump and rack as well. Probably the same part number, but for all intents and purposes, same thing.

Sport Rack?

Reply #5 – February 26, 2010, 01:59:39 PM

That sounds more like stuck valves in the rack. As far as I know, the only difference between the pumps should be the supply pressure (the point at which the bypass opens).

Its not a DD, so I will give it a try and test the cornering on some empty roads. If it has a similar problem, I will post back and accept my toldya-sos.

I saw that AZ has a 2.5 and a 2.25 L-L racks for fox mustangs. I imagine these would provide even more road feel? I was a little nervous that the Coug/Mustang may have a different width rack, but apparently, several people are running mustang racks without a problem.

-Z

Sport Rack?

Reply #6 – March 03, 2010, 02:25:32 PM

sooo... the 15:1 rack is 2.5 turns and the 2.25 is what ratio
it seems that most of the time the parts store will just look in their books or catalogues and see the sport suspension option but cant tell you the ratio of the rack
i guess sport suspension is referrign to the 2.5 turns

anyhow who has a 2.25 turns rack in their car
is the difference from the 2.5 turns neglectable

i was just wondering

Sport Rack?

Reply #7 – March 10, 2010, 11:50:20 PM

2.5 turns and 2.25 turns,=same rack, just with limiters on them for the 2.25.

Sport Rack?

Reply #8 – March 11, 2010, 09:31:51 AM

Well, I put the sport rack in my car and it works great. What a PITA though. I should have done it when the engine was out. Everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong during the install.

I've done some aggressive steering with it an it seems to work fine (both slow and higher speed). No binding or lumpy spots. I should note that I have replaced my pump in the past, so I don't have the factory pump on the car.

The difference is noticeable, but not as much road feel as I would have hoped for. It really just highlighted how bad my shocks are. So those are next.

Sport Rack?

Reply #9 – March 11, 2010, 11:09:31 AM

As a side note my 1987 Turbo Coupe has 2.25 lock to lock.

TED

Sport Rack?

Reply #10 – March 12, 2010, 02:41:26 PM

Quote from: 88CougarGT;313661

Well, I put the sport rack in my car and it works great. What a PITA though. I should have done it when the engine was out. Everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong during the install.

So what was such a PITA? I'm considering doing both the PS pump and rack in my LS...with all parts in place. Any major gotcha's? Did you end up using a Mustang rack?

Thx!

Sport Rack?

Reply #11 – March 13, 2010, 02:27:13 PM

The PITA was:
The bolts holding the lines on are difficult to get and were covered in an Inch of grime. When you get those loose, you get to get the tie rods loose.

Then pound the tie rods out. I was trying to re-use them so it was about 20 mins of careful pounding per side.

Next is unbolting the grimey mushy rack bushings while caked up from the leaky rack falls into your eye.

Now unbolt the engine mounts and use your transmission jack to jack the engine off the saddle. Now pry, pry, pry, pry, pry, wipe out of your eyes, cuss, swear, pry and then the old rack is out.

Take careful measurements from the old rack.

Next heat the tie rods with a torch until you can back off the retainers and spin them off the old rack. Then spend 30 minutes greasing them and threading them onto the new rack to find out that they are too rusty and go to the store to buy some new ones. Find out that the close AZ only has one and you have to drive to the far AZ to get the other. Then get home and find out that the grease fitting from one is missing so go back to the far AZ to get a new fitting.

Then try installing the rack, find out the PS bushings you bought only have one side. Drive back to AZ and buy another set. Put the bushings on and then try to line up the steering shaft. When that fails, remove the steering shaft.

Put 1/2 the bushings on the car and mount the rack into the car. Then spend 2 hours trying to get the power steering lines on it. Then realize you put the wrong power steering line on first.

Now disassemble the rag joint and install half it it on the steering rack and install the other half into the stering shaft. Now unbolt the steering rack and pry it outward so that you can get them together. About now, you should be realizing the bolt for the upper link doesn't line up. So drop out your steering wheel to get them to line up. Realize you lost the bolt. Spend an hour searcing for it to find out you accidently put it in your toolbox.

Bolt it all up and done.

Leassons learned.
1. Bolt the PS lines on it before installing the rack.
2. Don't dissassemble the rag joint. Disconnect the upper bolt and the lower bolt.
3. Drop your steering wheel, its easy.
4. Buy the tie rod ends with the rack, its a good time to replace them.
5. Pressure wash that badboy before you start.
6. Put one half the bushings on the car frame. Then put the rack on, put the other half, and bolt it down.

-Z

Sport Rack?

Reply #12 – March 15, 2010, 10:59:30 AM

WOW! You ain't kiddin'! Thanks for the tips, I'll have to consider all this before I attempt mine. There isn't anything really "bad" about mine, but it does squeak a lot and I need to replace the PS pump, so I was going to do both at the same time.

Sport Rack?

Reply #13 – March 15, 2010, 11:33:24 AM

It shouldn't be that bad for you. I could walk you through it easily now. I just had a py couple days and wasn't thinking straight.