manual steering

[svoman2300]

Has anybody installed the flaming river manual steering kit http://www.flaming-river.com/racks2.htm. I'm considering it since my car won't be a daily driver and I'm sure after sitting all these years my pump and rack are in need of replacement. I'm just currious if someone has this and has an opinion.

[kiwi]

Re; Rack by Rick

Rick, What is the ratio vs the SVO rack?

[SVOeric]

Bud has it --

I'm sure he'll answer....
it is one of his favorite mods...

[svobud]

I don't have the manual steering rack .. I have the flaming river (solid) steering shaft.

BIG difference in part numbers.

He's wanting to eliminate the power steering all together. .. not eliminate the shaft bushing.

I know a couple of guys who have done this mod on a regular FOX body 5.0 Mustangs .. but they were dedicated Drag Racing cars ... not street driven. But, I'm sure it's no different than the older 1st Gen Mustangs. I had plenty of those with manual steering. Once you get rolling, no big deal. The sucky-part was low speeds in a parking lot.

[SVOeric]

ahh -- I saw flaming river, and figured he was talking about the shaft...

DUuuu

[Pat_in_L.A.]

Installed a Flaming River rack on a friend's 84 SVO last year. I didn't like the way it had so few threads engaging on the tie rod ends once the toe-in was set correctly. I suggested that if he were to run it for long that way that he should consider welding a nut onto the tie rod to get more thread engagement. It appears that the rack they have is for a standard mustang and the shorter distance that the tie rods extend reflect the difference between the narrower track width on the plain jane Mustang vs. the wider SVO track width. The rack came back off soon afterwards after I located a good SVO P/S rack.

[svoman2300]

Pat did you use the tierod ends that come with the kit or did you reuse the factory ones? Just curious. I'm going to call them during the week and find out some info.
Thanks

[Pat_in_L.A.]

I couldn't use the ends that came with it. They were even shorter that the SVO ends and therefore had less thread. If I had used them the car would have had terminal toe-in.

[svoman2300]

I called Flaming River today and unfortunately the guy in tech dept. that I talked to wasn't familiar with the SVO. However he did say they had tie rod ends that are longer if they are needed. Now on a side note I checked various online auto parts websites out and I was getting the same part number for both the rack and the tie rod ends on the SVO and a 5.0. Do we have a different rack and/or ends from the 5.0?

[Pat_in_L.A.]

I'll try measuring the dimensions from tie rod end to tie rod end on my SVO and a 5.0 if the guy at work drives his GT in today and see how they compare. I expect the measurement to be an inch shorter, since I remember losing 1/2" of thread per side when I did the install.

[1QuickCobra]

I have a flaming river manual rack in my 93 cobra, I have the quick ratio one it is 15to1 just like the stock V8 one. I also have the original 17 inch cobra rims with 245/45 17 on the front, I have no problem turning, It does require turning the wheel with 2 hands while parking. If my 16 year old female cousin can park my car than Iam sure you'll have no problems.

[svoman2300]

I appreciate all the input guys. But now there is a twist. I went to the U-Pull It (not the one where Pee Wee Herman went to) and got the brackets and pulleys to switch over to a serpentine belt. I would have to make an idler pulley where the power steering pump would be if I wanted to use the manual rack unless someone else has done this an easier way.