How To Install Rack-And-Pinion Steering

First, all the stock steering parts need to come off the car. We began this process by disconnecting the steering box from the steering column under the hood in preparation for removal of the steering box.

Moving underneath the car, remove the outer tie-rod ends from the spindles with a tie-rod end puller or by carefully tapping the ends out of the spindle with a hammer. Once separated from the spindle, unscrew the ends from the tie-rod sleeves as shown here.

If your car has power steering, remove the pump from underneath the hood.

On the passenger side, unbolt the idler arm from the car. The bolts are accessed from inside the fender and are easier to get to with the wheel removed. On the driver side, remove the Pitman arm from the steering box. You'll need a Pitman arm puller for this; one can usually be rented from a local auto parts store.

With the idler and Pitman arms disconnected, along with the tie-rod ends and power-steering pump lines removed from the pump, the factory steering linkage can be removed from the car. Then remove the steering box by undoing the three bolts that hold it in place, which are accessible from inside the driver-side front fender.

Remove the crossmember from the ?framerail. It's a bent tube with crimped ends; it wasn't pretty, but it was inexpensive to manufacture and somewhat functional.

Determine the correct hole to use on the camber eccentric-eliminator plates. Once the correct hole is identified, mark it with a Sharpie so there will be no confusion during the installation.

Remove the attachment bolts for the lower control arms. They will be replaced with longer bolts, thus providing two of the four mounting points for the steering rack. With the suspension hanging freely, you should be able to remove the bolts and alignment cams without disturbing the control arms.

Here, the longer bolts supplied in the kit go into position along with the eccentric eliminator plates. With the alignment adjustment plates in the correct position, it's a simple matter to install the new longer bolts by gently tapping them all the way through with a mallet. The plates offer 11 different position possibilities, so one of them will be very close to your present settings. The plates also allow for a 5-degree range of camber adjustment. Front-end alignment will need to be checked after installation, but often only toe will require adjustment.

The left-side rack mounting bracket installs on the extra length bolt. Notice the eccentric eliminator plate also acts as a spacer to raise the bracket above the eccentric channel, conveniently precluding any interference problems. Another front eccentric-eliminator plate is used on the right side of the car. Don't tighten the fasteners all the way yet because you'll want to be able to shift the rack around during the installation process.

This shows one of the sturdy mounting brackets going into place where the factory crossmember once lived. Be sure to use the spacer on top along with the correct washers.

With the mounting hardware in place, Pete gives the steering rack a test fit. Everything looks good.