Rack Steering for a 55 Bird


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By 55Birdman - 15 Years Ago
Ok the holidays are done and its time for me to get started on a winter project and I need some opinions/expertise. I would like to install a rack and pinion steering system on my 55Bird. Just dont know which one. I know I can buy a kit ,but I would like to get one out of a donor and install it. A comments on which one /how to install? Looking for one that doesnt involve rocket science to install. I have heard about the cavalier steering doing well along with buick skylark and others . just want to know what you would choose and how easy/difficult it would be to install. I have looked at threads here about them but, I would like to know a bit more. Any input greatly appreciated. If you want to help install that would be ok too. Thanks again for any info.  Earl Dagenhart

Have a Happy New Year  Smile 

By paul2748 - 15 Years Ago
I don't know about the TBirds, but the some of the guys with the sedans who have done the rack swap find that the steering radius has increased to the point that they did not like it and wished they have never done it. Keep this in mind.
By Eddie Paskey - 15 Years Ago
Hey Birdman;;   I had a Flaming River system in our 55 T-bird and their tilt colnum.  Still have the col. but removed the Rack and restored steering back to stock manual steering.  Had ABS Brakes in Orange, Ca Put in a power steering box. What a joy to drive now.  Rack was toooo quick and also lost turning raduis, ( had to back up and forward several times just to go into a parking place).  No way to make a U turn.  Let my wife drive it one time, she is one of those people that everytime she makes a lane change she looks over her shoulder and at the same time turns the wheel, well I thought that she was going to turn us over!!  Very dangerous.  Let me know and I will get you some info on the pwr,str. Box.  Don't  want to blow your bubble, but man think about it some more!!!!   Also Gearhead Products has a power steering system for our Little Birds.  Good Luck     God Bless    Eddie
By Ted - 15 Years Ago

Jim (owner of this site) put a rack and pinion conversion on his ’56 Club Sedan and eventually had to put the stock steering setup back on.  His particular setup had the rack behind the crossmember and made the link from the column to the rack too tight of an angle and created a bind in the steering which was dangerous.  If the rack had been in front of the crossmember it would have straightened out the link to the column but would have made hooking up the rack up to the spindles very complicated.

 

I did put the complete FatMan kit that included the subframe on my ’55 Club Sedan but that kit has the rack and pinion in the forward position with the appropriate spindles to make the hookups correct.  Here’s the old thread showing a couple of pics.  No excuses for the 32 valve mod motor as it’s technically the new Y.

http://www.y-blocksforever.com/forums/Topic8555-3-1.aspx

By 55Birdman - 15 Years Ago
Thanks for the input. I guess I will undertake a new winter project.