Anybody street driving a TRZ rack and pinion?

[Scott Atk]

I know this has been covered a time or two. I seem to remember the turning radius is not as good. Anything else I should be aware of? I've hated this S-10manual box since the day I installed it. The effort is not the problem, it's the ratio. A horrible 6 3/4 turns lock to lock (24:1). The TRZ rack is supposed to be better (16:1). If I don't do the rack, then I'll do the flaming river manual box which you can also get at 16:1. The rack would actually be cheaper and has a bit more cool factor.

 

[Phatman]

Subscribe....

 

[craggar]

I have a little and hate the turning radius like you mentioned. I wouldn't want one in a car that gets driven daily.

 

[Scott Atk]

So nobody's putting many street miles on the TRZ rack? Hmmm.. maybe that's my answer.

 

[ILLEGAL REGAL™]

shouldn't be a problem at all street driving with their rack... what could possibly be an issue anyhow?
I dont think you'll get many answers because mostly the guys using them are track cars doing it for weight savings, clearance and to fix bump steer.

 

[novaderrik]

get a manual box for a first gen Z/28- they had them as tight as 3 turns lock to lock.
might need to get a steering wheel from an old dump truck to be able to maneuver that thing, tho.

i think the flaming river manual boxes can be had in a tighter ratio, too.

 

[Scott Atk]

shouldn't be a problem at all street driving with their rack... what could possibly be an issue anyhow?
I dont think you'll get many answers because mostly the guys using them are track cars doing it for weight savings, clearance and to fix bump steer.

I've heard a couple people say the turning radius is less. So much so, that pulling into a parking space takes two attempts. I already have a spool, so I'm not looking to turn super sharp anyway. I'll probably go for it.

 

[Louie L.]

Scott,

I dont rive on the street any more. But in my car the steering effort is less than manual S10 cars ive driven. Very easy to turn the wheel with the car stopped. Turning radius is not that sharp so you you will have to work at getting the car in a parking space. The set up is too clean and light weight not to have.

 

[cjmatt]

ive got it, mine must not be installed right because the steering effort is wayyy too hard. Im looking into maybe a flaming river double u joint or something as its a pain to drive

 

[ILLEGAL REGAL™]

ive got it, mine must not be installed right because the steering effort is wayyy too hard. Im looking into maybe a flaming river double u joint or something as its a pain to drive

I'd definatley check into it because I've got it on my car and its about as easy as power steering

 

[Scott Atk]

Hey Illegal, Can you confirm that the early F body spindles with the TRZ aluminum extensions will increase the turning radius with a rack??

 

[gnxtc2]

Hey Illegal, Can you confirm that the early F body spindles with the TRZ aluminum extensions will increase the turning radius with a rack??

I think Dusty did this.

I am using 1st Gen spindles with the TRZ steering arms but using a 16:1 Flaming River Vega box instead. There are some pics in my sig.

Billy T.
gnxtc2@aol.com

 

[ILLEGAL REGAL™]

Hey Illegal, Can you confirm that the early F body spindles with the TRZ aluminum extensions will increase the turning radius with a rack??

My thinking, and I could very well be wrong, but its just moving the tie rod ends outward another inch or so and the rack itself(worm gear) still has a set amount of movement.

the advantage to f-body spindles are weight savings and drag brakes push the wheels out when using g-body spindles, or any spindle for that matter. However the f-body spindle itself pulls the wheels back in and with brakes installed the wheels stay very close to the same spot they'd be with factory spindles/brakes. Oh yea and the brakes simply bolt to those spindles without any modifications to the spindle unlike whats entailed on the g-body spindle.

 

[ILLEGAL REGAL™]

Couple pics Scott to get ya going on the rack install

stock f-body spindles/wilwood brakes

stock spindles/brakes

and one of the trz spindle setup for spindle mount wheels/brakes

 

[Louie L.]

That TRZ hand made spindle is the bomb! The only thing i dont like is the small brake cailper needed for it to work.

 

[ILLEGAL REGAL™]

you could get them for a bolt on wheel and a 4piston caliper. I chose to do something I have rarely seen on a g-body.
I look at it like this.. radial and outlaw cars are running them and are faster than me and have minimum weights of around 3000 so I should be fine. And if not I could add another caliper off the front bracket of the spindle.

 

[rtviper]

I am curious if anyone has the manual steering ratio in the 20:1 range and has raced their car and got out of shape down the track? I would think it would be hard to correct the car with such slow steering. I am getting ready to race my car very soon and have concerns about correcting an out of shape run. When I drive on the street I am turning the wheel like crazy for S turns etc.

 

[Louie L.]

I am curious if anyone has the manual steering ratio in the 20:1 range and has raced their car and got out of shape down the track? I would think it would be hard to correct the car with such slow steering. I am getting ready to race my car very soon and have concerns about correcting an out of shape run. When I drive on the street I am turning the wheel like crazy for S turns etc.

Ive had some pretty out of shape passes on my car. Those that were there at Reynolds can attest to that. But not once did I think the slow response from the rack hurt my ability to keep the car under control.

On the contrary, i believe that perhaps the slower, not so sudden control inputs from the rack may have kept the car more settled and prevented a crash.

 

[Dusty Bradford]

On the contrary, i believe that perhaps the slower, not so sudden control inputs from the rack may have kept the car more settled and prevented a crash.

+1. More accidents are more than likely prevented with the ratio. I've had people behind the car see one of the doors from the starting line and been OK. If a car is bad enough out of shape that it needs full lock of the steering as quickly as the stock steering, it's gonna be a bad day and you won't be able to stop it.

 

[kingots2004]

i ran a summit brand rack in my vega but when i pulled it out of the box it had a wilwood sticker on it. i liked it. it did turn slow but made it easy to drive in a straight line and my car was a handfull with the 91 mm and 10.5 inch tire. i think the wheelbase was 6 inches long lol