Rack and pinion

[8scbuick]

Has anyone done the swapover to a rack setup from the box setup.Looking for details.
Also anyone ever cut the front crossmember and installed a tube instead.Looking to get rid of some weight.
I posted here because I believe some stage 2 cars have these mods done.
Thanks again
Tony

 

[KendallF]

I wish I'd done this..if I have occasion to pull the motor again at some point I will. I was looking at somebody's Nova at the World Street Finals that had this done; they just whacked the entire crossmember out, welded a double 1" or so tube crossmember in with standoffs for the rack, just like a tube frame car. Sorry I don't have details for you.

 

[Otto J]

The Nova is a unibody car with a removeable front frame,Would make it easier to do.Im sure it can be done but a wholw lot of work.
Hey TOny maybe you can takle the A/C out

 

[LV GN]

yes! billy chaffin (sp) from team sheriff racing has it done. kenny d. set it up for him. i was looking at it the last time he was here. it had 2 brackets welded to the frame to mount the rack on. and 2 pipes welded to hold the bumper on. kenny told me you save around 125 lbs!

http://www.sheriffsracing.com/old/

 

[8scbuick]

someone said something about Ken Seggie had a rack setup in his car.Anyone know this.
Tony

 

[turbobuick]

Tony,
I know a guy with an 8 sec 87 442 that had one put in by my chassis guy. He said it cut 25# off over the flaming river alum box (which is now on my car). Give my chassis guy a call his name is Jeff Church.
330-877-1020. Leave him a message if he doesn't answer.
Chris Lyons
87 GN
9.01@153

 

[EightSecV6]

I put a rack and pinion on my car when it was a backhalf car about 5 or 6 years ago. I used the front x-member as the mounting points, welded brackets on it and used the rack out of a Mustang II. I cut the frame off at the cross member , plated it and ran 2 chromoly tubes out to mount the bumber. I also removed the core support(no place to mount it anymore!) and braced the front end. When it was all said and done, I had knocked off a total of about 70#. You will loose some turning radius with the rack but wont really notice much on a "track only" car, it slows the steering down a little too which makes it a little safer on the track if it gets loose. I have cut the cross member out of the front on 2 seperate cars and fabricated a tubular bolt in piece, you reall wont save much weight but it makes pan removal REAL easy!. The factory frame is surprisingly light even though it looks heavy.

 

[Fatsix]

so the mustang II rack and pinion unit is the correct length for our cars? No lengthing or shortening?

 

[n20junkie]

i put a mustang II rack and removable tubular crossmember in my drag car, it came out real nice, the mustang II rack is the right width, but a note on the tubular crossmember is that i used 1 5/8 tubing, it flexes alot and its only 11 inches wide, i have a cage that extends forward and will be using engine plates to put some of the stregnth back in, if your not going to use engine plates i wouldn;t recomend a tubular crossmemeber, mine is removable and the rack is mounted to is, so with 8 bolts i have 100 percent acesss to the oil pan, which is nice when it comes time to get he conecting rods out of the oil pan, when the engine eats itself.
grant

 

[Michael McCoy]

Grant please email some pics of your front end to me. Thanks.

 

[n20junkie]

you got it mike, my digital camera is in utah with my brother on a ski trip, but he will be back in a week and i will get you those pictures.
Grant