hey guys i have a 1974 2 wheel drive short bed f-100 that i have done a 12 valve cummins swap in, i need to convert the steering to rack and pinion to make every thing work and gain the clearance i need for the oil pan. I'm not having any luck trying to find a kit can any one help??

 

There probably is no kit. The only thing that is close is a crown Vic swap, but he did the whole front end.

You can try swapping a rack and pinion out of a mustang or a crown vic. Other than that I'm at a loss.

 

thanks i have been racking my brain as to what to do with it, its been looking like im going to have to build a custom one i have 54 and a half inchs in between my spindles every thing i have found has been about 10 inches too long. whats the thoughts about cutting a bigger rack and pinion down?

 

Custom swap = custom engineering... meaning, your ingenuity and skill to get the steering to work somehow.

I concur with co425.. a CV R&P but you're gonna have a major issue with bumpsteer because the tie rods and I-beams will be swinging different arcs. You'll either need to convert the front end as a system or modify the the oil pan to make it work. I would do the latter.... it's a matter of cutting and welding your way out of this predicament.

 

1979/2002 LTD/Crown Vic/Grand Marquis have Ford integral P/S.

2003 and later have rack & pinion steering.

 

thanks guys you have been a great help. i never thought about the bump steer issues it would have. ill have to check it out a little closer and see what its going to take.

 

You need to find something whose tie rod flex point is at the same width as the distance between your idler arm and pitman arm and be mounted as close to their original position as possible. Anything different will cause bump-steer to some degree.

Aerostar?

 

Well its been a year now but making progress, I have flipped and criss crossed my spindles, and have built in the rack and pinion out of a 2003 ram 3500 Cummins. So far everything is looking good and my angles are matching up, it's worth a try if not it's getting air bags or ifs front end conversion. I don't have picture yet but I'll get some asap.

 

I'd be interested to know more about the rack and pinion steering. Would you happen to still be around to share pictures?

 

With those Twin beams suspensions and rack n pinion, what about fitting each tie rod to the opposite side of the rack?

To give them the same or similar swing as the twin beams have. for that matter, what about an idler arm setup and crossing the tie rods that way... Probably wouldn't work with a rack, unless the rack is engineered to cross the beams

 

Another option would be to swap in the entire Forward steer setup out of an Econline. Everything from the box to the spindles.

 

Hey blue04.5 I'm still around, I don't have any pictures of it on the truck yet I'll be able to get some when I get home from my hitch at work, still in fabing stage, how ever I am getting close. I'll get some pictures when I get home and get them downloaded.