All right all you mechanical geniuses, I need some help! Looking for suggestions on how to setup my steering in the Ranger mudder. If you haven't heard me talking about it on the other threads, it's an 89 Ranger that is getting a 460 using motor plates to mount it in. I'll be using a full size solid D44 with stock radius arms and coilovers (instead of the stock style coil and shock setup). The truck doesn't need much flex, as it will be a straight line mud/sand drag truck. I've been looking into running a rack and pinion setup, much like the faster alcohol rail guys, since I am setting the suspension up similar to that anyways. The weight of a stock manual box and the linkages can be cut in half by the rack and pinion, so that's my reasoning.

Heres the problem:

How can I mount the darn thing to the axle housing? I've seen alof of the chevy guys that have the passenger side diff make brackets, welded to the tube to hold the rack with no problems. But since I'm running a Ford driver side diff, that big old cover is right in the way. I've been debating about making a halo ring for the cover and make my brackets off that, but if i have a problem with the diff, I've to to pull all of the steering off just to get to it.

So fire away, I need some thoughts, suggestions on how to mount the thing and be able to handle the stress of turning the bigger tires safely.

 

How will you make the connection from the column to the Rack?
This will require a rather long steering shaft, and given the amount of movement (travel) it could prove to be rather tricky.
That would have to be a crazy long slip joint, and would have a number of u-joints to make the multiple bends that would be required to make the connection.
Racks are designed to be attached to the chassis using a fixed mount and a couple of ends that can move independantly.

 

x2. You would want the rack on the frame. I'm not sure how well it would work with a solid axle though. You would have alot of change in tow in/out as the suspension cycles.

 

can you run full hydro? basically a hydraulic rack and pinion with no steering shaft to worry about. Pump connected to the column and some hoses. Probably lighter still than the rack and pinion and short enough to stay out of the way of the diff cover.

If this is allowed and you are considering it ask Fishy about mounting it.

 

Like I said before, it really won't have much suspension flex, so the slip joint is not going to be that long. Granted there will be an extra piece of steering shaft with an extra joint, but that is very common in most tube chassis mud drag cars, and for all intensive purposes, I'm building a shorter, full bodied drag car.

As it looks right now, in my mock up measurements, from the stock column shaft, I will go to a joint, that passes through another fixed shaft that will be about 1 foot long, which will be braces to keep it in line (basically a braced/mounted tube over a tube that you apply a little grease to so it rolls), from there it will go down to the slip shaft which in all actuality won't be any londer than the stock slip shaft on F-150.

I guess I need to get pics of the suspension with reference to the frame before I go too far into asking. The suspension lift (which I mentioned earlier) really will only be about 2-3" taller than a stock 4wd ranger, that along with the 3" body lift (needed to clear the c6 tranny), and the MAJOR fender trimming, will let me fit 44's and still be lower than my stock style suspension lifted F-150 on 38's. The rear, by the way is majorly trimmed/tubbed out

 

I thought about the full hydro setup, and as far as I can tell, there is nothing saying I can't. Most of the rules here are obviously written by the people/clubs that organize the events to lean in favor of them, and who cares about anyone else that runs.

I actually have a hydro ram and pump setup that my marine mechanic buddy gave me. It's not a powered/high pressure hydro setup like most would think as it is a low pressure boat helm pump that as you turn the wheel, it pushes fluid back and forth between 2 lines, which go to the ram and push/pull the pistons in the direction of flow. It's a steering system made for a large twin outboard boat to move the motors. I have it laying around, and can easily make the bracket for that ram, but can't find any info on pressure ratings of the pump or ram to see if it will work.

 

PM Fishy. He doesnt play here much anymore.

 

Yes, Sir!! Will do that for info.

 

i vote full hydro...., its nice when you can turn 57's on pavement with your pinky....

and all there is to it is the ram and the orbital valve.....oh and hoses and fittings....thats it, light as could be....

 

so wait, you mean I don't need to have some sort of belt driven or electrical hydraulic pump??? If that's the case my buddys boat twin outboard steering setup might just work.

This is basically what he has, the ram is a little diffrent though. Looks like a normal double ended hyudralic ram:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...=11-47979329-2

I just didn't think a system like that would have enough pressure to turn the wheel. I don't really care about pushing rock out of the way, I just want to be able to move it when the wheels are spinning/moving.

 

dude, you use your stock p.s. pump......and just run the lines to the orbital instead of p.s. box......

 

Duh, I figured that out after I posted it. My hope was to go all manual steering and not have any extra drag on the motor. Heck, I'm not even gonna run an alternator in the truck, just gonna use 2 deep cycle race batteries and charge em up between runs.

I guess it's back to the drawing board for now. I did fina a manual steering box for a ranger that would bolt right in, that may just be the end result as time's getting short!

 

thats what my brother did on his 347 ranger project......he just got a manual steering box that bolted right up.....

 

sorry man, didnt get a chance to post last time i saw this. i was bustin my hump gettin ready for the weekend. did you figure out how you are going to setup your system?

-cutts-

 

I'm still looking into it. I did get some good stuff this past saturday that might help me out in the search! My uncle donated his old spare 79 F-150 short bed frame and running gear to my cause, complete with both D44/9" axles and steering/suspension links. That being said, I got it home and did some measuring and found that the 79's wheelbase is 1" shorter than the ranger's!!! My big concern has been how the heck to shoehorn the 460 into the ranger frame and make it strong enough to not twist in half. Not to mention the extra fabrication I'll be messing with making new crossmembers for the tranny/tcase. None of that matters any more as I am now just going to swap the ranger body to the 79 frame for the extra strength and ease of looking for off the shelf parts (like driveshafts!). As for the steering, I still haven't figured that one out. I guess now I'll have to wait to see where the ranger body sits on the 79 frame. I'll keep everyone posted when it gets together.