Steering knuckle rubbing headers, help!
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FormerVendor
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Steering knuckle rubbing headers, help! After my long tube Pacesetter install my steering knuckle is rubbing on my headers. I'd probably only have to move it 1/2". I've read it might be my rack and pinion were replaced at some point w/ one meant for a V6 Camaro. But I really don't feel like replacing it. So I'm wondering if anyone has fabricated a way around it. I work at a machine shop and own a welder... So if anyone could help me out with some designs or pictures that would be cool. Thanks
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From: Anheuser Busch, Houston Texas
Wait a second. You have a v6 r&P on your car? The v6 coupler is a rag joint. If you have the rag joing coupler, ditch it for the LS1 double u joint coupler. It is slimmer, and less prone to catastrophic failure.
If you have that coupler already, get a v8 rack. There are two of them, of two different ratios. More importantly, the output of the boxes is slightly different. I do not remember the exact angle, but one is a steeper pitch to the steering shaft than the other. Fool around with those combinations until you get something that clears. No need to hammer anything just yet.
If you have that coupler already, get a v8 rack. There are two of them, of two different ratios. More importantly, the output of the boxes is slightly different. I do not remember the exact angle, but one is a steeper pitch to the steering shaft than the other. Fool around with those combinations until you get something that clears. No need to hammer anything just yet.
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Originally Posted by lo_jack
Wait a second. You have a v6 r&P on your car? The v6 coupler is a rag joint. If you have the rag joing coupler, ditch it for the LS1 double u joint coupler. It is slimmer, and less prone to catastrophic failure.
If you have that coupler already, get a v8 rack. There are two of them, of two different ratios. More importantly, the output of the boxes is slightly different. I do not remember the exact angle, but one is a steeper pitch to the steering shaft than the other. Fool around with those combinations until you get something that clears. No need to hammer anything just yet.
If you have that coupler already, get a v8 rack. There are two of them, of two different ratios. More importantly, the output of the boxes is slightly different. I do not remember the exact angle, but one is a steeper pitch to the steering shaft than the other. Fool around with those combinations until you get something that clears. No need to hammer anything just yet.
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From: Anheuser Busch, Houston Texas
Ok here are a couple pics I found. Remember, our cars have a plastic sheild over the couplers which I am assuming you already took off to get clearance.
Rag joint looks like this, more or less.
LS1 coupler looks similar to this, except I believe it has 2 ujoints:
If you want to see them on Fbody cars, just search the site for pics of LT! cars and LS1 cars where you can see the steering gear...usually looking at pics of FI cars from underneath will show you the steering boxes. Hopefully you can see the obvious difference in construction from these pics.
So if yours looks like the first pic, replace it with a coupler that looks like the second one and see if that doesn't get you the clearance.
If it looks like the second one, you may need to swap racks. Its not hard at all, but you will need to figure out which angle will best suit your clearance issue. You will also enjoy greatly the closer ratio and tightness of the new coupler. I did when I swapped an LS1 rack to my 6.
Rag joint looks like this, more or less.
LS1 coupler looks similar to this, except I believe it has 2 ujoints:
If you want to see them on Fbody cars, just search the site for pics of LT! cars and LS1 cars where you can see the steering gear...usually looking at pics of FI cars from underneath will show you the steering boxes. Hopefully you can see the obvious difference in construction from these pics.
So if yours looks like the first pic, replace it with a coupler that looks like the second one and see if that doesn't get you the clearance.
If it looks like the second one, you may need to swap racks. Its not hard at all, but you will need to figure out which angle will best suit your clearance issue. You will also enjoy greatly the closer ratio and tightness of the new coupler. I did when I swapped an LS1 rack to my 6.
Last edited by lo_jack; Dec 13, 2006 at 04:20 PM.
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FormerVendor
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Mine looks like the second picture. The shaft between the coupler is rubbing on my header. Do you have any suggestions, maybe a part number or year of rack to switch to. Thanks a lot for your help!
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Wow, that is strange. I used pacesetters and they went in like butter, without hitting anything. I have never heard of people having to get out the hammer to install the pacesetters.
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Originally Posted by keliente
Wow, that is strange. I used pacesetters and they went in like butter, without hitting anything. I have never heard of people having to get out the hammer to install the pacesetters.
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From: Anheuser Busch, Houston Texas
I would endeavor to do whatever it takes to NOT have to smash your headers. Interrupting the flow of the primaries is pretty much a gauranteed defeat of the reason you spent money on them in the first place. A mildly dented primary is a mildly effective primary.
