New steering rack & Sway bar options

[cyanmauve]

I've been thinking about ways to improve my car's handling limits and erase understeer (I know, I know, I'll never be rid of it completely). You can look at my sig and see what I've done, but most pertinently, I've done the Koni/Eibach setup and have 24/26 mm swaybars. I have a 89 donor SHO and I was thinking about going to a smaller diameter in the front and getting a 29 mm for the rear. Any ideas?
Also, my steering is kinda sloppier than I would like. I have replaced inner and outer tie rods and I was thinking about either rebuilding the stock power steering rack or adapting another in its place. I've never driven a new SHO, so I don't know if what I'm feeling is how a new stock SHO feels, or if mine is just worn out. Any ideas would be great. Thanks.

 

[SHOfun 93]

Where in Texas are you at? Just curious..


..as far as your question goes, subframe connectors and aluminum subframe bushings are really good suspension additions that won't break the bank and give drastic improvement in handling. Probably the best bang-for-the-buck suspension-wise in my opinion. (man that was a lot of hyphens!) thumb

 

[cyanmauve]

Right now I'm in school in Sherman at Austin College. I call Woodway (near Waco) home. I've done SFCs, and I love how they changed my car's characteristics. I am interested in aluminum subframe bushings. I have the police bushing subframe bushings, but am rather indifferent toward the "improvement" that they made. I would just like to approximate the feeling my parents' SVT Contour had when they owned it.

 

[SHOfun 93]

If you would like, feel free to join our Tx only discussion board at www.topica.com/lsshoc

We have quite a few members there that are infrequent visitors here, and you will get info on upcoming get togethers and events!

 

[shobote]

Keep in mind that Steering feel has much to do with the tires. The AVS Yokahama's get OK marks on the Tire Rack comparisons, but not all that great in comparison to the steering feel, ride and response of higher performance (ei. more expensive) tires, and if they have any wear on them it degrades feel and response too.

 

[cyanmauve]

I used to have Fireston Firehawks SZ50s (225/50 16zr) and I loved them. Definately difference. However, I can't afford the newer EP (or whatever it is) version. It is my experience that tire cost mostly equates to turn in response. Certainly, dry and wet performace generally increases with price to, but increased sharpness is what I've maily noticed. I've also heard that upgrading to 17s or 18s, when combined with a subsequint decrease in sidewall profifle, makes a large difference in overall responsiveness. I hope I'll bite the bullet one of these days and go up to 18x7s and 235/40s. (It's hard to justify spending $1600-1800 on one mod though).

 

[sdpatt]

Rebuilding a rack does not make much sense unless you want a shop class project. You can get a remanufactured rack with lifetime warranty from O'Reilly Auto Parts. The A1 Cardone Remanufactured Complete Rack Assembly for the Gen I SHOs is part number 22-214, is only $69.99 with a $50.00 core charge. Now installing it is another thing.

 

[93redATX]

sdpatt:
<snip> Now installing it is another thing.

You certainly hit the nail on the head there, Scott thumb

 

[Aspect]

what is so difficult with the installation of the rack?

 

[sdpatt]

If you have replaced one, you would know. I'd rather do a 60K.

 

[93redATX]

Aspect:
what is so difficult with the installation of the rack?

Let's just put it this way. It is situated somewhat under the firewall, behind the engine, tranny, axles, etc. I'll take pics of where it is when I pull the engine and tranny on the '86 SLO later on tonight or tomorrow morning wink

 

[ShoGuy93]

sdpatt:
If you have replaced one, you would know. I'd rather do a 60K.

Yeah tell me about!!! Not fun to do!

 

[jedhead]

Install a Quaife. It will eliminate power on understeer completely. My three favorite mods are Quaife, subframe connectors and Y-pipe. They gave me the best return for the money.

Bob

 

[Aspect]

sdpatt:
If you have replaced one, you would know. I'd rather do a 60K.

When I dropped my subframe to do my clutch, it was right there. Even had to remove the two nuts that hold it to the subframe. It didn't look difficult from there. But that was alot of work to get the subframe down.

But I would agree, since the majority of the 60K service is on top of the motor, it would be easier. WBTW - I need to adjust my valves. Have done all of my 60K service but that. 87K and still going. frown

 

[shojuan]

sdpatt:
Rebuilding a rack does not make much sense unless you want a shop class project. You can get a remanufactured rack with lifetime warranty from O'Reilly Auto Parts. The A1 Cardone Remanufactured Complete Rack Assembly for the Gen I SHOs is part number 22-214, is only $69.99 with a $50.00 core charge. Now installing it is another thing.

A baysho member who regularly open tracks his car was having a lot of problems with rebuilt racks having a lot of unwanted play and maybe some other problems. He eventually got sick of replacing racks so he tried installing one pulled from a junker (yeah, that doesn't sound like it makes sense, but sometimes backtracking is the only way to a solution) and I think that worked out for him. It's Lance Cheney, he's posted here before.

Anyways my guess is that when Cardone and other rebuilders rebuild the racks they're going to replace the seals with fresh of course and maybe make a visual inspection of the hard parts but they're probably going to be using a lot of cores with hard parts not necessarily in spec. You have to ask how did they get those cores in the first place? The rack and pinion is a fairly precision device. I'm thinking that rebuilding your own rack might not be such a wasted endeavour if your know the core installed on your car is more or less good (because it had otherwise good operation) and if you're up to the hassles of rebuilding it.

A1-Cardone is a good company but I don't know if I can trust them to not throw away cores with worn hard parts. They certainly aren't going to be installing new rack and pinion assemblies when they "remanufacture" a rack. Can they really make money if they start throwing away cores left and right because they've got some out of spec wear? Just food for thought. Would like to hear your opinion as well as anybody else's.