Take one Gen 3 SLO subframe...

[JEM]

...add some assorted bits of steel and .030 ER70S wire, and after about eight hours of making noise and sparks you get:

http://www.milleredp.com/gallery/v/SHO/subframe/

Just a couple little bits yet to iron out, want to tuck a little triangular reinforcement into the back of the transmission-side mount, and put some weld bead on the seams on the inside of the frame rail where it's been notched for MTX clearance.

Looks like lowering a Gen 3 leaves the front control arm pivot bushings under a little permanent twist, so I may slot the holes in the subframe slightly so the bushings are 'neutral' at normal ride height and tack some washers on to hold the bolts in position.

Don't think I'll swap it into the car until the 3.6 is back here, if I muck with the Y-pipe that's on the car it's gonna crumble into a dozen pieces. But at least I can get it off to get cleaned up and powder-coated.

Looks like all SHO steering racks have the same mount spacing, the Gen 3 SHO ZF rack drops right on to both the Gen 3 SLO and the Gen 1 SHO subframe. Will try to get some pics of the racks side-by-side. It'll be so nice to get rid of that damn numb Gen 1 rack.

My used rack came with the hoses cut off at the hard lines on the rack, need to order some Gen 3 SHO hoses so's I can find a hydraulic shop to make me Frankenhoses.

 

[revhardSHO]

So you will be using the gen III front suspension with it? What are the advantages of the gen III sf?

 

[JEM]

So you will be using the gen III front suspension with it? What are the advantages of the gen III sf?

Well, it should ride better...

The Gen 3 lower control arms are one-piece items with a fancy little bushing in the front, and the geometry is laid out for a little more anti-dive.

The Gen 3 spindles are aluminum and a fair bit lighter than the Gen 1 pieces.

It'll be especially nice to get the Gen 3 SHO steering rack, for some reason the Gen 1 racks all seem to have a big numb spot in the middle and I'm really tired of that.

 

[revhardSHO]

It'll be especially nice to get the Gen 3 SHO steering rack, for some reason the Gen 1 racks all seem to have a big numb spot in the middle and I'm really tired of that.

Oh I hate the steering feel of gen 1s, 89s especially, seem to have terrible feedback. I have been collecting gen II racks to swap in my gen 1 SHOs eventually. In my experience, when you put a gen II rack in a gen I, the VAPS defaults to the max flow so you get very light, highly responsive steering, especially with aluminum sfbs. It takes a couple hundred miles to get used to, but its great once you get a feel for it (no pun intended).

 

[Sh03d]

Don't think I'll swap it into the car until the 3.6 is back here,.

Awesome work, and 3.6?

 

[SinisterSHO]

Dont let Kirk D find out.

 

[JEM]

Awesome work, and 3.6?

3.2 block sonic-checked and bored to 3.75in. Crank offset-ground to 48mm rod journals. Custom pistons, Manley SBC circle-track rods, Honda bearings. Worked-over heads, the first set of +40 cams done (with the extra displacement they should matter), Aussie valvesprings. Stock valves (had to stop shaking the piggy bank somewhere.) Funky reworked 3.2 head gaskets (remove stock fire ring, crimp on 305 Chevy fire ring...) courtesy of the charity of strangers. In progress for about two years, builder ought to be doing final assembly about...this week.

 

[Sh03d]

Nice. What car will this be going in?

 

[SolidState]

so, if I am reading this correctly, the ZF rack should fit into a gen1/2?

 

[Ian Macoomb]

so, if I am reading this correctly, the ZF rack should fit into a gen1/2?

Back off get yer own sandwich... er ZF rack. It's hard enough getting spare parts for a Gen III.

 

[JEM]

so, if I am reading this correctly, the ZF rack should fit into a gen1/2?

If what you mean is 'should fit into a Gen1/2 on the stock subframe' - what I know is that it fits on the Gen 1 subframe. Can't say for sure it fits in the car that way but I'd think it should - the pinion housing's in the same place on the rack and the input shaft looks to be the same shape/size. Think the width between the inner tie rod balls is the same, too - will confirm this.

You'll need to swap the bolts out of a Gen 1 rack 'cause the Gen 3 mounting bolts are much longer (the rear crossmember is ~3in thick and the bolts go all the way through.) You'll also need to make hoses and probably use earlier outer tie rod ends.

The Gen 3 rack speed-sensitive assist is run by the SARC controller that runs the strut valving on the Gen 3 cars, I'd like to see at some point if I can make this work but it's not a priority.

 

[MYSHO1]

Jays (johhny Cash) car has a full gen 3 subframe and its a gen 1, Pretty cool set up.

 

[JEM]

Nice. What car will this be going in?

The white '91 that I bought from Kerry Tuck.

The black '91 I'd bought as a 3000-mile demonstrator in March '91 went off to the junkyard after yielding up all the bits I'd put on it over the years.

Such is the state of the SHO universe that it was cheaper to replace the car than repaint it (it'd been repainted once, but that paint job had problems) and I'd long since concluded I'll never again own a black car.

The white car needs minor bodywork and it's got a bunch of miles on it, but it's tighter than my old one was at half the mileage and virtually all the mechanicals are getting swapped out anyway.

BTW, if anyone knows anything about what the Gen 3 SHO SARC module requires as a vehicle-speed input, please let me know...

 

[SolidState]

I think there is a breif description of operation in the 1996 SHO training video available here:

http://www.fordcds.com/

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Dont let Kirk D find out.

He didn't do it just to keep it secret! He has no problem with people copying what he did, he just doesn't like people doing it to make money with someone else's ideas.

We've done 5 cars with that setup now, and it works remarkably well. The ZF rack fits the V6 MTX cars fine, but you have to have a custom high pressure hose made, and as those of you who were at the convention last year saw, sometimes it takes a couple tries to get that hose just right!

 

[JEM]

We've done 5 cars with that setup now, and it works remarkably well.

Ah, good. Now...

a) The Gen 3 cars run considerably more positive caster than the earlier ones (+3.8 to +4.8deg) Did they get this by pushing the strut towers back, or by pulling the wheel forward? In other words, how much +caster can you get on the early car/late subframe combo?

b) Are all your conversions running the speed-sensitive valving on the ZF rack disconnected? Or have you found something that provides the right pulse-rate input to the SARC box on the earlier car?

Thanks...