Technical Need Help Identifying This Steering Rack

I bought a 30 Ford Tudor at an auction and naturally it didn't come with any build information. It is suppose to have Mustang ll front end. However, all the Mustang ll front ends I've seen have the camber adjusters at the top. This has them on the side, (like a Chevy). The only way I can adjust the camber is by the off center bolts on the bottom control arms.
The car has a manual steering rack. While trying to adjust the toe in, I noticed that one tie rod arm was bent. The clamp style mounting bushings are worn and the boots are torn. There seems to be a little play in the steering. (Brand new Ididit column so no play there). I want to replace the rack with a new or rebuilt one but I don't know what this rack is out of.
The steering shaft is clocked at 12 to the rack body. All the Mustang ll racks I've found are clocked at about 1. (Looking from the front of the car). I found one or two that seem to be clocked at 12 but they are suppose the be from a Pinto. Does anyone know what this rack is out of? Thanks for any info.

 

any part numbers? looks Japanese/foriegn to me.

 

I haven't found any numbers yet but I haven't been able to get underneath it yet. Maybe mirrors?

 

just pull it out.

 

The pinion perpendicular to the rack is unusual. Most racks-and-pinions have an angle around 15° or more off perpendicular.

I did a very quick search, and no exact match. Closest I got was Fiat 128 – so Yugo might have been similar – but not quite.

 

Rear steer is definitely not Mustang II/Pinto. Maybe you have a Corvair? I seem to recall some used Dodge racks, possibly Omni or K-car?

 

How about a pic of the suspension from the front? We know it's not a MII, so maybe if we figure out what the suspension is the rack might be the same.

 

For starters, does it use metric or standard (or Whitworth) bolts?

 

Thanks for the responses guys. The unit uses standard American bolts. Flats on the tie rods are 1/2" and the ones on the ball joint ends are 7/8". This is the best shot I have of the front suspension. Looks like some mods may have been done to it.

 

Oops! just found this one if it helps.

 

I've used Mustang ll front ends before but this doesn't look like any of those. The sway bar has 4 bushings not 2. I'm primarily a bowtie guy and not that familiar with Ford parts. Thought it might be something out of a light duty truck. The brake system is an old Hydro-Vac which I believe was mainly used on trucks. We always use to give the customer a build sheet, when I worked in a shop, but you know those were never kept in the car if they ever existed. Just FYI, the rear is a Chevy 10 bolt. Can't find the casting number yet. Thanks again for the help.

 

corvair?

 

I'm thinkin' Corvair susp. Used to be popular in the '70's . I put one in my '49 2WD Jeep wagon back then, but, y'know... its been a while...

 

My 31 Model A truck had a Pinto rack and looks similar. Benz and Saab had racks to you could search.

 

Pinto, Pacer, Corvair, were all front steer.

Since this is rear steer, I don't really know.

Rich

 

A guy could switch spindles from side to side to place a rack in back fairly easily. It looks like the space is tight on this one, so maybe it did start life as a front steer car. But, beings the steering arms are pointing inward like they should, I thinks it was originally a rear steer car. Who knows?

The drum brakes makes me think it's a 1968ish or earlier car. Could be Corvair, or maybe something Mopar? What is the bolt pattern on the wheels? Have the hubs been redrilled to switch the pattern?

I can tell you if the suspension is a Corvair, the rack is not from it. Corvairs had a small steering box and tie rods.

 

I think Opel racks were a thing way back in the Corvair IFS days.

 

The main parts look to be 60-64 Corvair. The arms could be mounted to the rear. No clue to the rack.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys. It seems Corvair is getting the most votes. Since it doesn't use metrics, I think I'm going to rule out foreign makes. This is an old build car. When I got it, it still had gl*** fuses. So I'm thinking it was built sometime in the 60's or 70's. Couldn't find any brake shoe adjustment holes in the backing plates. I'll go out and pull a front wheel off a little later this afternoon. I know the rears are 5 bolt Chevy's. I use to try to use the front AND rear setups off the same donor but I know other people don't. Front bushings are all worn or gone but till I know what this is........I'll keep plugging away.

 

Yup - looks like an opel GT rack to me

 

Opel Kadett, GT rack?

 

The suspension looks a lot like the old Corvairs and the Dodge Colt rack and pinion was the hot ticket with reverse set up when the Corvair was the predecessor of today's mustang II suspension.

It wasn't very pretty but I did it on a couple of cars. HRP

 

Narrowing it down. Okay, from what people have said, I checked into Corvair front ends. This crossbeam and components appear to be just that. There is a piece of channel iron welded to the back side of the crossbeam the rack mounts to. This is custom, not factory. The top mounting nuts for the mounting clamps are welded to the top of the channel. So, the rack could be off of anything, (but not foreign). The only casting numbers/id are two round circles on the top of the gear box. both have a heavy line down the center, parallel to the steering shaft. the one next to the ch***is reads 7|K and the other one reads 1|3. This has to be an American made unit as all bolts and flats use American Standard wrenches, no metrics.

 

e type jaguars have 90 degree pinions

 

Just to confuse the issue, early Volvos used inch series fasteners.

 

Oh Great! Now some foreign models are back in play. Seems that this front end isn't what it was said to be. This isn't the first time I've gotten bad build info on an auction card. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

1/2"=13mm, 7/8"=22mm, not perfect but will interchange most of the time.

 

Just name riff Raff .

 

Definitely Corvair suspension. Alignment adjustments are on the lower control arms toward the center of crossmember. Concentric type cam. Then the the two large nuts on the strut rods to finish it up. No idea what the rack is. This was the hot set up before Mustang took over. Rod and Custom magazine had an article years ago on how to do it. They used an MG front mount rack when they did it.

 

Next time omit the word “steering”