my '46 international has a manual rack on a mustang 2 front susp. under a bb chevy 402 and it turns easy even at a dead stop!
Check out Unisteer half rack and pinion. Switched out a vega box on an early ford (34)to a unisteer and it was night and day. T.
The rack in my '46 International is manual. On an ifs from a mustang 2 and under an iron headed big block chevy 402. It steers easily even from a dead stop with a 14" steering wheel.
Had a power rack on my coupe, at highway speeds, it was a bit "touchy". Another contributing factor to it now belonging to someone else. Gene
I have a manual rack its great when driving. But a pain when siting. my frend has a power rack and i had to lock my elbow on the window when on the hi way. It was that sensitive. I would still go with the manual rack.
I have to swap my manual rack for power, so my wife can drive her '50Burb. (Arthritis) You guys with the touchy racks can get a different valve for lower pressure - they work good!
To those with the "touchy" or "sensitive" power rack, are you running GM pumps? I'm sure I read somewhere (possibly in Speedway), that if using GM pumps with mustang or t-bird rack you have to re valve the pump. I'm putting a 54 Chevy together right now for my daughter, and the front end we're using (not a new one) came with a T-bird power rack. She was in an accident last year and broke her arm pretty bad and now has a plate in it, so power is a nice option for her, I'd like to know more about re valving the pump if anyone has done it, and where to get it.
Power rack all the way. Easy, accurate and responsive steering is why you have a rack in the first place. I obviously have a power rack in my Mustang, and one of the things I like most about it is that it steers easy without giving that "numb" feeling like you get from grand marquis or even 60's cars with uber-power ***ist
Speedway has the pressure reducing valve for the GM pumps. Also, Heidt's has one that they patented - I think it's adjustable.
Use 83 to 88 Thunderbird rack instead of the Mustang/Pinto racks. They are not twichy or sensitive like the original racks. No need to buy after market valves for the GM pumps. Just remove the present valve and add shims from junk pumps to reduce the pressure. Also cut one turn off of the long spring in the pump. Cost minimal. Some aftermarket croosmembers are slotted to use either style rack. On CE crossmember,I cut off the drivers side rack mount and moved it about 1/2 inch and rewelded it.
In my '38 Chrysler I run a GM power rack (Originally Grand-Am and a lot of others) with a GM canned ham pump. It was awfully touchy till I reduced the pump pressure using the Borgeson shim kit. That helped a lot, but it still wants to wander a bit at highway speeds. My car still has the original IFS and I believe that is the issue: It was made to have relatively little caster (0-3% is the adjustment range) so it could be turned easily at low speeds way back when; but compared most modern rods' camber (3-7%), it doesn't give that "Self-centering" effect we are used to now. It is acceptable, but I'm still trying to figure a way to get a bit more camber into it to make it more stable at speed.
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