Manual rack and pinion with stock steering wheel

I have a 47 Dodge stocker and I am starting to have shoulder problems.....I really don't want to add pwr to my steering system and an alternative seems to be a manual R&P, cavalier?
Has anyone with a 40's or 50's car done this conversion and kept the large stock steering wheel?
Any input good, bad, or smarty pantsis welcome.

 

i used a manual rack in an old chevy , but i used a smaller wheel it worked good for me and i'm an old geezer.

 

I have a 38 Chevy coupe with a 51 Pontiac steering wheel, and a manual Mustang II rack. It works great. It's not power steering easy, but extremely acceptable. I have no issues parallel parking and such. Most maneuvers are done with one hand

 

Thanks Linkin.

 

Having no personal experience, I did the Cavalier power R&P in my '38 Chrysler. Knowing what I do now, I think the manual rack would have been fine.

 

I have a manual MII rack in my '60 F-100, with a 500" Caddy perched on top...had the factory custom cab steering wheel machined to fit the tilt column, and I really like the way it works. Like Groucho said, very acceptable...but not power steering easy.

 

I have no experience with the cavalier rack but I do with (whisper.....the mustang II....sssshhhhh) I had a manual rack with a smallish grant wheel on my 38 chev. I liked it. My sister had a power rack on her 41 chev mustangII and I hated it. twitchy super super sensitive to steering input....I hated it. You are on the right track. Manual good; power BAD!

 

You guys are alright, I've already done one rotator cuff, next summer the other will be done too...this sounds like a good swap to do this winter.R&P from fatmans or are there other sources that have comparable prices.

 

I respectfully disagree with your conclusions. a slight modification of the pressure relief valve in the PS pump (thin shims) solves that problem very handily. You can 'tune' the effort to your taste and still enjoy the benefits of PS when manuvering in tighter quarters.

 

had a manul rack m ll in my 36 ford with a grant wheel. outstanding.

 

Agree have a 38 Chev 3 dr with MII and no power, little bite when stopped but not a problem

 

Is the Cavalier front or rear steering? What years do you use?

 

cavalier is rear steer, MII is front steer.

 

bump

 

go you need a tech on how to do the install???

there is a good tech in the archives done on a 41 plymouth i believe. if you need to find a manual rack for a cavalier,just google 1985 cavalier manual rack.

for your car you will need rear steer.

 

Thanks no tech just yet, I just would like more than a couple opinions, there could be someone out there with a strong case for not doing it.

 

FWIW, the current bandwagon to jump on rack and pinion is often times misplaced, and can result in serious bump steer and other geometry problems, and that is provided you are able to get by the packaging/mounting issues. Regardless of the type of steering box, steering effort is going to be directly related to weight over the front end, steering ratio, and width and size of tire used. Even the type bushings/ball joints, and how long ago the last lube job was, is going to have an effect. It's entirely possibly that a manual recirculating ball type steering will require less effort than a manual rack and pinion steering of equal ratio.

For all the bravado shown on this thread about manual steering, I really believe if you've got health issues relating to your arms, you'll be doing yourself a big favor if you seriously consider conversion to a power steering of some sort. Sorting out the pump, pulley, belt, and hoses of a power steering conversion is a very minor thing compared to the months (and even years) devoted to getting healthy again (the voice of experience here, it took three years for my shoulder to heal after I seriously wrenched it). Your body needs all the help it can get!

Although rack and pinion MIGHT be the cat's meow in your case, especially a power one, you may indeed find far fewer problems and a more satisfactory result converting a later model recirculating ball steering chuck, be it GM, Chrysler, or even sourced offshore. There are people out there rebuilding this type of box (or actually remanufacturing in some cases) that can tailor the steering effort of the box to the customer's needs, once you go beyond junk yard sourced ones, too. The Firm Feel Co. out of Vancouver, Wa. is nationally known for their Chrysler ones for example.

Another option to consider if the existing steering (box and linkage) of your car is in REALLY good condition is adapting it to an external ram type power steering (as in 60's Fords). You won't know until you investigate, but this could possibly be the easiest way (and possibly the cheapest) to reduce your car's steering effort while you are getting healthy again.

Lastly, don't discount the leverage gained by leaving the large diameter original steering wheel in place either.

 

Twofosho, Thanks for the thoughts healthwise, I have a firm feel box in my charger, would recomend them for sure.
I wouldn't trade that BIG wheel for anything.....front end rebuilt and well maintained also. I just prefer the rear mount manual because it is simpler to maintain.
Anyone got a BEEF or a story against manual R&P?

PS. The rotator that has already been fixed is stronger than it has been in 15 yearslooking forward to getting a matching set

 

hell frankie
everytime the va hospital fixes a broken part,something else goes to hell
i feel like a damn rambler!!!!!ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

Or a DeSoto.....just kiddin!