Best steering box
1st Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 112
From: Oklahoma
RE: Best steering box
1st Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 112
From: Oklahoma
RE: Best steering box
I would tell you, but I've never driven the car since installing it (work in progress) so I would have a hard time recommending it except that I've always heard good things about them...
Sorry I'm not much help...
Sorry I'm not much help...
5th Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,266
From: Australia
RE: Best steering box
i run theFlaming Riverone with ms and combined with Cobra Automotive quick steer kit.
I wouldnt recommend the quick steer on the street
In fact i wouldnt recommend the 16:1 box for the street in manual steer guise. More than half the cars I have owned over the years have had manual steering. The stang is by far the heaviest. I do mostly open road driving and take it to a race track occaisionally so the setup works for me. But if I spent most of my time in the city I would get the 19:1 box for manual steer.
If I had the money I would go rack and pinion.
I wouldnt recommend the quick steer on the street
In fact i wouldnt recommend the 16:1 box for the street in manual steer guise. More than half the cars I have owned over the years have had manual steering. The stang is by far the heaviest. I do mostly open road driving and take it to a race track occaisionally so the setup works for me. But if I spent most of my time in the city I would get the 19:1 box for manual steer.
If I had the money I would go rack and pinion.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,302
From: Northernish Eastish Central Texas
RE: Best steering box
Check out Stanger53's site http://www.stangerssite.com/
He's a regular, rebuilds these for a business, and will give you the straight story on the best approach.
I personally have found that a rebuilt steering box, fresh steering and suspension components, and a roller Idler arm make steering MUCH easier.
He's a regular, rebuilds these for a business, and will give you the straight story on the best approach.
I personally have found that a rebuilt steering box, fresh steering and suspension components, and a roller Idler arm make steering MUCH easier.
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 512
From:
RE: Best steering box
ORIGINAL: Aussie66Fastback
i run theFlaming Riverone with ms and combined with Cobra Automotive quick steer kit.
I wouldnt recommend the quick steer on the street
In fact i wouldnt recommend the 16:1 box for the street in manual steer guise. More than half the cars I have owned over the years have had manual steering. The stang is by far the heaviest. I do mostly open road driving and take it to a race track occaisionally so the setup works for me. But if I spent most of my time in the city I would get the 19:1 box for manual steer.
If I had the money I would go rack and pinion.
i run theFlaming Riverone with ms and combined with Cobra Automotive quick steer kit.
I wouldnt recommend the quick steer on the street
In fact i wouldnt recommend the 16:1 box for the street in manual steer guise. More than half the cars I have owned over the years have had manual steering. The stang is by far the heaviest. I do mostly open road driving and take it to a race track occaisionally so the setup works for me. But if I spent most of my time in the city I would get the 19:1 box for manual steer.
If I had the money I would go rack and pinion.
Haev you got any info on the cobra Automotive quick steer kit.
I have factory power steering, and can't understand why ford would have used the same ratio as the manual steer. It massively over assisted, and perhaps a quick steer kit would help take out some of that vagueness.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,266
From: Australia
RE: Best steering box
the power steer boxratio was 16:1 and manual box 19:1..its a while since i researched all this so I hope those ratios are correct. Point is, the power steer is lower ratio (fewer turns but more effort) becuase the effort is assisted.
the cobra kit is a different pittman arm and a roller idler arm to make the steering more responsive. In my experience (and someone else can explain the geometry) it is a lot more responsive to the wheel as you turn. Say 10 thru to 2. Its really quite twitchy in its initial response to driver inputs. Feels sharp. As I said, i drive on the open road and at a circuit so I like it. Once you get into tighter turns it loses the advantage (ie its no different to normal pittman arm geometry)and at slow speeds its really heavy.
I dont think the quick steer kit will take out the vagueness of the ram type power steer. Best you can do is make sure your box is in good condition and adjusted properly and all the ball joints etc are not worn. If your alignment is ok then thats about as good as its gunna get short of removing the p/s or replacing it with a modern p/s system (rack and pinion).
my car had the power steer and was removed as everything was worn. I was (at the time) heading down the path of building the car for tarmac rally so I bought all sorts of "go fast" suspension bits from cobra automotive. http://www.cobraautomotive.com/Handling.htm
hope that helps
the cobra kit is a different pittman arm and a roller idler arm to make the steering more responsive. In my experience (and someone else can explain the geometry) it is a lot more responsive to the wheel as you turn. Say 10 thru to 2. Its really quite twitchy in its initial response to driver inputs. Feels sharp. As I said, i drive on the open road and at a circuit so I like it. Once you get into tighter turns it loses the advantage (ie its no different to normal pittman arm geometry)and at slow speeds its really heavy.
I dont think the quick steer kit will take out the vagueness of the ram type power steer. Best you can do is make sure your box is in good condition and adjusted properly and all the ball joints etc are not worn. If your alignment is ok then thats about as good as its gunna get short of removing the p/s or replacing it with a modern p/s system (rack and pinion).
my car had the power steer and was removed as everything was worn. I was (at the time) heading down the path of building the car for tarmac rally so I bought all sorts of "go fast" suspension bits from cobra automotive. http://www.cobraautomotive.com/Handling.htm
hope that helps
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 512
From:
RE: Best steering box
Thanks Ben,
I was under the assumption that the ratio was the same between manual and power, I'll have check my codes.
I had a look at the website, and the quick steer kit looks interesting. What I find difficult is when the rear end breaks loose, it takes sooo many turns of opposite lock to bring it back, I fell like im spinning that old wheel at 1000 rpm! I don't think the slow speed effort will be a roblem with my power assist, I guess it comes down to how twitchy the initial turn in becomes.
Cheers
Brad
I was under the assumption that the ratio was the same between manual and power, I'll have check my codes.
I had a look at the website, and the quick steer kit looks interesting. What I find difficult is when the rear end breaks loose, it takes sooo many turns of opposite lock to bring it back, I fell like im spinning that old wheel at 1000 rpm! I don't think the slow speed effort will be a roblem with my power assist, I guess it comes down to how twitchy the initial turn in becomes.
Cheers
Brad
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 512
From:
RE: Best steering box
Just checked the code on my steering box. It seems I have a manual box fitted to my power steering setup. PITA. I'll have to hunt around for a pwer steering version. Don't like my chances here in Aus.