I talked to my alignment guy today. He said the looseness in my rack was not adjustable on a Ford rack and pinion.....anybody able to confirm this?

Depends on where the looseness comes from. Tie rod ends, for example, can be replaced and the mounts sometimes get mushy and those can be replaced, too. But slop between the rack and pinion gears requires a new R&P assembly - at least, I don't know of any way to tighten that up. There may be some sort of internal adjustments (shims, maybe?) but I've never heard of anyone making that adjustment in a home setting. Probably cheaper and more assured to replace the R&P assembly - and you get a warranty.

Dan

Well. all that stuff is supposed to be new from Fat Mans. Although I suspect the rack must be a NAPA rebuilt part. (which was not actually done correctly).

That's what I'm thinking (that it wasn't done correctly). I'd call Obese Male's and see if they'll make it right though they may claim it's too old for them to warrant it. Still, worth a try.

Dan

(obese male...hah hah!)

Today they are installing my 38# FW to quell the vigorous vibrations of the motor in the primitive Stude chassis. They're also moving the drive train back 1/8" as the clearance between the oil pan and cross member is a quarter inch and less.

This made me think of your project - https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/pts/5925686946.html (2015 E-class steering rack). You can clean the engine bay further with no PS pump!

https://images.craigslist.org/00o0o_...9_1200x900.jpg

Sixto
83 300SD

Thanks! Its all set up for the Ford rack though so I'll probably stick with that.;)

Let us know if fatman sends a replacement. They really should. Perhaps costs them nothing as they probably can return it to their supplier.

Details are a pain. I still have to work a sway bar into the rear of our 39 Buick. Or change the rear suspension. As was my usual luck rear sway bars were not introduced by Buick until the 1940 models. My hope is the rear suspension stayed much the same otherwise . I have not looked it up yet.

I want to retain the very deep coil springs at the back. A reworking of the modern rear shock absorber angle is also going to have to be in the works. Then there is the issue of getting the turbo 350 automatic transmission replaced with an overdrive unit with lockup converter. Or changing the rear end gears.

The car delivers about 22 miles per American gallon until about 55 miles per hour. Then the milage drops off seriously as that four barrel carb starts to come on line. The car has all kinds of power with a reworked 327 to almost corvette engine standards.

Serious steep long hills where modern four bangers are really struggling seem to mean almost nothing to the car. Also have to install some serious locking devices on the rear suicide doors. You never thing anyone would be stupid enough to open one while moving. Yet if it ever happened it would mean thousands in damages at any kind of speed. This particular car is very well suited to very long distance driving. Yet there are still things that need to be done. To me to at least some degree resto rods remain a work in progess.

The warrenty can be done directly with the local Napa with numbers from the fat man.

My old hearse had some special rotary lockers to prevent the suicide rear doors from opening while on the move. Accessible with the rear door shut and the front door open. May have been interlocked with the ignition.

Just a note of hopeful interest. I do not keep current with developments in hot rods, resto rods etc. Yet I was able to tour a large car building shop this early winter. They have a lot of older cars and trucks in process.


They were building cars and trucks for owners all over north America. They use the complete bolt in front cross member with large disk brakes, springs, upper and lower a arms. The rack and pinion etc. From fords larger cars on some conversions I saw there.


I did not pay enough attention but it looks like they just bolt this to new mounts fabricated on the desired chassis. It was obviously just bolted to the original chassis it was harvested from. It is removed from the donar car as a complete unit springs and all. They had these complete units in stock. Those front disk brakes are large as are the calipers.


I would think the only thing you would have to deal with is the upper shock mounts but I did not really pay enough attention. I am going back there to have another look. I thought I saw the sway bars where also still mounted on the assembly as well. Not sure though. Although the rack was.


I think if your oil pan can clear it you can drop this pretty complete front end into many chassis for peanuts. Those police versions of ford cars handle pretty good as well. Or harvest one from their non police versions.


A premade pre assembled front end that you just unbolt from the donar car for cheap dollars if you negotiate well with an auto wrecker. I forget but these front ends were in a series of years that are still pretty easy to find. You can also narrow them pretty easy if the need to do it is there.


I posted this because in certain regions there are still older solid trucks around and the assembly almost looked like almost a drop in for them. They had several conversions in process.


To me it just looked like parts like this can take the high cost sting out of modernizing many old chassis. They mount with four large nuts and bolts as they did in their original cars. Hopefully this post might help someone. A very strong and very safe conversion with no compromising in ride quality and handling. Hopefully with a little research a list of older chassis it will work with easily already exists out there in the hot rod world.


To me it offers a no compromise modern front end already assembled and ready to install completely assembled . In those situations where you can use it.


Dare I repeat for very, very little money. As I quickly examined them if the need to narrow it was an issue. You could still do it without taking the unit totally apart.

Yes. Pickups also have front ends which can be unbolted and installed in other cars without too much trouble.

Barry - Sounds like you're talking about the Ford Panther (Crown Vic-style) front end. "Panther" is the code name for that chassis, used under Crown Vics, the big Mercury Marquis, and Lincoln Town Cars. These have become very popular with the street machine crowd and some of the Panthers even came with aluminum crossmembers and A-arms (not sure of what years). I've seen a couple where the builders even polished all that aluminum and it looks great. So it's a fairly light set-up, made for rear wheel drive, and features modern design - all in all a great arrangement.

Dan

Hot rod magazines are full of bolt-on front ends based on Mustang II and Pinto components. They go from bone stock to barely casting the same shadow. For the time, effort and cost it might make sense to buy something already refurbished, cleaned and trued if not outright new. Certainly if everything else on the rod is or looks freshly minted.

Sixto
83 300SD

You might have missed it, but Tom's front end (I mean the Studebaker's not Tom's personal front end) is a new Fat Man conversion using the Mustang II design as you mentioned. So he has EXACTLY what you're suggesting. The issue is that he got a bummer with play in the rack and pinion setup which luckily Fat Man sourced from NAPA as a rebuild so he can get it made right locally.

The issue with the Mustang II setup is that it's designed for a fairly light car and heavier cars sometimes have issues with them - just a matter of the weight they have to live with. So hot rodders have looked for an alternative and came up with the Panther front end which is, of course, built to hold up a big ol' barge. I don't know if Tom's pickup is heavy enough that the Mustang II arrangement will be an issue but if it is he can upgrade to the Panther if necessary. I hope he doesn't need to do that.

Dan

I hear you. My only point was in general to consider new(-ish) vs refurbish yourself. And not that Tom should revisit his decision. I read it but I don't remember what it was :)

Sixto
83 300SD