C3 Corvette Steering System - Rack It Up

...using the new hardware supplied with the kit.

The new rack-and-pinion unit can now be bolted in place using the supplied hardware, and the new tie rods can be installed. To achieve a ballpark toe setting, measure the total distance between the factory outer tie-rod ends and adjust the new ones to the same dimension.

The inner tie-rod ends can now be attached to the tie-rod bracket using the supplied bolts and lock washers.

The instructions for the kit are very clear, and recommend thread locker on much of the hardware, including the inner tie-rod bolts.

The Steeroids outer tie-rod ends are unique in that they offer several shims to properly adjust for bumpsteer. The trick here is to get the tie rod parallel with the ground with the weight on the wheels.

Speed Direct supplies all the necessary parts with the kit, including the proper fittings and lines to connect the power rack to the factory power-steering pump.

Using the provided U-joints, steering shaft, and shaft-support bearing, the rack can be connected to the car's steering column.

With headers this is a tight fit, but we managed to get our steering linkage installed properly without any cutting or grinding. It may take a few attempts, but by lining up the splines properly, our steering wheel centered perfectly.

Speed Direct recommends filling the power-steering reservoir with conventional power-steering fluid, then turning the wheel back and forth from stop to stop to bleed any air from the system. After the first 1,000 miles, the fluid can be changed to synthetic if desired, but initial break-in should be performed with conventional fluid.

With the installation complete and the system serviced with the proper fluid, we lifted the car back up and rechecked all of our fasteners and connections. The Steeroids kit is a nice fit, and truly bolts in place without any interference, cutting, grinding, or other modifications.

With the wheels bolted back in place, we took our car to the Official VETTE Magazine Test Track and Proving Grounds (the parking lot behind the airport), where we performed various turning maneuvers to test the system. Our initial impression was very favorable, as Project C3 Triple-Ex's rack-and-pinion steering was much more driver-friendly than the factory items we replaced.

The Steeroids rack-and-pinion does increase turning radius slightly, but the benefits greatly offset this slight drawback. Our car handles nimbly and is much more responsive, requiring just 2.5 turns of the steering wheel lock-to-lock. This conversion is one of the best upgrades we've performed so far, making our car safer and much more fun to drive. This is a quality kit and an easy installation, even for a novice mechanic with basic tools.