C3 Corvette Steering System - Rack It UpInstalling Speed Direct's Rack-And-Pinion Steering System On Project C3 Triple-Ex From the June, 2010 issue of Vette By Dave Young Photography by Dave Young
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Corvettes have always set the standard in terms of American-built high-performance automobiles, with nimble handling, enough power for rapid acceleration, and better brakes than nearly every other car on the road. And while Corvettes of C3 vintage or earlier did possess cutting-edge steering technology for their time, the fact is their factory steering boxes leave a lot to be desired in terms of performance. As tight as the steering was in these early Corvettes, we always felt there was a certain tendency for the cars to dart when on-center or at the initiation of a turn. Moreover, we considered the steering valve in power-steering applications to be an inconvenient, if not unsafe, design. Of course manufacturing costs dictated the use of a steering box, but we've always thought a rack-and-pinion setup would have been a better choice for these performance-oriented cars. Thankfully, the folks at Speed Direct felt the same way and designed a bolt-in, high-performance rack-and-pinion steering kit for the C3 Corvette. No stranger to the needs of early Corvette owners, Speed Direct offers many upgraded suspension and steering components for early Vettes, all of which can help make these cars into real performers. The company's Steeroids steering system is an all-inclusive kit to convert any C3's steering, by completely replacing the factory steering box, power-steering valve, and tie rods with a high-performance rack-and-pinion and all the related components. The Steeroids kit is centered on a remanufactured GM rack-and-pinion unit, configured for either manual or power steering. Since Project C3 Triple-Ex will be subjected to a blend of aggressive street driving and frequent track use, we felt the power-steering rack was the way to go. And indeed, Speed Direct suggests going with the power rack if there's any question in your mind. When our kit arrived, we were impressed to find that all the parts were packaged professionally, and that each part was packaged separately and labeled with a decal stating not only the name of the part, but the part number as well. Everything needed for the installation comes with the Steeroids kit, including all new hardware, power-steering pressure and return lines, universal joints, steering-support bearings, shafts, and brackets. All of the various brackets and pieces are powdercoated in black, to keep them looking good and corrosion-free for a long time. Since we had everything we needed, we put our car on the lift to begin the installation. With the factory steering... With the factory steering components in place, our Stingray liked to dart side-to-side slightly when driving in a straight line or initiating a turn. Since the factory steering was based on 50-year-old technology, we felt it was time to upgrade the car with modern rack-and-pinion components. We must admit that when we visited the Speed Direct website and read that the Steeroids kit would fit around our long-tube aftermarket headers, that it required only hand tools to install, and that it would go on in about three hours, we were a bit skeptical. Once we began working, however, we were pleasantly surprised at how well the pieces were engineered, as everything bolted in place precisely as the instructions indicated. Working at a leisurely pace, we had everything installed in under four hours, with plenty of time to take the car to an alignment shop that same afternoon. Had we stepped it up a bit, we certainly could have installed the system in three hours as advertised. Having a lift in our shop made the job somewhat less difficult, but this installation could be performed with the car on jackstands nearly as easily. Once the car was aligned to the specs provided in the instructions (and on www.speeddirect.com), we took our Stingray for a drive and were immediately impressed with the new steering. With only 2.5 turns lock-to-lock, the car was far more responsive than with the original steering. The Steeroids power rack gives just enough steering assist to make low-speed driving easy, without reducing road feel at speed like the original recirculating-ball steering box did. The Steeroids rack is a remanufactured... The Steeroids rack is a remanufactured GM unit that was mass-produced, so all of the parts needed for routine maintenance or future overhauls are readily available. We chose the power rack for our application, which gives 2.5 turns, lock to lock. After several weeks of driving our car with the Steeroids power rack, we've come away even more impressed. Though our car's total turning radius has increased slightly with the new rack, the trade-off is well worth it. Overall we'd say this is one of the most dramatic and noticeable improvements we've made to our '71 Stingray thus far. Eliminating the sloppy, heavy factory steering box, questionable steering valve, and stock tie rods makes the car safer and more reliable. Even better, our Corvette is much more fun to drive now, and though the car's handling is still limited by the factory suspension components, the steering certainly feels like a Corvette of much newer vintage. Follow along and we'll show you how easy Speed Direct's Steeroids rack-and-pinion kit installs.  The components in the all-inclusive...  The components in the all-inclusive Steeroids kit are clearly marked, both with a name and a part number to avoid any confusion. This is a well-engineered kit, and all appropriate parts are powdercoated in black.  The first step in this conversion...  The first step in this conversion is to completely remove the factory steering components, which is best accomplished with the car on a lift or jackstands. The most efficient method is to remove the entire factory steering system as one unit.  After removing the front wheels,...  After removing the front wheels, we disconnected the outer tie-rod end from the spindle using a tie-rod separator, commonly called a pickle fork.  We've never really liked the...  We've never really liked the design of early Corvette power steering, especially the steering valve, which is prone to leak and can render your car's steering inoperative if it fails catastrophically. Fortunately we'll be replacing this and the bulky steering box with our new rack-and-pinion.  Since our car is equipped...  Since our car is equipped with long-tube headers, we found it easier to remove the pitman arm from the factory steering box, allowing the OE steering components to be removed from underneath the car. Alternatively, the pitman arm could be separated from the steering link, but that method also requires loosening the driver-side header to remove the steering box in our application.  Side by side, the Steeroids...  Side by side, the Steeroids rack-and-pinion is obviously a more refined, simpler steering system. We'll be glad to remove the inelegant, antiquated factory steering from our Stingray.  Before installing the new...  Before installing the new rack-and-pinion, the tie-rod bracket can be installed onto the rack.  These bolts use a supplied...  These bolts use a supplied locking plate to keep them from backing out.  The Steeroids brackets that...  The Steeroids brackets that will hold the new rack in place simply bolt right where the factory components were removed...  ...using the new hardware...  ...using the new hardware supplied with the kit.  The new rack-and-pinion unit...  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...  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...  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...  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...  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,...  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...  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...  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...  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...  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...  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.
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