clwarters

68 camaro z28
ineed to replace my steering gear box but i dont know which one. i have replaced upper,lower ball joints, tire rod ends,a-frame bushing, center drag lenght,ect. i thought about a rack system till i read the the headers, large oil pan ect.need to be alterd, but now the gear ratio ? 12:1.is greek to me verse the stock gear box. what do i need whith out alot extra work
thanks, charles

BW67CAMARO

Yes, you are correct about having to alter or modify certain components by installing rack and pinion steering. I personnally would just replace your gearbox with another like one, especially if you already have power steering. The only difference between rack and pinion steering and just power steering is the amount of turns you have to turn the steering wheel to make the wheels hit bump stop to bump stop. This can also be achieved by purchasing a power steering gearbox with a closer gear ratio than what you currently have. You wont have to modify anything as it is the exact same on the outside, just configured differently internal. This different ratio in the gearbox will allow you to turn the steering wheel less, but move the wheels on the ground more. Same thing that rack and pinion does! Only without the headache of modifing other parts on your ride. Oh yeah, dont forget the price difference too! :wink:

CTSLarry

You are correct in your description but don’t forget to mention that they should replace the pump with one the puts out more gallons per minute. With the faster ratios, the pump demand is greater. Also, a good quality steering fluid is needed. GM, Valvoline, nonsenthetic will work under normal conditions best. For racing I would go with KRC fluid. I know many racers that use Honda PS fluid. I’ve done steering gears for 20+ years specifically for race cars.