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  •  » Rack and Pinion and other questions....

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    4/02/2015 11:45 PM  #1

    wemjr
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    Registered: 4/03/2015
    Posts: 29

    Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    Hello!  My name is Willis and I am new to the site. I have a 1965 Mustang with a 289 with an automatic and the Pony interior option.  No factory AC, but I plan to install the Vintage Air Heat and AC kit.  I have a few questions that I need help with:
    1.  What is the best rack and pinion and tilt column conversion kit that is cost effective?  I would prefer a manual as the car is currently a stock manual setup.  If you have a manual set up, can you tell me if it is easier to turn than stock?

    2.  Can anyone give me pointers on how to correctly install the Magnaflow stainless exhaust kit?  I have the complete kit with the manifold pipes and they shipped with no instructions.  I downloaded the instructions, but how do I know the left manifold pipes from the right?  How do I know the top from the bottom of the "X" cross over pipe?  The "X" crossover pipe has the exit pipes bend down or up depending on how it is oriented. 

    3.  What is the best subframe connector to buy?  I have seen several from Total Control, Maier and Mustangs Plus.  I don't plan to autocross or anything, I just would like to stiffen up the chassis/body.

    4.  I have the SSBC stainless steel power disk brake conversion and I have 18 inches of vacuum and I don't seem to be getting any "power" brake feel.  The pedal is very hard and I have verifed that the check valve is working.  Does anyone know the correct or estimated length of the pushrod that goes to the booster from the pedal?  I just want to exhaust all options before I spring for Steves's booster and pedal assembly.

    5.  Can anyone tell me who makes or sells the best replacment body parts?  Mustangs Plus?  NPD? CJ Pony Parts?  Scott Drake?  I have to replace both valences and the front grillle assembly and I would like to get the best fitting parts out of the box. 

    Thanks for everyone's help!!

     

    4/03/2015 12:55 AM  #2

    True74yamaha
    Senior 24-7 FYI Addict

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    From: Salt Lake City
    Registered: 5/07/2013
    Posts: 2,537

    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    Welcome to the forum glad to have another mustang fan added to our family on the forum.  For your first question the rack and pinion I have a home made custom mounted jrack and pinion it steers flawlessly.   The jrack is the basis for almost all the rack and pinion conversions available. Most all kits will end up making your car loose turning radius due to lack of travel.  Newer cars have shorts steering arms thus not needed the long travel. This results in lack of turning radius.  How ever the rack that I installed I customized mine to have full travel for my 65 v8 coupe. I just thought I'd point this option out as it's very easy mod to perform on the car as long as you have a good welder and I don't mean just the machine.  As for kits honestly From what I've hurd their all about sixes. 

    On the brake note what master and booster is on it and how did it mount and hook up?

     

    4/03/2015 6:04 AM  #3

    wemjr
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    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    Thanks for the reply.  The booster and master cyl are mount to a bracket that then mounts to the firewall.  They were part of the SSBC convesion kit.

       •Thread Starter
     

    4/03/2015 6:42 AM  #4

    True74yamaha
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    From: Salt Lake City
    Registered: 5/07/2013
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    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    And then on the bracket the that mounts to the firewall it had an arm that hooks to the pedal correct? From
    What you said you may have to big of a bore master as the set up sounds like the same as a oem repop.

     

    4/03/2015 7:22 AM  #5

    wemjr
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    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    It is supposed to have the 1 in bore master that is part of the kit.  I will check it this weekend.  It did have a shaft extension with a loop on the end that I had to adjust to reach the pedal.

       •Thread Starter
     

    4/03/2015 2:25 PM  #6

    MS
    Forum Originator

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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
    Posts: 12,472

    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    Welcome to the forum.

    As for the power brakes, there are two things working against you, and both of them start with SSBC.  I hear from customers all the time with the exact same story as yours.  The tiny 7" booster just cannot do the job the way they set them up.  The second thing is the pads.  They typically work alot better if you buy some cheapo brake pads and install them, and then BREAK THEM IN GENTLY.  It is just the nature of most Mustangers that install new discs to take the car out, run it up to about 70 MPH and then slam on the brakes to see how well they stop.  Every single one gets a surprise when they find out they just fried their new brakes and have to install new pads to correct the problem.  The same complaint comes from alot of people who have installed the SSBC disc kits.  The pads are hard and do not stop as well as the cheapos from OReillys.  Disc brake pads must be broken in gently in order to work properly.

    For the booster, check out the MustangSteve version.  It is more trouble to install but it works.  Ceck with places like The Mustang Shop in PA that no longer use the SSBC stuff because it rarely feels right.  They buy alot of kits from me and are very satisfied with the performance.  I probably sell as many power brake kits to guys that already have the SSBC boosters installed than I do to guys that are upgrading a manual brake system.

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
     

    4/04/2015 2:11 PM  #7

    TKOPerformance
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    From: Newark, DE
    Registered: 12/15/2014
    Posts: 7,675

    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    Yeah, the SSBC stuff was problematic for me too.  They didn't include, or even mention that the brake pedals were different from power to manual cars.  I did my conversion in the days before the internet, and had to find this out by trial and error (we're not going to discuss the deathtrap pushrod adapter I bent out of mild steel (I was all of 17 at the time)).

    Brake pads need to be bedded in.  People slamming on new brakes are morons.  Mostly the same people who do a 5k clutch dump with a new clutch.  I bed in brakes as follows: 5 easy stops from 50 with 2 minutes between for cooling, 5 medium stops from 50 with 2 minutes between for cooling, 5 hard stops from 50 with 5 minutes between for cooling.  I do that with everything I own.  Years ago I found that I increased the front brake life by 10k miles on one of my trucks by doing that. 

    As for subframes there are a lot of good ones.  I've got a set of Tinman Fab ones I'm going to install shortly. 

    Body panels can be a chore to replace.  Used OEM is best, those made on OE tooling second best, after that it all depends.  Most companies buy their panels though, so regardless of the source you are really buying panels made by Dynacorn, etc. 

    Last edited by TKOPerformance (4/24/2015 7:11 AM)

     

    4/06/2015 10:16 AM  #8

    wemjr
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    Registered: 4/03/2015
    Posts: 29

    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    Thanks everyone for the feedback and advice.  I have not driven the care enough to bed in the brakes.  The car will stop, but it doesn't feel like it has any "boost".  So I guess I will be springing for the Mustang Steve booster assembly.  

       •Thread Starter
     

    4/06/2015 12:10 PM  #9

    hmartin025
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    Registered: 4/01/2013
    Posts: 365

    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    wemjr, MS will steer you in the correct direction, he is a "In your face" kind of guy who tells it like it is! (I like that, know where you stand) MS will stay with you untill prob is solved...
    Howard

     

    4/24/2015 6:07 AM  #10

    wemjr
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    Registered: 4/03/2015
    Posts: 29

    Re: Rack and Pinion and other questions....

    Well thanks for everyone's input.  It just so happens that Tinman Fab is about 50 miles from where I live.  I will have him install a set of his subframe connectors and replace my radiator core support.  He sounds like a standup guy.  I'll let everyone know how it goes.

       •Thread Starter
     

     

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