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9/19/2016 2:10 PM  #1


Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

Does any one know how much longer the Quick Steer arms are compared to the stock power steering versions?

Also, has anyone seen the spindle steering arm adapters that effectively reduce the steering arm length and thereby quicken the steering?  I just saw a set on a '68 Mustang.  Maybe that was the only option.  Maybe there were not any quick steer pitman and idler arms available for the later Mustangs.

Last edited by boomyal (9/19/2016 2:35 PM)

 

9/20/2016 2:33 AM  #2


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

That looks like the Pro  Motorsports bump steer corrector.  Don't know about quickening the steering I never drove the car with it on.  Don't need it now with a Unisteer rack.


Volvo!
 

9/20/2016 10:25 AM  #3


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

C9ZZ wrote:

That looks like the Pro  Motorsports bump steer corrector.  Don't know about quickening the steering I never drove the car with it on.  Don't need it now with a Unisteer rack.

This car is being worked on by my friend, the front end guru.  He did mention 'bump steer' when he pointed them out to me.  But at the same time they do shorten the steering arm and would make the spindles turn quicker in relation to movement of the steering wheel.

He called me yesterday after I made this post.  He had finished his work and was making a shakedown drive.  He said that I would not like what those connectors did.  He said it was too quick causing you to have to keep on it during highway driving. He said if you coughed, you might be into the Jersey Barrier.

I think dimension changes at that location might have a more exaggerated effect than similar dimension changes (lenthening vs shortening) at the pitman and idler arms.  But then I do not know.  I am sure that the '68, with factory power assist, came with a 16:1 steering box, just like my '65 with power assist.
 

Last edited by boomyal (9/20/2016 10:30 AM)

     Thread Starter
 

9/20/2016 10:46 AM  #4


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

Way back when I had one of those Pro  Motorsports bump steer correctors installed. It was on for several years.  I had absolutely no change to anything.  The steering speed did not change.  The bump steer was still there.  I guess everyone has a different result.   That is one of the reasons I converted to R&P.


Original owner - 351w,T-5, 4whl disks, power R&P
 

9/20/2016 10:57 AM  #5


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

boomyal wrote:

Does any one know how much longer the Quick Steer arms are compared to the stock power steering versions?

Also, has anyone seen the spindle steering arm adapters that effectively reduce the steering arm length and thereby quicken the steering?  I just saw a set on a '68 Mustang.  Maybe that was the only option.  Maybe there were not any quick steer pitman and idler arms available for the later Mustangs.

Add ons like this scare the crap out of me. For me a longer pitman arm is the answer for quicker steering, it was what Shelby did.


Good work ain't cheap, Cheap work ain't good!   Simple Man
 

9/27/2016 11:23 AM  #6


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

The quick steer idler and pitman are 1" longer than stock.

FYI - there is too much thread showing on your outer tie rod end.

Last edited by Opentracker (9/27/2016 11:24 AM)

 

9/27/2016 3:15 PM  #7


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

so am I to understand that the bump steer kit doesn't work?

 

9/27/2016 4:01 PM  #8


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

It depends on the configuration of the car.  I would assume that the bump steer correction kits are designed for vehicles at stock ride height.  If you lowered the car, a contributor to bump steer in an of itself, it may have corrected some of the bump steer, but not all of it.  Bump steer is caused by the arc in which the tie rod moves being different from the arc in which the lower control arm moves.  If the two arcs overlap there is no bump steer.  If they are off, when turning  the tie rod typically pulls on the spindle during suspension travel effectively making the front end turn more even though you did not move the steering wheel.  And yes, at speed its exactly as disconcerting as it sounds. 

To truly correct bump steer you need a bump steer gauge and a way to adjust the bump steer out of it.  With R&P cars there are offset rack bushings to raise or lower the rack in an effort to correct the tie rod angle and thus its arc.  There are also tie rod ends that use a stud or bolt with spacers of various thickness to tune the height of the tie rod end at the spindle and correct the arc. 
 

 

9/27/2016 5:06 PM  #9


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

Opentracker wrote:

The quick steer idler and pitman are 1" longer than stock.

FYI - there is too much thread showing on your outer tie rod end.

Thanks for the answer to my question.  I am still wanting to use the QS pieces on my '65 with factory assist power steering.  I need to determine how to overcome the reported stressing of the connection point of the ram to the center link.

Today I was driving my '97 E-150 and making a series of 90° turns on a country road.  I could make those turns with slightly more that a 90° turn of the steering wheel. In my '65 Mustang, I'd bet it is double that.

The car in the picture is not mine.  It was a '68 w/ factory PS.  I speculated that they probably did  not have Quick steer Pittman and Idler arms for that year.  Subsequently, I was correct.  They were only made for the 1" steering gear shaft and the '68 had a 1 1/8" shaft.  The only option was to use those spindle arm adaptors.
 

     Thread Starter
 

9/27/2016 7:16 PM  #10


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

There was an article on here a couple of years ago about installing the Shelby quick steer parts on a 66 with power steering.  I think it was John Ha that did it on his convertible.

http://fyi.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=2694


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

9/28/2016 6:19 AM  #11


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

These old cars come from a different era, when power steering was a luxurious afterthought.  They were designed with manual steering, so getting them to turn with ease manually is why they have such slow steering.  Its not surprising to me that the steering box is the same between power and manual.  With ram assist, why would Ford bother building another box? 

 

9/28/2016 2:44 PM  #12


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

TKOPerformance wrote:

These old cars come from a different era, when power steering was a luxurious afterthought.  They were designed with manual steering, so getting them to turn with ease manually is why they have such slow steering.  Its not surprising to me that the steering box is the same between power and manual.  With ram assist, why would Ford bother building another box? 

TKO - FYI, the 65-66 PS box has a 16:1 ratio, the MS box has a 19:1 ratio.  With PS, you could use a quicker ratio w/o needing the muscle you'd need with MS.  I had used a PS box w/MS steering components and 225 tires ... it was a bear to parallel park.


65 Fastback, 351W, 5-speed, 4 wheel discs, 9" rear,  R&C Front End.
 

9/28/2016 8:19 PM  #13


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

I wouldn't use a quick steer set up with the stock power steering. The ratio changes and the cars drive weird.

The ram is not a bad piece. The rubber shock bushings on the end of the ram are the week link. That pivot point should be poly, or a bearing. The rubber gives too much for performance driving.

If you want power steering and a quicker ratio, upgrade to the Borgeson system. It's a 14:1 box. 

boomyal wrote:

Opentracker wrote:

The quick steer idler and pitman are 1" longer than stock.

FYI - there is too much thread showing on your outer tie rod end.

Thanks for the answer to my question.  I am still wanting to use the QS pieces on my '65 with factory assist power steering.  I need to determine how to overcome the reported stressing of the connection point of the ram to the center link.

Today I was driving my '97 E-150 and making a series of 90° turns on a country road.  I could make those turns with slightly more that a 90° turn of the steering wheel. In my '65 Mustang, I'd bet it is double that.

The car in the picture is not mine.  It was a '68 w/ factory PS.  I speculated that they probably did  not have Quick steer Pittman and Idler arms for that year.  Subsequently, I was correct.  They were only made for the 1" steering gear shaft and the '68 had a 1 1/8" shaft.  The only option was to use those spindle arm adaptors.
 

 

 

9/29/2016 4:34 PM  #14


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

Opentracker wrote:

  ......The ratio changes and the cars drive weird.

Could you elaborate on that?
 

     Thread Starter
 

9/29/2016 5:22 PM  #15


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

My car is still manual, because I drove a couple cars that had power and though great for parking, they felt like deathtraps at speed.  The idea back in the '60s with power steering was that an old lady could steer them with one finger.  Great for ease of use, but zero road feel or feedback, and they steered way too quick at speed.

When I eventually convert to power I'm going to go with the Borgeson system.  The R&P kits are too expensive and most increase your turning radius, which to me is weak when you're dropping close to $3k on something. 

 

9/29/2016 5:48 PM  #16


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

boomyal wrote:

Opentracker wrote:

  ......The ratio changes and the cars drive weird.

Could you elaborate on that?
 

If you use a manual steer box with the stock power steering, the cars don't drive right. The control valve is set to the ratio for the P/S box. Any deviation from that can and does cause steering issues with the cars I've worked with.

If found some info -- http://www.stangerssite.com/quicksteeringkit.html - along with MustangSteve,  this is a site for steering information




 

Last edited by Opentracker (9/29/2016 6:14 PM)

 

9/29/2016 7:11 PM  #17


Re: Quick Steer pitman and idler arm lengths?

That makes perfect sense.

 

Board footera


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