TheAMCForum.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > The Lounge Area > Member Projects
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Rack and Pinion for Right Hand Drive '64 Classic
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Click for TheAMCForum Rules / Click for PDF version of Forum Rules
Your donations help keep this valuable resource free and growing. Thank you.

Rack and Pinion for Right Hand Drive '64 Classic

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Lucas660 View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted


Joined: Apr/16/2012
Location: Vic, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 1344
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucas660 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Rack and Pinion for Right Hand Drive '64 Classic
    Posted: Sep/13/2019 at 7:27am
A bit of background first,
I have owned this 1964 AMI Rambler Classic since December 2004.
In that time I have rebuilt the diff, the engine, the cooling system and tried to keep on top of the tired steering system.
I have also had many great adventures and enjoy driving it as much as I can.

I have replaced the inner and outer tie rods before and replaced the bushing for the idler arm but the ball end of the pitman arm and idler arm were worn beyond what I was happy with, especially now I live at the bottom of The Great Dividing Range and there is some nice roads to discover, it was not nice to drive anymore especially at highway speeds.

I did look into replacing the idler and pitman, and even considered a reconditioning service offered here that I was sceptical of. I have ran out of used parts from my own stash and the vendors here had nothing in stock except used which is probably no better than what I have on the shelf. I could order the parts from the USA at a huge expense, but then I was worried about taper sizes as the Australian assembled cars used the "big" taper throughout production.

I asked my old boss who I got the car off in 2004 if he had anything and he suggested I fit a steering rack from a VE Commodore. A locally produced GM vehicle from 2006-2013.
He is quite experienced with modifying vehicles and taught me a lot of what I know.

So off to the wrecking yard with some measuring equipment and $120 which is what they quoted me over the phone.

At first glance everything looked good: Front steer rack, distance from lower ball joint to steering knuckle within millimetres of the Rambler, distance between lower control arm pivots within centimetres!
I knew I could change tie rod ends if need be if the taper was incorrect, and the rack end/tie rod assembly was too long because like most modern cars the wheel offset is more like a front wheel drive vehicle.

But I took it and it sat in the corner for about 6 months as I took on a 27 foot timber cruiser project boat, which my partner and I completed in 3 weeks of 10 hour days and have done 1000 nautical miles in already @ 7 knots, but that is another story…

Fast forward to 3 weeks ago, weather is warming up a bit (southern hemisphere) and it's time to get the Rambler ready for cruise-ins and spring summer cruising.

I knew from the start that I needed a completely bolt in solution, and it is illegal to weld any steering component in Australia.

It might sound crazy but I started by making a timber template of the assembly to find clearances. It is a lot lighter to work with and can be easily shaped.
I then made a mock up out of 1.6mm sheet metal then finally 6mm or 1/4" flat bar.

Please also note that I am not the type of person that can stop and take pictures every 15 minutes, when I am in the zone I just like to get on with things so the photos are all of the end product rather than the prototype phase.

I started by making spacers to get past the folded lip of the "frame" rail. This is made of 10mm and 16mm plate laminated with a few tack welds just to make locating easier during installation.
One sides holes are slightly offset as there was some damage to the lip that I couldn't get out with a hammer, hence the labelling left/right.



I fabricated a cradle/crossmember out of 200x6 flat bar with a 50x6 gusset running the entire length to give strength and the rack protection. I considered drilling holes in the crossmember but the whole assembly is lighter than the original steering linkage and box.



A couple of pictures showing the sheet mockup compared with the final product. The end of one side was cut off to use as a template for the final product.





Fitting the rack in the cradle.



The rack ends (inner tie rods) needed to be shortened, I then put them in the lathe and machined down and cut some fresh M14x1.5 threads. Yes it's a all metric affair here!



A few more images showing the universal joint 17mm DD - 3/4 DD, the commodore tie rod ends have the same taper as Rambler, and just the general untidiness compared to other things I see on this forum!

I will buy some extra rack ends or a complete rack for spares because vehicle manufacturing has finished here in Australia. The rack is however a KYB rack which I assume is Japanese??






I have the local hydraulic shop making up a pressure hose for me which should be ready by Monday.
You can see on one of the pictures where there are extra holes on the right hand side that a Kirby Bendix Variable Ratio steering box from a old Holden was fitted before this so I already have a Saginaw pump in place which I might have some questions about from the gurus here (shims for pump pressure).

Everything seems very tight though and I can't wait to drive it.
Back to Top
Mopar_guy View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Jun/07/2009
Location: Ohio
Status: Offline
Points: 4805
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mopar_guy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/13/2019 at 9:35am
That is an amazing job! Clap Very well thought out and configured. Since you're using a GM rack, it should work fine with the GM pump you already have.

"Hemilina" My 1973, 5.7 Hemi swapped Javelin
Back to Top
amcenthusiast View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Jul/02/2012
Location: SW Atlanta GA
Status: Offline
Points: 1778
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amcenthusiast Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/13/2019 at 9:41am
Hey that looks really good Lucas660 -excellent.

Looks like you got your inner tie rod pivot points lined up correct with the lower control arm pivots.

Congratulations!
443 XRV8 Gremlin YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=2DmFOKRuzUc
XRV8 Race Parts website: http://amcramblermarlin.1colony.com/
Back to Top
Lucas660 View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted


Joined: Apr/16/2012
Location: Vic, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 1344
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucas660 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/17/2019 at 6:31am
Thanks for the kind words. 
As always in rural Australia you have to wait for things.
I am still waiting for the pressure hose.
The hydraulic place agreed to let me "clock" the fittings before swaging which is good.
I think next time I will use AN speedflow fittings, I just wanted it to look somewhat "factory" and less hotrod to the naked eye.

The rest of the system is ready to go. 

Back to Top
Mostly last. View Drop Down
AMC Nut
AMC Nut
Avatar

Joined: Sep/12/2016
Location: Nth QLD.
Status: Offline
Points: 289
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mostly last. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/17/2019 at 3:55pm
That looks good.
The second wait when the first parts you waited for are wrong is the bad one.
Hope we can catch up in person some time.
69 AMX. Aussie AMX#14
68 AMX 390 ex USA.
Back to Top
Lucas660 View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted


Joined: Apr/16/2012
Location: Vic, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 1344
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucas660 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/19/2019 at 7:18am
Ended up getting another local engineering shop to make up the pressure hose, which they did in 1 hour, with that kind of service they'll have a customer for life. It's what I would expect around here with a lot of agriculture and transport.
They supplied the pressure hose ,5/8 SAE flare to 14mm banjo and a 16mm banjo fitting for the return hose.
I got it all plumbed in and no leaks. Bled the pump.
I gave it a quick alignment in the driveway using the method I saw in one of amcenthusiasts posts and took it for test drive.
Later in the day I took my partner for a drive and missed a kangaroo by about 3 inches.. Couldn't believe it, just had to laugh.
She asked why I was laughing, I was just happy we didn't crash or damage the car.
I'll take it in for a proper alignment early next week just to be sure, but as it is now it is a real pleasure to drive, not fighting to keep it straight all the time.
And as Mopar Guy said the pump works perfectly with the rack. I was surprised and thought I would be changing pumps.
Today was a very good day.
Back to Top
Lucas660 View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted


Joined: Apr/16/2012
Location: Vic, Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 1344
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lucas660 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/24/2019 at 12:59am
Went for a drive into town and realised that I wasn't achieving full lock during parking.
I think I need the shorter steering arms to achieve the correct geometry.
In my search for Pacer steering arms I found this.
http://www.argo-pace-rapco.com/suspension-components.html
I don't know if they have built the steering arm into the spindle because it is hard to see in the drawing.
I might have to ask in the other sections of the forum as I am interested in the different length of steering arms.
I only have the parts catalogue 60-64.
I know with Australian made cars the power steering models always got shorter steering arms.
I am wondering if a later 60's model steering arms would work?


Back to Top
Brad View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Aug/07/2016
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 431
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Brad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/07/2019 at 4:59am
Nice job on the mounting plate! 
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2019 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.156 seconds.
All content of this site Copyright © 2018 TheAMCForum unless otherwise noted, all rights reserved.
PROBLEMS LOGGING IN or REGISTERING:
If you have problems logging in or registering, then please contact a Moderator or