Factory column to mustang rack and pinion questions

So, I got my rack n pinion mounted and heim joint tie rod ends attached. And then discovered that the steering shaft is going to require some serious articulation to get setup and function properly. Something that wasnt mentioned anywhere in the plans and cad files that i bought for the crossmember. I guess i shouldnt have assumed, if it was going to require something unique to complete the install, they would have mentioned it at the very least. But here we are.

First thing is concerning the column and how much it protrudes from the firewall into the engine bay. Has anyone ever done something to shorten the column protrusion? I am thinking the most gain would come from being able to shorten this as much as possible. Is there a way to shorten the column? I see people wanting to shorten the column to gain room on the steering wheel end but they arent concerned with the length sticking out into the engine bay. Im not afraid to cut and weld if necessary but want to be aware of my time invested into it. Would hate to spend a day on shortening a column when i could maybe buy a aftermarket column for a few hundred bucks and get the same result, only new.

From what ive found, a lot of guys use 2 u joints and 1 double ujoint with a heim support for the shaft to run through. It would be nice to shorten the column up, let me know your thoughts. I appreciate it..


Side note: I just realized this will be the first time i have had the truck on a lift, that i recall. The lift has been a game changer, as well as the new shop. Truck has been neglected for a while and looks rough. I will pretty it up when i get it back up and running.

You’re on the right track—2 U-joints + a double with a heim support is pretty standard. I wouldn’t bother shortening the stock column, it’s usually more work than it’s worth. Most guys just switch to a shorter aftermarket column or run a DD shaft with proper supports. Also watch your U-joint angles—too much angle will bind.

Here is mine. It has not been shortened.

Thanks for the replies, the difference with this setup over others that i have seen is the upper a arm mounted on top of the frame rail and not on the side of the frame rail.

Just throwing this out there and it is entirely up to you to think it through,see if it's something you can make work etc. I've actually worked on cars where the steering column itself,was mounted to the dash entirely. The column ended inside the car and the steering shaft came through the firewall several inches to mate to the column. I don't think it would be that tough. But I also haven't done it. I don't have any pics,I'll see if I can find some.

Well i hope getting this 30 inch column installed will be the ticket to giving me the room i need for the steering shaft. Its a gm universal column so install shouldnt be too bad. Ill know soon enough i suppose!

The plot thickens ... The new 30 inch steering column helped but didn't directly resolve the issue with the steering shaft. There are still some minor tweaks i can do that may get me there, i dont know...but what a nightmare. For someone to market something like this crossmember as a bolt in product is a great example of stretching the words "bolt-in". Not offering the parts or even mentioning what will be needed gives the steering the customer the illusion that everything else the truck normally would utilize can be used.
Sure the crossmember bolted to the frame, but you now have to buy all new steering components. Keep in mind, these new steering components, (that were never mentioned you will need in order for this product (crossmember) to even allow your truck to be drivable), will be operating at angles they are not recommended to be, those angles being their functional limits.

Id say that information would be worth mentioning to the customer. Am I wrong?

Your build demands much more than "bolt on"

Ditched the dual u joint and used a sn95 mustang u joint. Didnt realize until it was done that the upper shaft joints are out of phase. Should i care? it turns fine, no binding.. im pry just going to roll with it and cross the bridge when the problem arises. But wait.... theres more! The steering runs straight through the center of where the drivers side engine mount is supposed to go! The cad file sure made it look as if there wouldn't be a issue. Time to redo the drivers side engine mount and frame stiffener as it's called. Just what i wanted to do....

It's always something.

Noob question.

You're having to go through all this because of a cross member you have to use for what?

And it's much more challenging because the truck is dropped so low?

CountKrunk said:

Noob question.

You're having to go through all this because of a cross member you have to use for what?

And it's much more challenging because the truck is dropped so low?

Click to expand...

I didnt have to do any of this stuff. The truck was running and driving fine on the stock crossmember. But when you bag these trucks with the factory front crossmember and suspension, it leaves more to be desired. For instance, the truck wont lay the frame on the ground because the lowest point is the front lower a-arms. The steering and engine mount issues weren't super difficult by any means. It was more of a rant on the fact that there was no mention of having to spend a few hundred more dollars to make it all work. The rack and pinion steering is the source of the headache and what the challenges spawned from.

But all said and done, or at least at this point in the build process, i would likely still purchase the cad files and build my own for the educational aspect. I was wanting to build something for my c10 or mustang using my cnc plasma table i had recently acquired and this was the perfect fit at the time.. I will proabably email the guy and let him know it would be worth having some information available for the customer at least post purchase, although it should be mentioned prior. One could say, well you should know this and is to be expected.. Sure, but that wasnt my experience. But moving forward, im glad its behind me.. Hopefully there are no more challenges ahead to get it back on the road.

Ok, so this is a setup you built completely yourself from a set of plans, essentially. Honestly, that's pretty cool.