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need to reverse the direction of my steering colum rotation ..looking for small gear

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by old bone, Apr 2, 2012.

  1. old bone
    Joined: Mar 5, 2008
    Posts: 312

    old bone
    Member
    from maine

    i need to reverse the directioin of my steering column rotation..in other words the steering system i have made turns the opposite direction..I am trying to find a ready available 1 to 1 ratio reverse rotation parell or inline gear box suitable for a steering set up..I have called..surplus center, grainger, boston gear, motion industries, and princess. I know there is something readily available that i am overlooking here..and and all tips are appreciated.
     
  2. Xdrag48
    Joined: Mar 1, 2009
    Posts: 474

    Xdrag48
    Member

    What kind of steering box is it? Some can be reversed very easy...


    Steve
     
  3. old bone
    Joined: Mar 5, 2008
    Posts: 312

    old bone
    Member
    from maine

    i have upgraded to a rack and pinion set up..so no reversing it..
     
  4. Larry T
    Joined: Nov 24, 2004
    Posts: 7,875

    Larry T
    Member

    Some rack and pinions are front steer and some are rear steer. You need the opposite of what you have now. What did your rack come on?
    Larry T
     

  5. Xdrag48
    Joined: Mar 1, 2009
    Posts: 474

    Xdrag48
    Member

    They make racks for in front of the tires or behind,switching to the other rack might be a easy way to fix your problem.Mustang II were in front of the tires,chevy citations were behind the wheels ( they use them on 55-57 chevys). Just a thought...

    Steve
     
  6. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,775

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    Man, I hate to say this but this is funny as hell! It isn't the first time it has happened, believe me!
    Change the rack to one that works properly, laugh about it and enjoy the ride.
     
  7. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,817

    BJR
    Member

    Just remember to turn right to go left..... no problem.
     
  8. I wouldn't put a reversal unit in to correct it. A local guy did the same thing and after putting in the reversal box it was very unpleasant to drive. (I was good friends with his son). It would not allow the steering to come back to center on it's own - as in after the corner you had to turn it back to straight, instead of just letting the wheel slide through the hands like a normal vehicle. Do the hard work and swap out the rack with a correct one.
     
  9. badshifter
    Joined: Apr 28, 2006
    Posts: 3,535

    badshifter
    Member

    April fools was yesterday. Putting the right rack/parts in is your best bet.
     
  10. or you could always drive upside down in the seat, that should correct things, just a few ideas, i think if the reverser box was too much drag to let the wheel return to straight on its on, you might be able to dial in more caster. I think, but i think i would just run a different rack, you never know someone may need your rack and have the one you need, try putting it out there and see what happens...
     
  11. try a fork lift company, i can't remember which fork lift/ tractor used a reverser.
    that answers your question but your better off replacing the rack.
     
  12. JohnEvans
    Joined: Apr 13, 2008
    Posts: 4,883

    JohnEvans
    Member
    from Phoenix AZ

    And you WILL have slop/free play in the reverser box that can not be eliminated,not a good solution.
     
  13. Haven't seen a rack with a pitman arm yet. :eek:
     
  14. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Despite what you read here you want to do the exact same thing I did in 1978 on my '32 Ford with Pinto R&P. In my case I made the housing and used GE CF6 sump pump gears since we were changing them anyway and had many scrap old ones. I believe any oil pump gears would work. If you look at the pinion gear in your R&P it isn't very big. You don't need battle ship gears. You could buy two of them and use the pinion gears to make a gear box. Oh yeah the second owner of my old '32 still has the reverser in it and it still works fine. I know lots of "experts" who have never tried it would say else wise.
     
  15. badshifter
    Joined: Apr 28, 2006
    Posts: 3,535

    badshifter
    Member

    It's not that it won't work as I'm sure it/yours did/does. I'm no expert, but why experiment with steering? It's been done properly a billion times. The effort it takes to build, or rig an existing reverser would be far better spent by installing parts that work. There are lots of situations where improvising is safe, or even encouraged. This does not seem to be that situation.
     
  16. pastlane
    Joined: Oct 4, 2007
    Posts: 1,063

    pastlane
    Member

    In hot rod & restoration trade mag a couple moths back was a press release for an aftermarket rack that could be used as either a front or rear steer ( I won't call it universal but it sounded that way). I looked for the mag but have been cleaning house here & must have tossed it.
     
  17. here it is
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXs4ccssFwI

    http://americanonlineimports.com/
     
  18. Brad54
    Joined: Apr 15, 2004
    Posts: 6,021

    Brad54
    Member
    from Atl Ga

    Save yourself the time and money, and just drive it into a tree or ditch as-is.
    Then rebuild it the right way with the right parts.

    -Brad
     
  19. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Last guy I told about reversing my steering on the HAMB did a thread on how he reversed his. If you feel that such a project is beyond your skill level. By all means I agree. Don't do it. But it can be done it will work and isn't a death sentence.
     
    Lowandslow54 likes this.
  20. Kerrynzl
    Joined: Jun 20, 2010
    Posts: 2,906

    Kerrynzl
    Member

    Just use a Nissan Bluedird " rear steer " rack.
    All the dirt track boys over here use RHD racks on "front steer" when they flip them upside down to convert to LHD for oval tracks

    You wouldn't need to flip it if you're using a factory LHD Bluebird rack in a rear steer vehicle

    They also have power steering racks [ the power part is in the pinion ]
     
  21. I've had some of those " oh shit " moments myself. When you build something and it aint quite right, I've always found the easiest way to get past it is to redo it the right way. If you have a rack and pinion steering and it turns left when you turn right, switch sides of the front axle and make it work the way it's supposed to. It's much easier to fix it on the road if you should ever have to. Why have what would in essence be two steering boxes to serve one purpose, and that's to turn a corner. My nickels worth.
     
  22. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    That must have been a hell of a test ride or he forgot to set the day and date on his watch and was a day late with his April fools joke.

    Well it looks like his RR 46 Ford pickup on car frame has a Jag rack from reading previous posts.
     
  23. i changed a steering cable of an old boat i had, accidentally put the rack in upside down, left the boat ramp and gunned the motor... put it right onto the beach to the amusement of all the sun bathers.
     
  24. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Somewhere, surely, there's a rodder who rebuilt his banjo rear with the center upside down AND got the steering backward, resulting in the most sudden and thorough destruction of a project since they roadtested the Manhattan project! We all make mistakes, what matters is the style with which we discover them!
     
  25. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,214

    sunbeam
    Member

    How about some lawn mower differential if you hold the carrier and turn one axle the other axle turns the other way.
     
  26. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    Surely people here have heard of or seen the gear boxes sold to speed up or slow down steering shaft rotation. Do you think they are some how safer than one made to reverse rotation? The mentality here is "If it is sold in a cataloger, it's good. If I made it it's not" Or at least that seems to be what I am reading. Would you buy one of those chain drive steering deals being sold now? I wouldn't. I had several people tell me my twin distributer drive wouldn't work on my 32 Plymouth banger with my home made head. Stop by and I'll show you the SCTA record trophy's. Same thing for the 57 Ford V8 head on the Plymouth block. You can see those trophy's at the same time. Corvair turbos on a 270 GMC back in the 70s. Everyone knew that wouldn't work. You can look at those trophy's too. Don't touch.
     

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  27. old bone
    Joined: Mar 5, 2008
    Posts: 312

    old bone
    Member
    from maine

    thanks for all the advice..the rack was out of my dads wrecked 69 jag xke..it only weighs about 5 lbs ..this rack is made from 1.5 inch tubing and hides so well behind the axle ya hardley notice it...has a total of three turns from one side to the other and has amazinly long throw.had been sitting in the barn for 25 yrs..was seized..freed and cleaned it..and the old ford tie rod just fit so perfectly on the ends..i mounted it behingd the axle..actually on the axle...so there would be absloutly no bump steer what so ever...aparently this rack was mounted in front of the a arms on the jag..i believe i am going to stay away from the gear box idea..because of the woory it might not return to center correctly...after review of the rack..i am dropping it off at the machine shop and have the gear "flipped" from the bottom of the rack to the top and that should correct the issue at a minimal expense...i will also look at the wrecking yard and check out those nissan racks..
     

  28. I'm glad to hear that, you'll be glad you did. My next question is how do you compensate for the movement between the rack and the column if the rack is mounted to the axle. Some sort of slip shaft ? Sounds like there may be another problem brewing with this setup, just curious as I've never seen a rack mounted to an axle. I'm thinking there must be a reason, and I'm also thinking that saftey may be that reason. Enlighten us please.
     
  29. RichFox
    Joined: Dec 3, 2006
    Posts: 10,020

    RichFox
    Member Emeritus

    It is my understanding that the Jag R&P is reasonably easy to flip. If so that is the obvious answer to your problem. I never had any notice of the gear box hindering return to center and can not imagine any way to would cause that to happen. Can someone explain to me their thinking on this? PS. Yes mine was mounted to the axle. The gear box is mounted even with the rear of the radius rods. It does have slip in it if necessary but since it swings in the same radius as the the radius rods the length should stay the same.
     
  30. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    It could only hinder return to center if it had a LOT of friction acting as a brake. A fairly lightly loaded pair of gears would have very little frictional drag unless put together very badly.
     

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