Hello Everyone: Long time lurker, new member - there was a thread where a poster asked about installing a rack and pinion set up in an old Ford truck, several comments questioned the idea or wanted more details. OP got irate. YOU GUYS DID NOTHING WRONG. Not every idea is a good one, all kinds of unexpected issues can pop up from: bump steer, emergency handling, tracking on a crowned road and suspension geometry problems. There's a reason why Ford had a whole team of engineers design that I-beam/steering system and took it through extensive review and testing. Plus, the OP was planning to have his DAUGHTER drive this thing. Probably saved a major accident somewhere in the USA. (Going down to the basement now , to see if a Kroil soak freed up some OT engine oil gallery plugs... End of rant)
Of course Ford also had a whole team of accountants on the same project, not to mention developed stances on technology, DFM, industrial politics, and what Ivan Illich called "radical monopoly". The well-known line about all the millions the factory spent ought to be a red rag to any self-respecting hot rodder. Automotive engineering must be rooted in sound physics but, that said, it isn't rocket science. In fact, rocket science isn't rocket science most of the time. Nor is automotive engineering magic – however much some would like to present it as such. It isn't an arcane mystery; learning it doesn't involve enchanted grimoires or necromantic rites. All the principles are out there for the taking; all past practice is there to be seen; all critical dimensions are there to be measured. There is nothing there which cannot be known, and known quite easily given a bit of effort. If hot rodding isn't the assertion that an ordinary person can be the technological equal of the most heavily capitalized conglomerate, then it is nothing at all. Then, unless we're about a paper-thin "culture" style statement we all might as well pack up and go home. That is not, of course, to say that an ordinary person is automatically that. It isn't to say that a badly-considered rack and pinion install cannot be inferior to the stock setup. But a well-considered one could be far, far better. And that is within our capabilities.
The other thread is locked. For the fighting, probably. But I'm going to point out that R&P is not traditional hot rodding. *edit* - There was a lot of good information to be learned on the other thread. From a lot of folks.
Well sometimes our delivery is bad, mine more than anyone else's. But the deal is we put the information out there and if the people don't want to hear it that's on them. By the way @ThisOneGoesTo11 if you are serious about getting something broke loose use Liquid Wrech the difference between it and Kroil is the difference between a shot of Bourbon and a Shirley Temple.
I was probably one of the last to post on that thread, I simply pointed out that there was a simple and better way that used mostly factory Ford parts from later model Ford pickups. I've seen too many posts on here and on that thread that only are posted to throw in a negative comment without adding any sort of viable solution. Or those that try to throw in their lack of expertise but want to sound knowledgeable. That usually starts the argument and gets the thread chopped off.
The Jalopy Journal
