Help! rack and pinion

[gipelo]

HI all !!!!!!!

I'm the happy owner of a 1991 L98 ZF6 + FX3

today my car is in bad health: the rack and pinion is broken:ugh
I can't trun the wheel anymore.

So I want to change it ....but I don't have any certitudes about what is my original steering sport or normal.

I have heard that in 1991 with RPO FX3 sport steering is coming...but not sure....

could you help me ?

thanks guys

 

[boomdriver]

HI all !!!!!!!

I'm the happy owner of a 1991 L98 ZF6 + FX3

today my car is in bad health: the rack and pinion is broken:ugh
I can't trun the wheel anymore.

So I want to change it ....but I don't have any certitudes about what is my original steering sport or normal.

I have heard that in 1991 with RPO FX3 sport steering is coming...but not sure....

could you help me ?

thanks guys

I'm assuming that you want a Z51 or the "fast" rack?

I cannot help with the part number...but I can tell you that the rack is available. ID the rack that you have by how many turns it makes..less than 1 each way, or more than 1 turn each way. The fast rack is 3/4 to 1 turn each direction.

 

[joe paco]

website for checking RPO codes by VIN

I have 91 with FX3, not sure what Zf6 is. there is a thread in general discussions, 5-25-11, that tells you how to look at the RPO info for your vin number.

mine has "GM1", 2.59 axle ratio. or, you can check RPO's on the label, probably under the console door lid. look for GM something. but the RPO link will describe what the code is, for about everything on your auto.

if you find the axle code, this site has a list in "specs" above, I believe. Anyway, they have a ton of data on this site.

saludos

 

[joe paco]

Sorry! I saw "ring and pinion" rather than rack and pinion. It pays to read with your bifocals.

Anyway, the VIN info will be usefel one day.

saludos.

 

[boomdriver]

Sorry! I saw "ring and pinion" rather than rack and pinion. It pays to read with your bifocals.

Anyway, the VIN info will be usefel one day.

saludos.

I though I was the only one....

Someone walks in front of me at the grocery store and says " excuse me" as they step inbetween me and the shelves...

I tell them "no problem, I have to be on this side of the asle to be able to see whats on the other side !"

 

[joe paco]

I'm assuming that you want a Z51 or the "fast" rack?

I cannot help with the part number...but I can tell you that the rack is available. ID the rack that you have by how many turns it makes..less than 1 each way, or more than 1 turn each way. The fast rack is 3/4 to 1 turn each direction.

boom, I looked at all RPO's for 91 and no mention of any rack and pinion. what, then, is the source of "sport" steering? Z07?
mine has FX3, with standard steering, I assume, more than 1 turn eigher way, from straight.

 

[93Rubie]

Rock Auto lists two separate AcDelco rack and pinion sets. However, that being said the Z07 if it had a fast ratio steering gear would be the only one to have it. The FX3 and base suspensions only really differed in shocks. So a standard rack should be fine.

 

[boomdriver]

boom, I looked at all RPO's for 91 and no mention of any rack and pinion. what, then, is the source of "sport" steering? Z07?
mine has FX3, with standard steering, I assume, more than 1 turn eigher way, from straight.

Thats a good question...

What we see as option codes, is not what the aftermarket industry uses as their guide or list of available replacement codes. Some may not even be available..or D/C options.

When I shopped, all I saw was "base" or "sport". Knowing that by 1987 there were at least 3 different racks, base, Z51 & Z52 (Z07 in there later) my 87 did not have a Z51 option that yr, only Z52. Nowhere in the books could you ID which available rack was the Z51, so I went strictly by steering rotation and what they called "fast" or normal.
I just ordered a Z51 and if that was not able to be ID'd...gimme the fast one. I'm still unsure of exactly which rack "sport" is...but thats whats in the MidAmerica or Corvette America books. Auto parts stores too.

 

[Hib Halverson]

The "quick rack" is extremely rare in late 88-96 C4s having been in production for only 18 months (88 and part of 89).

The only time the quick rack is a performance advantage is in autocrossing. Otherwise, it's unnecessary.

Many of the 88-96 reman racks sold as "quick ratio" are really not.

 

[boomdriver]

The "quick rack" is extremely rare in late 88-96 C4s having been in production for only 18 months (88 and part of 89).

The only time the quick rack is a performance advantage is in autocrossing. Otherwise, it's unnecessary.

Many of the 88-96 reman racks sold as "quick ratio" are really not.

Well, Thanks !

that answers one of my questions....why my current rack is only 3/4 turn, and thats exactly what was ordered (quick/fast rack) because of the uncertainty of what 'sport' meant to the aftermarket guys.

I knew a dirt track driver that would use these quick racks because they responded so well to the "aggressive" steering wheel input on the dirt circle..

 

[roger longman]

I had the rack on my '88 replaced by Dick Guldstrand, a few years ago. He advised me against having a 'faster' rack installed. As nobody knew more about Vettes than Dick, I gladly accepted his advice......Roger..

 

[boomdriver]

I had the rack on my '88 replaced by Dick Guldstrand, a few years ago. He advised me against having a 'faster' rack installed. As nobody knew more about Vettes than Dick, I gladly accepted his advice......Roger..

There IS a definate downside to a fast rack...its extremely sensitive and can get you in trouble if you're not practiced in how quickly it steers...like over-steer, the response is greater than the input so you can easily loop the car if you dive into the wheel too much on something like a decreasing radius turn.
Jerking the wheel is a no-no...
Sneezing can send you across 2 lanes, and momentary eyes off the road to sip your latte will pull you off course very quickly.

Upside...
I can negeotiate the avg 90* corner with about 1/4 turn of the wheel,(effortlessly) it steers out of a skid very easily almost self correcting, and parking is simple with the quick turning...backing in is just as easy as pulling in.

It does take some getting used to, but for me, its a welcome performance part after having proven itself more than once in emergency situations where a fast reaction was the only thing that saved me and the car.

 

[joe paco]

I had the rack on my '88 replaced by Dick Guldstrand, a few years ago. He advised me against having a 'faster' rack installed. As nobody knew more about Vettes than Dick, I gladly accepted his advice......Roger..

Dick must not have had the fast one in stock.

("nobody"?);worship

 

[roger longman]

Dick must not have had the fast one in stock.

("nobody"?);worship[/QUOTE)


You've NOT heard of Dick Guldstrand ??