Does anyone have experience with installing a R&P into a stock K?
Or any links or magazine articles that show something like this?
I was looking at the last issue of SSRN and was checking out the pics of Seymours steering. Has his work slowed down since the IRS deadline has passed? I didn't want to call and bug him during his peak season.

The car is a '67 Barracuda notchback with a low deck 451. It was owned by my best friend for 25 years. He died 3 years ago and now his 24yo son has started running it in Super Street. This kids attitude has really changed for the good since he started racing. Right now, the oil pan is very close to the ground, it's been banged up some and needs something with more clearance like the FC style pan. The current pan is the Milodon pan with the drag link going thru it.
I checked into the LRT unit. This unit retains the torsion bars. It comes with a tube K, a new R&P and modified steering arms, ready to bolt in. I thought the cost would be around $1000 since there are no coil overs needed and uses the stock spindles and current brake package. I was suprised when the cost was $2100. While the Alter-Kation is an improvement and a better buy for the cost, at $3500, it's way over budget.
The plan is to use a '73-up A body K member with a Pinto R&P, swap steering arms, extend them, use stock tie rods with one end welded to the R&P. The '73-up K is made so the R&P will fit inside of it. After looking at Seymours set up, we may go with angle instead of extended stock steering arms and heim ends for tie rod ends.
So, anyone have a comment or advice which may be the best course of action?

_________________
Slant Cecil

Cecil, the big things will be rack placement, tie rod angle, and steering arm length. I have seen a few stock K's with racks put in them and some worked fairly well while others were downright dangerous. Tie rod angle and steering arm length are critical because a Pinto rack is actually too wide for an A-body. It is fairly easy to make one work going straight, but getting rid of bump steer is a beeotch.

I saw a set of arms out in Vegas that looked really decent, not some hacked up POS like some vendors sell. They were stock ball joints cut down, and the arm was boxed around the ball part.

High Speed Welding makes a tube K that you can attach struts to. I have seen it in person and it looks decent. Not sure about the price though.

Whatever you do, avoid DARE and AJE like a plague.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I talked to Seymour, he gave me a starting point on where to position the outer tie rod when making the steering arms. I thought the tie rod end would be almost straight out from the rack. Seymour said start with the outer rod end about 2" lower than the rack, and may have to go as much as 3" before I can get an acceptable toe pattern during suspension travel. He also said the swept back angle towards the rear doesn't have much affect, the height angle to the rack makes the biggest difference. We'll tack everything up and run it thru the travel to check before making the final steering arms. Looks like we have a bunch of trial and error engineering ahead.

Zilla, were the arms you saw in your new 'home town' bolt on? Seymour said he saw some while he was there that were bolt on. They use the 2 lower ball joint bolts to attach them after cutting off the OEM arm, plus they were $150 vs LRT's $400. I have the mfg phone #, just haven't been able to get an answer yet.

_________________
Slant Cecil

Yes, those were the ones.

Good luck and keep us posted about your progress Cecil.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.