Hello Everyone,

We just wanted to introduce ourselves, we are SpeedDirect, the latest sponsor to the Chevelle Forum. We manufacture the SteeroidsTM Rack and Pinion conversion kit for 68-72 Chevelles. You might want to visit our website, we are having a sale on this conversion kit all through September. It’s a chance to save 20%, and enjoy the difference rack and pinion makes on your car. It is amazing what it did for our ’70 Chevelle project car; much quicker, positive steering and it didn’t affect the tuning radius! All this and the ability to adjust bump steer too. The kit is all inclusive and just bolts on, no cutting or welding. Look it over and see what you think.

We have been providing owners of classics and muscle cars these conversion kits since 1998, and our customers really like what we have done to improve the handling on their vehicles.

SpeedDirect
www.speeddirect.com (http://www.speeddirect.com)

It’s a chance to save 25%

So whats the deal?

Here you state 25% off

But the website says 20% off

"List" price $1899
"Our" price $1519.20 (20% off list)

25% off "list" ($1424.25)?
Or just the 20% off "list"?

Need some clarification, please.

Whats the "ratio" on these (NOT just the "turns, lock-to-Lock)

Oops, the sale price should be 20% off the normal list price or $1519.20. I fixed it, sorry for the confusion.

With respect to turn ratio of the rack, could you possibly elaborate as to why you feel this is important? We have tried to express the performance in terms that don't confuse anyone. Rack ratios seem to be one of those things that are easily mis-interpreted and so we typically avoid using them. If we have missed an important spec point then we want to change how we state performance.

Thanks!

With respect to turn ratio of the rack, could you possibly elaborate as to why you feel this is important? We have tried to express the performance in terms that don't confuse anyone. Rack ratios seem to be one of those things that are easily mis-interpreted and so we typically avoid using them. If we have missed an important spec point then we want to change how we state performance.

Thanks!
Okay, I can see where comparing the rack to a box would be nearly impossible (because of the pitman arm length, etc)...

IMO "# turns Lock-to-Lock" is also easily mis-interpreted... Much of this has to do with people swapping other boxes over the years, with different "stops"... It might be "3 turns, L-to-L", but no ones really sure where the lock will be...

Although I do see where comparing a rack to a box would be difficult, due to the length of the pitman arm, etc...

The uninformed, everyday "Joe" might check how many revolutions his steering wheel turns and think "Gee, this box take less turns, so it must work better"...

And even with the "Lock to Lock", there is still the issue of internal "stops" (inside the steering box) versus external "stops", such as the steering arm "tail" contacting the lower control arm...

Comparing the ratios between boxes will give an idea of how quickly the car will turn relative to the wheel being turned...

Basically, I don't care too much about how far the wheels will turn one way or the other (Lock-to-Lock, unless I am parking or pulling a U-turn), but I want to know how quickly the wheels turn in relation to the steering wheel...

We have done a lot of work to see that the end result is quicker steering, after all that is a part of what this kind of conversion is about. In our kit we provide redesigned steering arms which are attached to the spindle. This was done for several reasons, one of which is to make sure that the turning radius of the car is no greater that stock. The spindle rotates so that the steering arm touches the hard stop on the a-arm, not the limit of the rack travel. Therefore, the steering travel is identical to the stock steering.

With respect to turns lock to lock, it does make a difference so long as the spindle hits the stop, and there is no variable ratio in the system (some steering boxes provide a variable ratio.) Our design gives less that three turns, more like 2-1/2, a significant improvement over any available steering box.

In addition to this there are other good reasons to consider a rack and pinion conversion beyond steering quickness. We have listed them on our website at: http://speeddirect.com/index.aspx?nodeID=149.

Mark,

The steering in my '72 Malibu is SOOOOOOO loose, that when I drive it hard it is quite challenging to keep it in my lane. Does your steering conversion make the steering firmer and with more "feel". Mine is the typical '60's and '70's" "dont feel the road steering", and I hate it.

It has been our experience with Chevelles and other R & P conversions that the feel and feedback to the driver is greatly improved over stock steering.

SpeedDirect