Removing inner tie rod at steering rack & steering rack extension for bump steer

[eseethal]

I once again started to address my bump steer. Due to toe-out on compression and rebound I want to shorten my tie rods and fabricate a steering rack extension. But how can I remove the inner tie rod from the steering rack? Any hints how this should work?
And if someone knows sources to buy a steering rack extension that would also be great!

Many thanks...................Eugen





146434

[beeman]

This is a modification that FFR has Roadster builders do for all of their manual steering racks, I had to do this for my MK3.1. I believe the roadsters use a Flaming River rack, I'm not sure what the GTM rack is but I was thinking Flaming River. Pretty sure these are Mustang Fox body compatible even on the GTM. So you might find some answers in the Roadster forum.
That being said, I'm not aware of anyone shortening or extending their steering rack arms to correct bump steer on the GTM.

[eseethal]

Thanks for the info! I am not sure and I haven't found out, what steering type the GTM uses. Maybe someone knows?
My GTM is #6, an early beta version, so maybe it is a little different from later versions. In any case I have massive bump steer (toe out) on compression and rebound idantically left and right.

[crash]

I believe there is a bump steer kit sold by FFR, but it is just spacers for the outside link to the upright. Might want to give it a try though before going to all the trouble of shortening the rack.

[eseethal]

Crash, thanks for the info! Regarding to all the info I read, when I have toe-out on rebound&compression, it is a too long tie rod, see attached photo of my toe-change. So I would like to add extenders to the steering rack, which I could fabricate on my lathe easily. Maybe one inch or two could make a big difference. But how do I get this inner tie rods from the steering rack? Usually there is a hex on the part and a safety pin, but here it is completely round with no apparent safety pin. Maybe heat and a large pipe wrench will help?

Thanks you for your help!

146591

[eseethal]

Now I have tried using induction heat to loosen the threaded joint and have melted a Teflon ring in the joint. Now I finally need a new tie rod, damn! Who can help me here, which tie rod do I need here and how do I get it down?


Thanks a lot!

Eugen146645

[beeman]

I had some rack questions a few years back:

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?28515-What-is-the-GTM-manual-steering-rack-ratio-Seems-really-slow

[beeman]

This GTM got the C5 Vette Magnasteer rack which "effectively taken the bump-steer down to almost zero". So that might be an option for you. Just would need to fabricate mounts which isn't a big deal.
It also references the 'manual "mustang rack" '.

https://gtmbuild.weebly.com/steering.html

[eseethal]

Thanks, but I would like to stay with manual steering. What rack & pinion type could the stock part be? A little quicker than 15:1 would not hurt though.

Eugen

[eseethal]

For anyone interested: I could remove the inner tie rods with a huge pipe wrench with the steering rack in a vice. The thread size is (metric) M16x1,5. FF only sells the complete rack, so I had to order one.