autozones rack and pinion any good
 

My steering rack has been freezing up lately and the car wanders on the freeway.I want to stay with a powersteering rack but I want slightly stiffer steering.Are any of the local parts stores racks any good?I don't want to break the bank.

The Autozone part is probably just a remanufactered/rebuilt Ford rack. I'm not sure if there are any "performance" racks besides the ones that came stock on GTs from '83-on. Some shops that can mess with the gear box on your rack to make it turn easier/quicker. A shop did it to my car. Probably not cheap...but effective.

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1984 1/2 GT350 (#842 Hatchback w/ T-tops), 302HO, Comp cams Xtreme Energy cam, Carter 625cfm carb, Weiand Stealth intake, MSD distributor, MSD coil, FMS 9mm wires, 1 5/8" MAC unequal shorties, 2 1/2" MAC Prochamber H-pipe, Flowmaster 2 chambers, KYBs, 16"x8" 4 lug Cobra Rs, Falken 245/45ZR16s

So I pushed it up to 110,
That flathead motor was about to give in,
I crossed my fingers and prayed to the lord,
Don't let me down you fuct up ford!"

"5-Oh Ford" by The Reverend Horton Heat

A place in Iowa called Northern Auto Parts
(if I remember correctly) had pretty good deals on racks - I think they have a website. They're a rapidly growing stock & hp parts outfit and you can register to get their free periodic catalogues.

Just put that one in my mustang. It is remanufactured. Works great. IT was like $99.

Is the steering rack a common problem for mustangs? My steering binds up if you turn too quickly. It is always stiff cause when I drove my buddies stang, the difference was like night and day. Could this be a bad rack??

[This message has been edited by AB89GT (edited 08-25-2001).]

On Autozones web site they have two racks they sell.One is $99.00 and the other is called sport rack which they say is stiffer than the other rack they sell and it sells for 129.00.Does anybody know where I can get a new factory rack?

Yes it is, and yes it could. It could also be your power steering pump. The racks that have gone bad that I've seen usually get sticky, especially when you are turning in one direct. Sticks when you are turning left, or it's hard to turn right etc.

Ford built some of the racks out of aluminum. If they would have made them out of steel, the problem wouldn't be a big deal.