[SilverJade69]

Installing a SOT front end on my 1969 mustang (bought front and rear kit 3 link package), all the parts are great, wonderful quality. One thing is that if you have a Unisteer rack and pinion kit the camber kit will not work. The issue is with the rear LCA bolt access. It seems you could drop the rack and then plasma cut the access holes bigger in the rack bracket....seems like a lot of work. Also, the eccentric washer thing is captured when you install the unisteer, so when you take out the stock LCA, you have to fish out the eccentric washer, which in my case slipped down and is pinned between the rack bracket and the frame, 30-45 minutes or so of fiddling with it and you can get it lined up again...yay! So, if you are in my situation, when removing the LCA bolt put some kind of ream (bolt or whatever) so it does not get lost in the abyss and just use the stock adjusters. I would not have bought the camber kit if I knew it would not work with the unisteer. For the cost I paid for the kit the extra camber kit is small, but would be nice if this info was provided up front when ordering. Thinking that down the line I will drop the rack and enlarge the access holes....but c'mon probably never gonna happen.

 

[zray]

The disadvantages of the aftermarket rack & pinion steering are many.

The advantages vs a restored stock steering box are questionable.

Z

 

[jjfish]

I’ve read about that issue many times. I don’t know if it’s been corrected by now or not. I think opening the holes is the common fix.

 

[Shaun @ Street or Track]

I have discussed this with Unisteer several times. Even offered to help improve the design. Deaf ears so far.

Simplest solution is to drop the rack to change plates. It's only 2 bolts that hold the cross member in place. Change plates, re-install those 2 bolts. It is much easier than fiddling with plates behind the cross member.

In my opinion this isn't a deal breaker and adds maybe 2 minutes to each plate change. During alignment you are changing plates a couple of times and then its set.

I'll take a rack over a worm gear box any day.

 

[[email protected]]

I just rebuilt 90% of my front end with parts from OpenTracker (90% put me at my $$ limit) and removed the camber eccentric and installed SoT camber kit, i only have the strut rods left to replace. My 70 came with Unisteer power R&P and I ran into this same situation. I had to un bolt the rack and let it sit on a milk crate so I would not have to disconnect hoses while I changes control arms. When changing the camber number plates to align I would loosen both rack mounting bolts, place something under the rack for support and remove the bolt on the side I was working on and I could then slide or swivel the rack back a little and access the LCA bolt nut and number plate, the driver side was more of a pain because of the steering components, a small magnet on a telescopic handle proved invaluable, I could use it to hold the number plate in place while I pushed the LCA bolt through from the front. It was a pain but it is doable, hope this helps. Wish I had taken pictures, pics were not a priority in the midst of all the cussing and bleeding.

Edit Shawn posted exactly what I did while i was pecking at my keyboard!

 

[kenash]

Aren't these little "humps" in our quest for better performance a small price to pay? We have to accept, there "may" be challenges when we re-engineer our machines.
Wanna go fast(er) going to cost mo money!

 

[5speed65]

I’ve never looked at a unisteer up close but does it have the slots for the frame rail bolts like zrays crossmember?

 

[Shaun @ Street or Track]

I’ve never looked at a unisteer up close but does it have the slots for the frame rail bolts like zrays crossmember?

No. This is what I've discussed with them and wish they would adopt.

I've ground out an access hole in the cross member on 1 car but on the other I find it much easier to just drop the cross member.

 

[5speed65]

No. This is what I've discussed with them and wish they would adopt.

I've ground out an access hole in the cross member on 1 car but on the other I find it much easier to just drop the cross member.

Yeah I feel like I’ve seen on you car it had a bolt going through. However on other unisteers I’ve seen they did not. the no holes or slots for connecting the lca holes (or slots if you have a camber kit) together. Is definitely a dealbreaker for me and probably others because them being tied together really makes a difference

 

[Shaun @ Street or Track]

Yeah I feel like I’ve seen on you car it had a bolt going through. However on other unisteers I’ve seen they did not. the no holes or slots for connecting the lca holes (or slots if you have a camber kit) together. Is definitely a dealbreaker for me and probably others because them being tied together really makes a difference

I'm not sure them not being tied together is a deal breaker. It would probably be a nice upgrade but even without it my road race car seems to do pretty well.

 

[5speed65]

I'm not sure them not being tied together is a deal breaker. It would probably be a nice upgrade but even without it my road race car seems to do pretty well.

Any plans on making a sot steering setup?

 

[zray]

I’ve never looked at a unisteer up close but does it have the slots for the frame rail bolts like zrays crossmember?

for the record, My crossmembers do not have slots for the frame rail bolts, just a a precise beveled hole which matches the angle of the stock bolt with its conical shaft.

The slots are at the LCA pivot point to accommodate camber adjustment via the Opentracker camber plate kit.

Z

 

[rwcstang]

I have discussed this with Unisteer several times. Even offered to help improve the design. Deaf ears so far.

Simplest solution is to drop the rack to change plates. It's only 2 bolts that hold the cross member in place. Change plates, re-install those 2 bolts. It is much easier than fiddling with plates behind the cross member.

In my opinion this isn't a deal breaker and adds maybe 2 minutes to each plate change. During alignment you are changing plates a couple of times and then its set.

I'll take a rack over a worm gear box any day.

Shaun, I'm surprised you haven't created your own Rack & Pinion design, is that something your company would think of doing next? would TCP be compatible with your Coilover/suspension design aswell?

 

[Clay_in_ABQ]

Shaun, I'm surprised you haven't created your own Rack & Pinion design, is that something your company would think of doing next? would TCP be compatible with your Coilover/suspension design aswell?

Yeah, I might finally get off my butt and upgrade to R&P if you do!

 

[Shaun @ Street or Track]

Shaun, I'm surprised you haven't created your own Rack & Pinion design, is that something your company would think of doing next? would TCP be compatible with your Coilover/suspension design aswell?

It's been a thought of mine for a few years, just not the right time right now. We are having a 'fun' time just trying to keep up with the supply and demand issues over the past few years! Orders are double but supply is half. It's a part-time job (on top of my very full-time job) that I do weekly just chasing materials, supplies etc.

Finding a suitable rack supplier/component/builder would be the first major step. There are a few custom places but I haven't spent any time checking them out to see if they would be a good fit in terms of quality and capacity to supply the volume.

For now I like the Unisteer. It works well on both my road race car and street car. Sure it could be better but so could lots of things. I have to focus my energy on keeping the current train rolling and not get too fried with too many projects on the go at once.

 

[5speed65]

It's been a thought of mine for a few years, just not the right time right now. We are having a 'fun' time just trying to keep up with the supply and demand issues over the past few years! Orders are double but supply is half. It's a part-time job (on top of my very full-time job) that I do weekly just chasing materials, supplies etc.

Finding a suitable rack supplier/component/builder would be the first major step. There are a few custom places but I haven't spent any time checking them out to see if they would be a good fit in terms of quality and capacity to supply the volume.

For now I like the Unisteer. It works well on both my road race car and street car. Sure it could be better but so could lots of things. I have to focus my energy on keeping the current train rolling and not get too fried with too many projects on the go at once.

I think what would be difficult is that it would still have to be a rear steer setup if you were to utilize original mounting locations. If it was an additional welded in crossmember up front in between the sway bar mounts and lca mount it would work but then oil pans for different engines would be really complicated. For a small block a rear sump from a foxbody could work but the rear crossmember might be in the way so you might have to have a thin oil pan and go to an dry sump system.

but a front steer unit would not be able to use original spindles so new spindles would have to be completely designed but the sway bar would be in the way of tie rods. So the swaybar would have to be relocated. And probably the worst part would be the tie rods to frame rail clearance.