[brokenweasel]

I saw the thread about making a mustang more refined, and asiansensation78's suggestion of upgrading steering components. After doing some thinking and researching, I ordered some solid steering rack bushings from Maximum Motorsports. They say with the stock K-member offset bushings don't help on a lowered car (I cut 1/2 coil), and I'm scared to death of urethane bushings, so the BBK ones were out. Here's the link of whats coming:

Steering Rack Bushings, Solid, 1985-04 Mustang with stock k-member [MMST-7] : Maximum Motorsports, the Latemodel Mustang Performance Suspension Leader!

Installation instructions here:
Installation of Maximum Motorsports Aluminum Steering Rack Bushings

I think the steering on the car is decent, but I'm all about cheap ways to make it feel better. so....

Who's got'em?
Opinions? Did you notice a difference? Worth $50?
How was installation? Suggestions? problems?

 

[sharkbait]

why are you scared of urethane bushings?

 

[sharkbait]

Also remember with solid bushings if you hit a curb instead of the bushings taking the hit and flexing your now going to break/bend parts

There wont be any give

 

[codycat91]

So are you saying the urethane ones would be best? I want to do something to improve steering response, but if these are not the best route, could you post a link to what would be best?

 

[brokenweasel]

why are you scared of urethane bushings?

In this instance, I doubt they would make that big of a difference. I've heard urethane bushings are nice and stiff when you first put them in but they wear out quickly, and I'm hoping to never have to replace them.

Do you have these in your car? Driven a car with them?

 

[asiansensation78]

I did the entire steering system at once, minus the steering wheel, and it was a massive difference. I don't think the bushings themselves made a huge difference, but for $40 I really can't complain lol

 

[numbaonechief]

Its a pretty straight foward install. Only snag might be when you cut those tube spacer things. I only bought them because my regular ones were shot. Noticed very little but once there on thats it unless you break something.

 

[Novanutcase]

If you want to make your steering more crisp try installing a solid steering shaft. This will eliminate the slop from the rag joint although if your other bushings are shot you'll need to look at those too.

The steering rack bushings only align the rack so that the tie rods are more parallel to the lower arms. This will give the car a more precise, go-karty feel!

John

 

[codycat91]

If you want to make your steering more crisp try installing a solid steering shaft. This will eliminate the slop from the rag joint although if your other bushings are shot you'll need to look at those too.

The steering rack bushings only align the rack so that the tie rods are more parallel to the lower arms. This will give the car a more precise, go-karty feel!

John

Where can you buy? Whats the best brand? How much does this cost?

P.S. I highly recommend the steering shaft offset bushings. I did these when I installed my H&R SS springs and my alignment is perfect WITHOUT CC plates or bumpsteer kit!

 

[asiansensation78]

Maximum Motorsports for $300, or Flaming River (non-collapseable) for $250. 01KnightRiderGT and I built a couple ourselves , this one is the prototype:

 

[Bullitt5339]

I had poly bushings, but my K-Member came with aluminum ones, so I put them in. Didn't see a huge difference between the two, but both were an improvement over the mushy, decrepid rubber bushings that were in there.

 

[Novanutcase]

Maximum Motorsports for $300, or Flaming River (non-collapseable) for $250.

Did you feel a big difference in road feel and turning precision? I did....

John

 

[asiansensation78]

With the solid steering shaft? Sure did, there's a lot less lag between the steering wheel and the wheels actually turning. It's more firm and communicative. There's a bit more road vibration, but I like it that way. The stock steering shaft just sucks altogether, in addition to the play in the rag joint, there's also play in the collapseable areas.

 

[Novanutcase]

With the solid steering shaft? Sure did, there's a lot less lag between the steering wheel and the wheels actually turning. It's more firm and communicative. There's a bit more road vibration, but I like it that way. The stock steering shaft just sucks altogether, in addition to the play in the rag joint, there's also play in the collapseable areas.

Good! That's what I got! I also like more road feel so that you can anticipate certain conditions faster when you're rocketing down the straight or ripping through the corners.

John

 

[cbjohnson9]

P.S. I highly recommend the steering shaft offset bushings. I did these when I installed my H&R SS springs and my alignment is perfect WITHOUT CC plates or bumpsteer kit!

I disagree with this. The stock steering geometry is pretty dead on with these cars with the tie rod ends and lower arms originating from the same pivot point. You want your tie rods to be as close to parallel with your a-arms as possible. This allows the two to travel in the same dimension. By moving the steering rack up and keeping the stock mounting location of the lower arms, bumpsteer will increase as suspension travel increases, due to the tie rods and lower arms straying further away from parallel with each other. When you use an aftermarket k-member like the Maximum Motorsports k-member, the mounting location of the lower arms moves up, which is why offset steering rack bushings are used to relocate the rack back into the same plane as the lower arms effectively reducing bumpsteer.

The resting alignment of a car has nothing to do with bumpsteer. Bumpsteer only occurs during suspension travel.

 

[codycat91]

I disagree with this. The stock steering geometry is pretty dead on with these cars with the tie rod ends and lower arms originating from the same pivot point. You want your tie rods to be as close to parallel with your a-arms as possible. This allows the two to travel in the same dimension. By moving the steering rack up and keeping the stock mounting location of the lower arms, bumpsteer will increase as suspension travel increases, due to the tie rods and lower arms straying further away from parallel with each other. When you use an aftermarket k-member like the Maximum Motorsports k-member, the mounting location of the lower arms moves up, which is why offset steering rack bushings are used to relocate the rack back into the same plane as the lower arms effectively reducing bumpsteer.

The resting alignment of a car has nothing to do with bumpsteer. Bumpsteer only occurs during suspension travel.

Quote from AM website: "If you have a lowered 1985 to 2004 Mustang, a set of offset polyurethane bushings will raise your steering rack to correct your front suspension geometry and reduce bumpsteer."

I said I did these when I lowered my car with the H&R SS springs. You can disagree if you want, but the fact is, they help when lowering your car.

 

[asiansensation78]

I tend to take AM's descriptions with a grain of salt lol, suspension geometry is one of those things that's almost impossible to get spot-on with aftermarket products.

For example, on this page: Stack Racing 4.6L GT Intake Spacer (96-04) at AmericanMuscle.com

Stack Racing's Aluminum Intake Plenum Spacer for the 1996-2004 4.6L 2V GT Mustang is a simple yet very effective bolt-on to improve the quality of the air entering your engine. By helping to better separate your throttle body from engine heat and increasing the volume of the plenum, you will easily gain 2-7 dyno proven rear wheel horse power.

 

[codycat91]

Yes, but HP numbers are a little more objective than simple geometry

 

[brokenweasel]

I'm more prone to trust the manufacturer than the retail outlet when it come to tech, even though most descriptions are just cut and paste. Maximum Motorsports says that with a stock K-member DON'T get offset bushings. Straight from their website:

"Why offset rack bushings are a bad idea for stock K-members

Although sold by many as a supposed cure for bumpsteer, installing offset steering rack bushings on a stock K-member make an acceptable situation far worse than if you had done nothing at all. How do we know this? Because we did testing. We measured the bumpsteer, both with and without offset rack bushings. Our test results were first published in the July 1993 issue of Super Ford."

Can anyone find that article?

Also, here's some more of this debate if anyone is interested:

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/forum...rack-bushings-too-much-conflicting-intel.html

 

[cbjohnson9]

Yes, but HP numbers are a little more objective than simple geometry

Haha...HP number comparisons are from different dynos, different weather conditions, different parts of the country (difference in height from sea level creates difference in density in the air), different correction factors...definitely an objective way to measure the performance of a vehicle. For example, when my tuner dynoed my car, he change the correction factor for barametric pressure by 1 in Hg (which is a realistic change) and changed my horsepower reading by about 15hp.

Simple Geometry can be measured and proven using math. What is more objective that math?

I'm more prone to trust the manufacturer than the retail outlet when it come to tech, even though most descriptions are just cut and paste. Maximum Motorsports says that with a stock K-member DON'T get offset bushings. Straight from their website:

"Why offset rack bushings are a bad idea for stock K-members

Although sold by many as a supposed cure for bumpsteer, installing offset steering rack bushings on a stock K-member make an acceptable situation far worse than if you had done nothing at all. How do we know this? Because we did testing. We measured the bumpsteer, both with and without offset rack bushings. Our test results were first published in the July 1993 issue of Super Ford."

Can anyone find that article?

Also, here's some more of this debate if anyone is interested:

http://www.moddedmustangs.com/forum...rack-bushings-too-much-conflicting-intel.html

I'm with you on this one. I am much more likely to trust what a dedicated suspension company thinks than a retail website's pitch at selling a product. MM doesn't just sell they're stuff, they test and use it.

Bumpsteer might not be evident without pushing the suspension to its limits