Randall Rack Issue

[Jimjific 23]

So I've started the tear down of my front suspension and have all my parts.

 

Disk Brakes

TCP Coil overs

1 1/8" Sway Bar

New Upper and Lower Arms

Rack and Pinion (Randalls Rack)

 

The only issue is that rack is second hand and the hard lines on the rack were bent and one is missing. I didn't think this would be a big deal since I thought I would just make new ones. The problem is, I can't find the fittings. I brought it to NAPA and tried all of their brake line fitting and I couldn't get one to match. They seem to want to be a 12mm but the ones they had were the wrong pitch. I emailed Randall a while back and I heard nothing. So I called him last week and I swear he hung up on me when I told him my situation. I called back a while later and discussed the possibility of getting new lines and he told me it would be around $70. He needed me to send him a picture of the rack which I promptly did. I haven't heard back from him since. Some great customer service he has. I wouldn't get them from him anyway since I can get a whole new reconditioned "J" type rack fro $65.

 

I still would rather make a new set, but this will hold me up on finishing until I get it resolved.

 

Jim

[danno 128]

Check at a Chevy parts dealer. I think the rack is the same one that is used on a 93 Cavaliar. Have them show you a picture to confirm, and maybe get the fittings or tubes you need from them.

 

Or try NAPA with the fittings for a 93 Chevy Cavaliar?

[Jimjific 23]

You are correct that the rack is from a early 94 Cavalier, but no parts stores just sell the lines. I haven't tried to dealer though. Thanks for the idea.

 

Jim

[RPM 1,190]

When I started reading your post Jim, I thought about contacting Randalls. Sheesh, idiots everywhere.

[Jimjific 23]

Yea, I don't get it. I'm not sure if he is annoyed that I didn't buy it from him or what. I checked the ebay auction that I was watching of a rack and they dropped their price to $53 dollars with free shipping so I bought it. I figure it gives me an extra set of parts. To tell you truth, I there is nothing really that special about Randalls rack system. You are basically paying $1600 for a bracket, steering link, and bearing. I will measure and make CAD models of the bracket and for my big block cougar make my own.

 

Jim

[danno 128]

Jim, I understand what you are going through. But someone had to do all the legwork to find out that the Chevy system would work in a Mustang. Actually, I have had my doubts, because the Chevy system was for a very small, light car. Some of the Mustangs and your Cougar have probably twice the front end weight of a 93 Chevy. By the way, there is a difference in between a 93 and 94 Chevy system. I think you want the 93.

 

I have Randalls and was thinking of buying a backup system this summer as a spare. The odds are that in 10 years the rack for a 93 Chevy will be obsolete.

 

But if you want to spend the time, you could get a lot of systems to work on your car. It is just that Randall did the groundwork. I have had some good conversations and some bad with him when I tried to get spare parts. He ended up giving me the parts I needed at no cost. He does not realize rule #1. You gotta keep the customer satisfied, even if they did not purchase today from you. Tomorrow they will.

 

Good luck finding the parts. Try a Chevy dealer or a boneyard. If you need my assistance, I can help maybe.

[MustangChuck 16]

The rack used by Randall and Steeroids is from 1982-1994 Buick Skyhawks, Cadillac Cimarrons, Chevrolet Cavaliers, Oldsmobile Firenzas and Pontiac J2000/Sunbirds. They are still PLENTIFUL in the boneyards, so you can grab the hoses from one of those. The rack itself is pushed up against the firewall and a real PITA to get out. I have a page that discusses its removal. I could not reach the inboard hoses without removing it, but you may have smaller hands that work.

 

M/C

 

EDIT: Seems I remembered wrong. After re-reading my HOW-TO, you can get to the hoses on the driver's side of the rack by removing the brake booster and unplugging the computer. On V6 cars (unsure about I4s), you also have to remove the alternator to get to the lines on the passenger's side. You do not have to completely remove the rack from the firewall to get to the hoses.

Edited May 9, 2012 by MustangChuck

[buening 63]

Jim, I understand what you are going through. But someone had to do all the legwork to find out that the Chevy system would work in a Mustang. Actually, I have had my doubts, because the Chevy system was for a very small, light car.

 

 

But if you want to spend the time, you could get a lot of systems to work on your car. It is just that Randall did the groundwork. I have had some good conversations and some bad with him when I tried to get spare parts. He ended up giving me the parts I needed at no cost. He does not realize rule #1. You gotta keep the customer satisfied, even if they did not purchase today from you. Tomorrow they will.

 

 

Actually there were people on the VMF that discovered this way before Randall ever started selling these. Guys were putting in the racks from Cavaliers as well as the racks from a Taurus. He just had enough business sense to make and sell these to the public. It seems customer service nowadays sucks, and is a surefire way of driving your business into the ground.

 

I've considered installing a rack on my car but can't get past the negative of a reduced turning radius. The radius sucks on these cars as it is, and reducing it further just won't fly with me.

[danno 128]

Now we all know a bit more. Jim, time for either a trip to a boneyard or a Chevy dealer.

[69gmachine 15]

The way to fix the turn radius problem is to replace the front spindles with Wilwood's Pro Spindle. Of course you will need to convert them to rear steer, so here is my shameless plug:

 

I have them available (as a loaded spindle with brakes or as part of a complete coil over suspension kit) and not only will they reduce the turn radius to that of a modern car, the turn rate will also be reduced so you won't have to make 3 and a half complete turns of the wheel in order to make that tight turn. You can also bolt up a set of '94-'04 wheels without needing spacers. I'm running 17x9s up front with P275 tires under the stock fenders. I haven't had time to develop my website further, but PM me if you're interested. Your success is critical to my success, so I will provide customer service like you seldom see from anyone.

 

As a side note, I have a rebuilt J-car rack (my own design installation) with about 4K miles on it. The one before had 3K miles on it before I had to replace it due to a bent rack (I bent it when I installed it). But it never leaked. The new one has also never leaked and I've open tracked both of them, and drove the first one cross country. They've held up amazingly well considering the fat tires it has to turn. There was a design change that corrected a leaking seal problem I believe with the '94 up rack and that's the one I'm using.

[Jimjific 23]

Now we all know a bit more. Jim, time for either a trip to a boneyard or a Chevy dealer.

I bought a new rack from ebay. It should be here in a few days. I will post how it goes.

 

Jim

[SWPruett 83]

So what's the deal with moving the inner tie rod connections from the front of the rack to the rear on the Cadaverlier R&P? All the kits out there have these "rear" tie rod locations where every one of these replacement racks seem to have them on the front. Are there any really good exploded views or detailed photos available that show the difference or how this is accomplished?

[danno 128]

Sven, I am not sure I understand. From what I understand, all the kits are rear and the replacements are as well. All old Mustangs have them in the rear, as did the Cavalier and others. I think newer Mustangs have the tie rod in the front.

[69gmachine 15]

No, what he's talking about is on the rack itself, Randall and one of his copy cats cut a hole in the back of the rack and attached a stand off to a round steel rod with late style r&p tie rod ends that screw on. They did this because they placed the rack as far forward as they could, probably in order to keep the steering shaft angle from being too great. However, this requires that the factory crossmember be removed, and the rack does not provide the same level of stiffening.

 

The original design of the J-car rack has the tie rods attached directly to the center of the rack on the front with 12mm bolts. In other retro fit designs (mine included) an adapter is used to mount a centerlink in front of the rack. This places the rack further aft, allowing the factory cross member to be retained. I've found there is still adequate room to put the steering shaft without binding. It's not like it's constantly spinning, so it can tolerate a fairly steep angle.

[55Mach1 10]

just spent 2+_ hours at the alignment shop with mine and the tie rod design on this system suck if you ask me. it gave the tech alot of issues setting toe and not running out of threads.

[SWPruett 83]

No, what he's talking about is on the rack itself, Randall and one of his copy cats cut a hole in the back of the rack and attached a stand off to a round steel rod with late style r&p tie rod ends that screw on. They did this because they placed the rack as far forward as they could, probably in order to keep the steering shaft angle from being too great. However, this requires that the factory crossmember be removed, and the rack does not provide the same level of stiffening.

 

The original design of the J-car rack has the tie rods attached directly to the center of the rack on the front with 12mm bolts. In other retro fit designs (mine included) an adapter is used to mount a centerlink in front of the rack. This places the rack further aft, allowing the factory cross member to be retained. I've found there is still adequate room to put the steering shaft without binding. It's not like it's constantly spinning, so it can tolerate a fairly steep angle.

 

Yep, that is exactly what my question is focused on. Is the rear mount tie rod configuration an easy thing to do on the GM rack? I've never seen one "nekid" before.