That's it! I'm getting a TCP power steering rack & pinion

[BigDuke6 17]

currently running a TCP manual R&P. Frau Wifey and I were at a classic car cruise in Nürnberg last saturday (We are the blue Mach 1 at the 1:40 mark) and I parked by backing in. The parking spaces were pretty tight. It took 15 exhausting minutes to get the car out of the parking space. My wife was so frustrated she said "F it! Just get the power steering and don't tell me how much it costs!" She is right. I swore I preferred the manual R&P for the enhanced road feel but Sweet tap-dancing Jesus, too much is too much.

 

 

the pink caddy at the 3:40 mark belongs to the IT director of my wife's company. He is a German who used to play in the NFL.

 

I counted 7 German registered Shelby GT-500s and a dozen 2005 on up Mustangs. Germans are nuts about American classics and even more nuts about Mustangs.

[MaxLT 10]

I've got a Flaming River manual box and have similar difficulty in parking lots but instead of modifying my steering linkage, adding a pump, and hoses etc.. and trying to keep everything from interfering with my headers and custom a/c I'm starting to research converting my steering to electric. Kits are just hitting the market and it has lot's of advantages like not constantly sapping hp and fits under the dash, only works when you need it, and if it fails the steering just goes back to the way it was. Anyone gone this route yet?

 

http://electricpowersteering.net/ididit-steering-column-electric-power-steering-kit/

[BigDuke6 17]

I've got a Flaming River manual box and have similar difficulty in parking lots but instead of modifying my steering linkage, adding a pump, and hoses etc.. and trying to keep everything from interfering with my headers and custom a/c I'm starting to research converting my steering to electric. Kits are just hitting the market and it has lot's of advantages like not constantly sapping hp and fits under the dash, only works when you need it, and if it fails the steering just goes back to the way it was. Anyone gone this route yet?

 

http://electricpowersteering.net/ididit-steering-column-electric-power-steering-kit/

 

very nice. And to think that the Duke went with an Ididit tilt steering column over a FR column 2 years ago. I believe in significant coincidences. the stars say I should think about this electrictrified thing-a-majingy.

[chillininnh 21]

Quitter! Man up and stick with the manual. :rolleyes:

[Pyetime 10]

T5's right? Didn't Germany already have a car named Mustang so Ford had to pull the badging and the name from all exported Mustangs to Germany? Glad the misses is on board for the new power steering unit!

[etel64 10]

Slick move ! way to go Duke ! its sort of like when I added bleach to all the clothes I washed. presto ! = under strict orders, I am never allowed to wash clothes again ! Aye Captain !

[BigDuke6 17]

Quitter! Man up and stick with the manual. :rolleyes:

 

I would if I could. Just had this put in my right arm a few months ago. I went from benching 300 to struggling with just the bar.

 

 

 

I just got cleared by the orthopedic dr. to start lifting 20 lbs. I have very limited range of motion. I hurt myself trying to steer my car out of that parking lot. I will just be getting my range of motion back when I have to get the metal taken out. I go in in August to pull that contraption out, which means another few months of being as weak as a kitten.

[six_sigma 12]

That is DEFINITELY sufficient cause for a power steering conversion. I hope your recovery is speedy and complete!

[BigDuke6 17]

That is DEFINITELY sufficient cause for a power steering conversion. I hope your recovery is speedy and complete!

 

thanks. The biggest bummer is that I am missing out on competitions in Norway and France for Olympic Skeet this summer. I was also supposed to go to Cyprus for the Grand Prix in March but could not following my accident (skiing in the Italian Alps).

 

I am a competitive olympic skeet shooter and travel around Europe to shoot. It is the only thing that consumes my time and money more than my mustang.

 

Here is the Duke shooting at the Grand Prix of Champaign two years ago.

 

 

I am dying, not being able to shoot.

[prayers1 153]

Maybe I missed it, but what happened to your arm.

I'm contemplating a Total Reverse Shoulder replacement and have been putting it off.

Like to know more of your story.

I hope all goes well.

John

[six_sigma 12]

That does suck! On the flip side I don't think you'll ever hear "man up" in a post again.

[BigDuke6 17]

Maybe I missed it, but what happened to your arm.

I'm contemplating a Total Reverse Shoulder replacement and have been putting it off.

Like to know more of your story.

I hope all goes well.

John

 

It was the dumbest thing. My brother and I were debating which way to go down a hill and settled on a route. I made turn 1 and then turn 2 and stepped on my ski pole. I vaulted over and came down on my shoulder. I knew I was screwed when I hit because I blacked out for a brief second. My brother thought it was nothing. It was the silliest fall ever, no worse than just tripping and going over. I broke my shoulder, pelvis, and left thumb. My brother could not believe it. Ski Tracks, an app for the iPhone, said I was going 7 mph when I fell. I fell at 50 mph before and rolled and tumbled down the hill without even a bruise. I fell off the garage of my parents' home once when I was taking the old basket ball net down and came down on my shoulder from over 10 feet in the air and didn't even get a bruise. This time, I was busted up good.

 

When I got back to Germany and after the surgery to put that plate in, I had a Dexa Bone Density Scan done. it turns out that at my age (45), I was in the low 3% for men my age in terms of bone density, meaning I have a severe case of osteoporosis. We did some blood work and found out I was severely vitamin D deficient. If you don't have enough Vit. D in your system, it doesn't matter if you drink a gallon of milk a day because without the Vit. D, your body does not absorb the calcium.

 

So how did I get Vit. D deficient? I grew up on a lake in Canada in the summer from 1972-1992. I spent every day in a bathing suit, in the water, in my sunfish, or on water skis. Later, I was a lifeguard at an outdoor pool. In 1993, I was seeing a dermatologist for a spot on my face (liver spot) and the Dr. noticed from the questionnaire I had completed that I had indicated at least 25-30 serious sun burns in my life time. She told me that just 4 serious sun burns was enough to triple your risk of skin cancer and she advised me to avoid the sun. I assiduously did so for the next 20 years. I lived in the NL from 1997-2011, and the only time it's not raining there is when it's really raining. Seattle is like Miami compared to Amsterdam. For the little sun there was, I avoided it like the plague, wearing long sleeves, sunscreen, hats, hiding under umbrellas and trees. In so doing, I was denying my body vit. D because 99% of your body's Vit. D comes from the sun. The rest comes from enriched milk products only they don't enrich milk or yoghurt with Vit. D in the NL. By not getting vit. D, I was leaching the calcium out of my bones to sustain the rest of my body.

 

The signs were there. I had an eye twitch, muscle spasms and pain after weight lifting, eczema, etc. My doc. dismissed my complaints as age related. If he had run a blood test, I would have been able to avoid a lot of pain and misery.

 

At least I found out. If not for this accident, I would have gone on avoiding the sun and my situation would have gotten worse. I found out that men with a calcium deficiency are at a significantly higher risk for fatal heart attacks and I already have high blood pressure so at least I have decreased my odds of dying. I could have fractured my vertebrae on the next fall and gotten paralyzed. I am better off for having found out, even if I did so the hard way. As a trade off, I miss a summer of shooting and busted myself up good. But I will heal and be back on the slopes next year.

 

My brother made two funny movies about the accident. The first is a trailer and the second is the movie.

 

this is the trailer. Watch it first

 

 

this is the movie

 

Edited May 28, 2012 by BigDuke6

[BigDuke6 17]

That does suck! On the flip side I don't think you'll ever hear "man up" in a post again.

 

as I was on the ground wishing I was dead, my brother told me to HTFU "Chopper Style" because we needed to get going.

 

[Powershift 19]

Daaaaaaaamn. That's a lot of hardware in your shoulder. Will any of it be removed after you heal up.... or, will you be a human erector set for good now?

 

I can't imagine your shotgun's recoil would feel too good right now!

 

From a fellow shooter, I'm sorry brother!

[BigDuke6 17]

Daaaaaaaamn. That's a lot of hardware in your shoulder. Will any of it be removed after you heal up.... or, will you be a human erector set for good now?

 

I can't imagine your shotgun's recoil would feel too good right now!

 

From a fellow shooter, I'm sorry brother!

 

It's coming out in August. The plate is titanium. Due to its osteointegration properties, titanium has to come out within 6 months or it never comes out ( I fell in Feb).

[prayers1 153]

Boy I really feel for you. I wish you the best and a speedy recovery.

 

In college I use to compete in Power Lifting and since then I've had 2 shoulder operations. Now, the joint is so worn out that I have no cartlidge between the Humerus and Glenoid. Instead of the Humerus being round it's flat like a sledge hammer. Eventually I will have to have a total shoulder replacement. I'm in pain everyday, but when I see your x-rays I just can't imagine how much pain your in.

So, like you said, be thankful you didn't paralyse or kill yourself. You know that one day, you'll be back on you feet and driving your car. Good Luck!

 

On the side, I did enjoy your brothers movie. You can see he's very creative.

[stangme428 33]

wow!! hope you have a speedy recovery!! and thanks for reminding me two things....

 

• dont tempt the Gods
  
• get some sun!
  

hope to see your addition of the TCP power rack soon.....:punk:

good movie also...

[JTG 10]

Those videos are great!!! I see your brother goes to great lengths to give you a hard time, even while you are still in the hospital bed, just like a brother should. Now you need to move to Miami and get more sun!

[BigDuke6 17]

Boy I really feel for you. I wish you the best and a speedy recovery.

 

In college I use to compete in Power Lifting and since then I've had 2 shoulder operations. Now, the joint is so worn out that I have no cartlidge between the Humerus and Glenoid. Instead of the Humerus being round it's flat like a sledge hammer. Eventually I will have to have a total shoulder replacement. I'm in pain everyday, but when I see your x-rays I just can't imagine how much pain your in.

So, like you said, be thankful you didn't paralyse or kill yourself. You know that one day, you'll be back on you feet and driving your car. Good Luck!

 

On the side, I did enjoy your brothers movie. You can see he's very creative.

 

thanks for the well-wishes.

 

before you get your surgery, think about waiting for stem-cell therapy. Vet-Stem offers stem cell treatment for dogs with degenerative cartilage disorders. This uses the dog's own adult-stem cells to regrow cartilage. It works wonders in dogs. Sooner or later, it will be used for people.

 

I sent my dog to NYC for stem cell treatment because she was dying of kidney failure. I was told on Dec. 5 that she would be dead by Christmas. Since then, she gained 5 lbs and her blood creatine levels have stabilized and she is back to ripping into the garbage like a starving raccoon. Before, she was too weak to care.

Edited May 29, 2012 by BigDuke6

[BigDuke6 17]

wow!! hope you have a speedy recovery!! and thanks for reminding me two things....

 

• dont tempt the Gods
  
• get some sun!
  

hope to see your addition of the TCP power rack soon.....:punk:

good movie also...

 

thanks for the kind wishes. giving serious consideration to the EPS system.

[prayers1 153]

Over here it's more of a hush, hush on Stem Cell Therapy. Now with Obamacare, who knows what the future holds. I've heard somewhere that top athletes had their own bone marrow or some other type of body part removed and injected back into the injuried area such as the knee, and cartilage regrew. There were side effects from the medication to help the regrowth. More needs to studied on this matter and yes, I hope I would be a canidate for that. I don't like the ideal of sawing off the head of the Humerus and drilling the bone for a bolt insert and the same on the other side of the Gleniod.

 

Keep us posted on your prognosis. Only advise I can give you is to stick tough with the physical therapy and try to get as much range of motion as possibe. After the bone fully heals and scar tissue sets in, it's harder to get that range of motion. It will be a life long battle.

Take care!