Rack & Pinion setup FOR Disk upgrade on 1965???

[NUMA NEWBERN]

I have a 65 with the factory latter model Disc brake setup, I was wonering CAN a rack & pinion be adapted for this setup? I see Chevys with such kits.
Is there a inherent design in the twin I beams that make this impossible? If it is impossible let me know why?
Fixing to be unemployed and may attempt a design IF there is no logical reason why it won't work, looks like the rack ends would have to go through the openings in the bars that go from the I beam to the frame rearward.

[banjopicker66]

Well, and this is just my opinion, but for Twin I-Beam trucks, the factory disc brakes are pretty awesome.
Ford truck parts for Ford trucks.
Seems like a lot of unnecessary work for a minimal gain.
I can see it for '64 and earlier trucks, but it just doesn't make sense to me to replace the factory system with Crown Vic.

[bruceandersson]

Rack an pinion setups just replace the steering box and drag link. I don't think there would be anything to prevent you from being able to fab up a bracket. You'd have to find a rack that would work with the width and make sure the tie rods work with the spindles.

[banjopicker66]

My misunderstanding. I thought NUMA NEWBERN was asking about independent front suspensions.

[aarons428]

There will be way too much bump steer to make a rack and pinion system work with a twin I beam setup. It would be way simpler to just add a power steering gearbox to your frame and call it good.

[LM14]

You would have to use a very narrow rack centered in the truck and very long tie rods. That would possibly be the best compromise.

The inner pivots of the tie rods/end of the rack need to be on the same pivot point as the I-beams which is physically impossible with these trucks since they pivot from opposite sides of the frame. Anything else would give massive bump steer, as Aaron mentions, since the tie rods cannot follow the same arc as the beams would.

An alternate plan would be to use a unisteer rack and only steer one wheel and mimic the original tie rod layout. That could get fairly expensive.

Not worth wasting your time in my opinion.

SPark