Pinto Car Club of America
Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: robert pelzar on May 23, 2010, 06:59:54 PM
I have a pinto powered track car that has been sitting for almost 30 years. With gas and a battery it started on the second try. Now here is where I need some help. The steering rack boots have dry rotted to powder. I think the rack may be an early pinto since the sizes are different left to right on the inboard side. What I have is 1.9 inch on the inboard by 1/2 inch on the outboard for one side and 1.3 by 1/2 on the other. Is this the same for the early steering racks (71-72)?
Assuming it is stock, those boot dimensions most closely match the 71-72 rack. Fortunately the drag community likes to retrofit this light weight rack to their cars so there is after market support. One source is below, there probably are others. I did not find them at NAPA on-line.
http://www.flamingriver.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=238/category_id=66/home_id=63/mode=prod/prd238.htm (http://www.flamingriver.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=238/category_id=66/home_id=63/mode=prod/prd238.htm)
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FLA-FR1501B/ (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FLA-FR1501B/)
For reference, I measured some dirty/rusty manual racks and got the following rough dimensions:
tie rod shaft OD (unthreaded portion): 72-0.46", 73 & 79-0.52"
(note shaft necks down ~0.06" where the boot clamps down)
boot inboard tension clamp band OD: 72P-1.45", 72D-2.05", 73P-1.77", 73D-2.37", 79P&D-2.36"