Product Technical Information
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Steeroids:
Camaro / Firebird / Nova / Chevy II
Camaro, Firebird & Nova Steeroids Header Clearance
See our Header Compatibility Page
Wondering about different headers? Want to check clearances in advance? See our Camaro, Firebird & Nova Header Clearance Template
Camaro / Nova / Chevy II General Notes
Other Kits vs. Steeroids
Driving a classic that looks great and drives like a truck is no fun. That’s why we originally designed Steeroids rack and pinion kits . When comparing our kit to other manufacturers, we believe that our experience with designing and building steering conversion kits helps us offer the best kit available. We pioneered rack and pinion conversions starting with Camaro & Nova in 1998 and we know that when we buy a product we want it done right, and with all the necessary parts and so we offer only complete kits, no hidden surprises. As enthusiasts who also happen to be engineers we can add our expertise in fine tuning bump steer issues, header clearance issues, ease of install issues and geometry issues. As mentioned we only offer a COMPLETE kit – Everything you need to replace the old steering with the new Steeroids and start having fun driving! All without any hidden parts that you will need to find on your own or modify to make fit. Some other companies do not include pricey U-joint steering shafts or do not work with big blocks. Another consideration is weight. One company’s kit shipping weight is approx. 50 lbs! The Steeroids ship weight is 32 lbs. – significantly lighter than the stock setup.
OLDSMOBILE ENGINES: In the past, people have asked about the clearance issues using Oldsmobile engines. One customer with a 67 Camaro told us that the 455 Olds will fit, however they had to push in the oil pan about an inch and they had to make longer power steering hoses.
GROUND CLEARANCE: The Steeroids kits mount to the back of the cross member. The bracket that we use hangs down a bit lower than the cross member (about 1.5″) but should not be any lower than your headers. Our development car is lowered over 2 inches from stock and we have not had problems hanging up on things. Lowering your car with our kit is not a problem, and with lowered vehicles bump steer can become a big issue. Our kits are the only ones on the market with adjustable tie rod ends to help reduce /eliminate bump steer.
FLUID: Please do not run synthetic fluid through your rack unit until the break-in period is over, usually around 1000 miles.
OIL PAN CLEARANCE / LS1 CONVERSIONS: Most oversized oil pans fit. We are running 7 qt Milodons on our development vehicles (Pt #31505). Generally, the edge of the rack sits about 3.5″ back from the cross member. Pans with a deep sump in the rear could be a problem (for example truck pans.) Oil pans that DO NOT fit with a big block include: Moroso 20403, B&B 91488, B&B 91489. Stock big block pans generally work fine (If it is a stock pan and it hits then it wasn’t an original BB car and the engine pedestals are for a small block. The BB pedestals are different.) Milodon oil pans for the 55-57 Chevy Big Block will work fine.
Regarding the LS conversions, the only issue that we know of is with the oil pan – some slight modification may be necessary with some pans, others work fine. We have customers that use the S&P oil pan without any problems. Pace Performance oil pans should fit too. You can also use our header template to check clearances. You can see a little more by going to some of our customer’s links and seeing how they addressed the oil pan clearancing: LS1 On Customer’s Camaro #1 or LS1 On Customer’s Camaro #2
C1 Corvette Steeroids
Other Kits vs. Steeroids
Driving a classic that looks great and drives like a truck is no fun. That’s why we originally designed Steeroids rack and pinion kits . When comparing our kit to other manufacturers, we believe that our experience with designing and building steering conversion kits helps us offer the best kit available. We pioneered rack and pinion conversions starting with Camaro & Nova in 1998 and we know that when we buy a product we want it done right, and with all the necessary parts and so we offer only complete kits, no hidden surprises. As enthusiasts who also happen to be engineers we can add our expertise in fine tuning bump steer issues, header clearance issues, ease of install issues and geometry issues. As mentioned we only offer a COMPLETE kit – Everything you need to replace the old steering with the new Steeroids and start having fun driving! All without any hidden parts that you will need to find on your own or modify to make fit. Some other companies do not include pricey U-joint steering shafts or do not work with big blocks. Another consideration is weight. One company’s kit shipping weight is approx. 50 lbs! The Steeroids ship weight is 32 lbs. – significantly lighter than the stock setup.
OLDSMOBILE ENGINES: In the past, people have asked about the clearance issues using Oldsmobile engines. One customer with a 67 Camaro told us that the 455 Olds will fit, however they had to push in the oil pan about an inch and they had to make longer power steering hoses.
GROUND CLEARANCE: The Steeroids kits mount to the back of the cross member. The bracket that we use hangs down a bit lower than the cross member (about 1.5″) but should not be any lower than your headers. Our development car is lowered over 2 inches from stock and we have not had problems hanging up on things. Lowering your car with our kit is not a problem, and with lowered vehicles bump steer can become a big issue. Our kits are the only ones on the market with adjustable tie rod ends to help reduce /eliminate bump steer.
FLUID: Please do not run synthetic fluid through your rack unit until the break-in period is over, usually around 1000 miles.
OIL PAN CLEARANCE / LS1 CONVERSIONS: Most oversized oil pans fit. We are running 7 qt Milodons on our development vehicles (Pt #31505). Generally, the edge of the rack sits about 3.5″ back from the cross member. Pans with a deep sump in the rear could be a problem (for example truck pans.) Oil pans that DO NOT fit with a big block include: Moroso 20403, B&B 91488, B&B 91489. Stock big block pans generally work fine (If it is a stock pan and it hits then it wasn’t an original BB car and the engine pedestals are for a small block. The BB pedestals are different.) Milodon oil pans for the 55-57 Chevy Big Block will work fine.
Regarding the LS conversions, the only issue that we know of is with the oil pan – some slight modification may be necessary with some pans, others work fine. We have customers that use the S&P oil pan without any problems. Pace Performance oil pans should fit too. You can also use our header template to check clearances. You can see a little more by going to some of our customer’s links and seeing how they addressed the oil pan clearancing: LS1 On Customer’s Camaro #1 or LS1 On Customer’s Camaro #2
Steeroids C1 Tie Rod Bracket Orientation
Tie Rods seemingly don't fit? It is possible to install the Tie Rod Bracket upside down & backwards.
Please see this document on proper Tie Rod Bracket Orientation
C1 Corvette Crank Pulley Information
The power steering pump and bracket supplied with the kit is designed to work with a crank pulley that has a second groove that measures between 1.3” and 1.5” from the face of the harmonic balancer. A pulley diameter ranging from 5” to 6.75” will work. Important information to know about the crank pulley: - Crank Pulley must be for a short style water pump - Crank Pulley must have two grooves - Does not need a 2 groove water pump pulley but will work with one - May require water pump pulley shims. May require crank pulley shims Suggestions for crank pulleys are as follows: - Trans Dapt 9481 aluminum
C1 Tech Support Notes
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Crank Pulley Not Included With Kit: There is no crank pulley included with the kit. This kit is installing onto a 50 year old car with an unknown set of pulleys and water pump, so there is no way for us to make a 'standard' kit for so many variables. Please see “C1 Corvette Crank Pulley Information” document on crank pulley specifications to determine the correct crank pulley for the vehicle.
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Alternator / Generator Clearance Issues: If the Alternator / Generator is located on the driver’s side of the car there will be a clearance issue with the power steering pump. The customer will need to relocate the alt/gen to the passenger’s side using Corvette Central brackets 301162 (Mounting Adaptor Plate - Right Generator/Alternator with Headers) and 302015 (Alternator Support Bracket - Right). The customer may not need both brackets, the customer will need to double check.
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Exhaust Notes: This kit was designed to work with the original ‘Ram’s Horn’ style exhaust manifolds. If you have changed over to a different exhaust / headers, you will need to purchase our Header Upgrade Kit. This kit includes additional brackets and u-joints that route the u-joint assembly around the exhaust.
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Fuel Pump Clearance Issue: The fuel pump diaphragm drops down on the original 265. It is a lot thicker and hits our Passenger bracket. Later 283 or 327 pump would not be a problem because they are thinner. Bracket may need to be clearanced with original 265 pump. Installation Time Not including removal of the stock system we estimate 6-8 hours.
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Alignment Settings: Normally you can get between 1.5 and 2 degrees of positive caster. In order to get 2 you may need to add shims to the upper control arms. Normally this adjustment is a threaded screw out where the upper ball joint would be. So you have to max out that adjustment and then add shims.
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Motor Mounts: This kit is designed to work with front motor mounts. If the customer is using side motor mounts there may be some modification required to make the u-joint assembly fit.
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53-54 Corvettes: The passenger side bracket mounts to the V8 motor mount and the 6 cyl engines on the 53-54 has a different mount that will not fit. If you change to a V8 it could work if you used the front motor mount. If you did a side mount it will require modification but you can make it work if you still have the front mount on the passenger side. We are not sure about what would be required to make our bracket work with the 6 cylinder.
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Misc. Notes: For early Chevy cars (like a 61 Chevy) the kit will not work because things are completely different. Earlier 49-54 Chevy is similar to C1 except the frame is different (steering is the same, but frame is different) so our mounting brackets do fit, but we may need to supply different tie rod sleeves.
Exhaust Manifold/Header Fitment For all C1 Corvette Steeroids Kits
See our Header Compatibility Page
Alignment Specifications For all C1 Corvette Steeroids Kits
Front
| 1953 - 1962 Corvette | Camber | Caster | Toe |
| 0 to -.25 deg. Neg. | 1.5 to 3 deg. Pos. | 1/16 to 1/8” toe in (0.131 to .264 deg. total) |
C2/C3 Corvette Steeroids
Corvette C2/C3 Header Clearance
See our Header Compatibility Page
Corvette General Steeroids Info
Other Kits vs. Steeriods
When comparing our kit to others that may be on the market, we feel that our experience with manufacturing steering conversion kits helps us offer the best kit available. Our engineers have had years of fine tuning bump steer issues, header clearance issues, ease of install issues and geometry issues. We offer a complete kit. – Everything you need to completely replace the old steering with the new Steeroids and get you on the road, without any hidden parts that you will need to find on your own. Also, you do not need to make any modifications to your vehicle to make fit. When we say Bolt-On, we mean it! If you would like to know more about our kit(s) and our history of manufacturing them, please feel free to call us toll free at (888) 425-2776. Or you can read more on our Steeroids FAQ page.
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Play in The Wheel: This is often caused by a worn bearing at the end of the steering column. It is not usually noticed with the original steering box, but with the Steeroids system it makes a big difference with regards to steering wheel “play”. The bearing doesn’t cost very much and only takes about 5 minutes to replace. Thanks to Bjorn Leidelof from Sweden for the suggestion!
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Fluid: Please do not run synthetic fluid through your rack unit until the break-in period is over, usually around 1000 miles.
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GM Serpentine Systems: If you are using a GM Serpentine System, we recommend ordering the kit for the Big Block. We have had customers tell us that our hoses for the Big Block kit hook directly up without any modification.
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Oil Pan Clearance: Most oversized oil pans fit as long as the stock steering fits. We are running 7 qt Milodons (part number 31505) on our development vehicles. The factory 327/365 SHP motor which has the larger 6 quart oil pan does not fit with the stock steering, and does not fit with our kit either. Milodon #31188 *stepped drag race pan* will fit BB C2 and C3’s even with big stroker engines. The following are some measurements off of our 78 small block (with a 7 qt Milodon) that may help: Back of sump to front of sump: 9″ Back of sump to rack: 12″ Clearance at the top of the rack: 1/2″ From the front of the pan back to the drop in the pan for the pick-up, you need about 7″ clearance.
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LS Engines: Many customers are changing to LS engines. There seems to be only minor modifications necessary. The main clearance issue is with the oil pan, however, if you use a Firebird oil pan, it seems to work just fine. It may require some modification to the oil pan if you are running a long sump. The C5 batwing oil pan clears with no problems. You may want to check our header clearance page for a list of what hits and what fits.
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Turning Radius and Tire Clearance: The turning radius with our kit is slightly increased over stock. Most customers have said it is an insignificant amount, if not unnoticeable. You will still be able to easily whip in and out of parking spots or driveways. Please Note – if you are running your stock tire size, due to the tall side wall on occasion the driver’s side tire can rub on the end of the rack. This is at the very end of the rack’s travel and should not affect your turning radius much (usually when we see this happening there is already evidence of the tire rubbing on the frame rail). These taller tires may rub, but most do not. Going with a slightly lower profile tire will eliminate this from happening.
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Changing From Manual To Power: If you are changing your Corvette from manual to power, you might need to get some additional bolts to help with the installation of the Steeroids kit. Power cars have two bolts that support the hydraulic cylinder bracket and the Steeroids kit requires these two bolts. If you do not have them, you will want to get them. You can order them from us – part number 760-02780.
Recommended Alignment Settings for 63-82 (C2/C3) Corvettes with Steeroids
|
1963 - 1982 Corvette
|
Camber - Front | Camber - Rear |
Caster
|
Toe - Front | Toe - Rear |
| Street |
0 to -.25 deg. Neg. |
0 to -.5 deg. Neg. |
2.5 to 5 deg. Pos. |
0 to 1/8” toe in (0 to .28 deg. total) |
1/8” toe in (.28 deg. total) |
| Track |
-1 to -2 deg. Neg. |
-.75 to -1.5 deg. Neg. |
2.5 to 5 deg. Pos. | 0 to 1/16” toe out (0 to .14 deg. total out) |
1/8 to 1/4” toe in (0 to .14 deg. total) |
Mustang Steeroids
Other Kits vs. Steeroids
Driving a classic that looks great and drives like a truck is no fun. That’s why we originally designed Steeroids rack and pinion kits . When comparing our kit to other manufacturers, we believe that our experience with designing and building steering conversion kits helps us offer the best kit available. We pioneered rack and pinion conversions starting with Camaro & Nova in 1998 and we know that when we buy a product we want it done right, and with all the necessary parts and so we offer only complete kits, no hidden surprises. As enthusiasts who also happen to be engineers we can add our expertise in fine tuning bump steer issues, header clearance issues, ease of install issues and geometry issues. As mentioned we only offer a COMPLETE kit – Everything you need to replace the old steering with the new Steeroids and start having fun driving! All without any hidden parts that you will need to find on your own or modify to make fit. Some other companies do not include pricey U-joint steering shafts or do not work with big blocks. Another consideration is weight. One company’s kit shipping weight is approx. 50 lbs! The Steeroids ship weight is 32 lbs. – significantly lighter than the stock setup.
OLDSMOBILE ENGINES: In the past, people have asked about the clearance issues using Oldsmobile engines. One customer with a 67 Camaro told us that the 455 Olds will fit, however they had to push in the oil pan about an inch and they had to make longer power steering hoses.
GROUND CLEARANCE: The Steeroids kits mount to the back of the cross member. The bracket that we use hangs down a bit lower than the cross member (about 1.5″) but should not be any lower than your headers. Our development car is lowered over 2 inches from stock and we have not had problems hanging up on things. Lowering your car with our kit is not a problem, and with lowered vehicles bump steer can become a big issue. Our kits are the only ones on the market with adjustable tie rod ends to help reduce /eliminate bump steer.
FLUID: Please do not run synthetic fluid through your rack unit until the break-in period is over, usually around 1000 miles.
OIL PAN CLEARANCE / LS1 CONVERSIONS: Most oversized oil pans fit. We are running 7 qt Milodons on our development vehicles (Pt #31505). Generally, the edge of the rack sits about 3.5″ back from the cross member. Pans with a deep sump in the rear could be a problem (for example truck pans.) Oil pans that DO NOT fit with a big block include: Moroso 20403, B&B 91488, B&B 91489. Stock big block pans generally work fine (If it is a stock pan and it hits then it wasn’t an original BB car and the engine pedestals are for a small block. The BB pedestals are different.) Milodon oil pans for the 55-57 Chevy Big Block will work fine.
Regarding the LS conversions, the only issue that we know of is with the oil pan – some slight modification may be necessary with some pans, others work fine. We have customers that use the S&P oil pan without any problems. Pace Performance oil pans should fit too. You can also use our header template to check clearances. You can see a little more by going to some of our customer’s links and seeing how they addressed the oil pan clearancing: LS1 On Customer’s Camaro #1 or LS1 On Customer’s Camaro #2
Mustang Headers & Exhaust Clearance
See our Header Compatibility Page
Mustang Steeroids General Tech Info
Other Possible Applications for Steeroids:
Many customers have asked us which other Ford cars the Mustang Steeroids kit will fit. So far, we have not tested this kit in our shop on any Ford applications other than the Mustang years specified. If you wish to try the kit on a different application, you will be responsible to determine if the kit will fit before you install it as we cannot give a refund for a kit after it has been installed. THIS KIT WAS DEVELOPED ON A MUSTANG. To date, many customers have installed our kit on Rancheros and Cougars with success (sometimes there are minimal clearance issues), but we have not fitted a kit to these vehicles. Regarding the Falcon, we have a customer who installed our kit on a 1960 model. The main issue uncovered was adapting the u-joint assembly and lowering the rack. The u-joint assembly we provided with the kit would not work. He purchased a 6″ shaft and double u-joint from us for the column and made his work fine. This requires a support bearing to secure the u-joint assembly. He ordered a column through us which worked fine in his Falcon.
Steeroids & the Other Kits:
Brand T: Steeroids has a quicker ratio for a tighter more responsive drive. Steeroids does not remove critical structural components – they require you to remove the frame cross brace! Steeroids come with new, adjustable, PTFE lined tie rod ends to adjust bump steer. Steeroids has better bumpsteer curves compared to Brand T. Steeroids costs much less that Brand T.
Brand F: Steeroids offers a quicker ratio for a much tighter more responsive drive. Steeroids offers power assist in addition to manual kits available. Steeroids fits with most headers. Steeroids works with big blocks. Steeroids has better bumpsteer curves compared to Brand F. Steeroids has a tighter turning radius
Notes:
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Fluid: We recommend that you use GM power steering fluid (which will work with your Ford Pump) since most Ford power steering fluids have detergents in them that can be harmful to the seals. Please do not run synthetic fluid through your rack unit until the break-in period is over, usually around 1000 miles.
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Straight 6 - Power Kits: Currently, if you have the straight 6 and are interested in the power kit, we do not have hoses available to run from the rack to the pump. We are working on them and plan to have them available soon. Most hydraulic shops can make you some hoses that will fit for a reasonable price, or we can recommend a company to have them made. We can also discount the price of a kit that does not include hoses.
Grenada Spindles: If you are using Grenada spindles for the disc brake conversion, please make note in the comment box on the online order form or notify your sales person so that we can send you the correct tie rod ends. -
Transmission/Clutch Info: The kit was developed on an automatic. We are still working on fitment applications for the manual transmissions. At this time, the manual transmissions with the manual bell crank (Z-bar) will NOT work without some modification. The kit will work with most manual transmissions with a hydraulic clutch or a clutch cable set-up (The 94 and 95 T5 Tranny may not work with the Steeroids kit if you are using the clutch cable set up. 93 and earlier should work however.) Clutch cable kits are available from Modern Driveline or through Mustang Steve. To make our kit work with a manual clutch linkage set up, you would need to move the Z-bar forward about 3/4″, or up about 1.5″. We have had customers make the following modification with success and it only took them a couple of hours to make it:To move the Bell Crank (Z-bar) up about 1.5″, you can make a bracket out of flat steel for the engine block side. Support the lower end of the flat steel bracket to the block and then mimic the mounting locations that were in the block on the top side of the bracket. Mount the Z-bar to the top of the new bracket. On the frame rail, just use spacers to lift the Z-bar 1.5″ to match the block side. The upper clutch rod that passes through the fire wall can usually slide up without any problem (the hole in the fire wall is pretty large) and the lower pushrod has enough adjustment to accommodate the change. All in all, if you have access to some hand tools, it is not that challenging to make it work.
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Turning Radius & Tire Clearance: The turning radius with our kit is slightly increased over stock. Most customers have said it is an insignificant amount, if not unnoticeable. You will still be able to easily whip in and out of parking spots or driveways. Please Note – if you are running your stock tire size, due to the tall side wall on occasion the driver’s side tire can rub on the end of the rack. This is at the very end of the rack’s travel and should not affect your turning radius much (usually when we see this happening there is already evidence of the tire rubbing on the frame rail). These taller tires may rub, but most do not. Going with a slightly lower profile tire will eliminate this from happening.
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Power Conversions: We now offer a kit that includes the pump’s mounting bracket and fasteners. Check them out in our store by clicking here! Pumps and pulleys soon to follow!
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Oil Pans: Most oil pans work fine with our kits. However, there are a few pans that will not work: We have heard that the cobra t-type aluminum oil pan for big block has clearance issues. Also the 7qt Canton oil pan does NOT fit with the 351W. A customer informed us that on his 1970 Mustang our kit did not clear a 7qt Canton oil pan on a 351W. Some stock big block oil pans are a tight fit too. On rare occasion the rack might barely hit the pan. People have remedied this by placing washers on top of the motor mount to lift the engine just a touch and that has been enough to make it fit fine. In general, if your oil pan does not fit with the stock steering it probably will not fit with our kit because our kit occupies the same location as the stock steering. If your stock steering fits, our kit should too.The following measurements may help you determine if your pan will work with the kit: When measured from the existing Ford cross brace that goes under the oil pan, our bracket sits 2.25″ back from the back side of the cross brace and 1.25″ higher than the top of the brace where it dips down to clear the oil pan.
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Crush Nuts: If your car was not originally equipped with power steering, you may need to install the threaded inserts into the bottom of the frame. You will need crush nut p/n 760-02774. They install with a special crush nut installation tool, or can just be welded into place.
Mustang Steering Column
Old vs. New
Stock Steering Column: If you plan to use your own stock steering column, you will need to cut the end off to fit the U-Joint supplied and locate a retainer bearing for the inner shaft. If you get the kit with a steering column included, there is no cutting necessary. Please read the Stock Steering Column Modification Instructions if you are considering using your stock steering column so that you know what is required. On the 1970 Mustang, the stock column has more safety wiring and hardware. Please contact our development facility directly to get more information that is required at 940-769-3804. Also, we do not provide an ignition switch with our columns, so the 70 models will require the customer to relocate the ignition switch. Switches are available in the store section. We provide mounting retainers and bearings with our kits when using your stock column.* INCLUDED AFTERMARKET STEERING COLUMNS: All columns available with these kits are Ididit tilt columns. Wire connectors are included. The Ididit columns measure 2″ diameter on the small end and 4″ dia on the large end – slightly larger diameter than the stock column, which measures 2.25″ diameter and 3.6″ diameter. This means that these columns will NOT work with Rally Packs. We are currently researching other column manufacturers to find a column that will match stock dimensions. There is a plastic adapter included to match up to the size of the steering wheel however.
PLEASE NOTE
Our standard kit includes steering columns with aftermarket GM splines so that you can use Grant and other name brand aftermarket steering wheels. We do this because most customers do not want the big stock wheel with the new quick ratio rack.
Steering Column Spline Information: The 65-70 Mustangs all have the same spline for the steering wheel. The GM spline that we use with the Ididit column is the standard size used on MOST GM vehicles. GM basically only used two different sizes – one for the Corvettes and then one for everything else. When trying to find an adapter, the Ididit steering column is the same one they used on a 1969 Chevy Van. On our Mustang, we have a Grant wheel with the GM splined column, and we are using Grant adapter number 3196.
Suspension: Shark Bite
Ride Height Adjustment
Adjustment Range
A common question is how much ride height adjustment you will get out of the kit. This amount, of course, varies between different vehicles. There is a total of 4″ available adjustment. Typical lowering amounts are 1 1/2″ to 2″ inches from stock height. Unfortunately, the old, stock springs may have sagged from years of use so a 1″ lowering from our kit may actually wind up being even or higher than the worn springs ride height. If you are looking to lower the vehicle more, there are further options available. You can cut the spring, just like many people have done to their stock springs. The great advantage of doing this with our kit is that there is still ride height adjustment available. Cutting springs used to be a very delicate game because you had to get it right the first time or you would need to start over with new springs. With the Shark Bite and Vector Series coil over kits, you can cut the springs for extreme lowering, and still have the ability to raise it back up again while it is still on the vehicle – no disassembly of the suspension is required. If you do cut a coil, be sure to cut the TOP of the spring. If you cut the bottom it may not fit against the shock any more!