Mini Stock Steering - Steer It Right

Before installing the tie rod ends, make sure to apply some anti-seize to the threads of the tie rods to prevent galling.

Now you can install the tie rods. Just thread them to the approximate width between the steering arms on the spindles of the racecar with the wheels pointing straight ahead.

Flaming River supplies bushings for locating the rack on the car. You can press them into place by hand.

The rack installs onto bolts in front of the cross member like this.

The rack is simply held in position with two bolts.

Bolt the rack to the steering arms of the spindles. Don't worry about getting the alignment exactly perfect now. You can string the car and fix that later. You should, however, make sure that the rack is centered when installing it and get the alignment relatively close.

Here's the finished assembly.

Flaming River sells U-joints that use set-screws to lock the components of the steering column in place. Begin with the input shaft on the rack and work your way backward until you get to the steering wheel.

ince the exhaust headers are on the right-side of the motor, you can usually run the steering column in a relatively straight line between the rack and your location for the steering wheel. Before cutting tubing for your steering column, try to lay out and measure the length of the simplest path requiring the fewest U-joints.

Steering column is 0.750-inch diameter steel tubing. Wall thickness should be somewhere between 0.100 and 0.150 inch to provide proper strength without being overly heavy. When cutting your steering column sections, it's always best to leave the pieces a little long and then trim to fit rather than accidentally cutting them too short and creating scrap.

Norwood uses the same firewall hole for the stock steering column. The steering column changes direction right after passing through the firewall. Right now, Norwood has a U-joint for this link, but he will replace it with a firewall bearing later. A firewall bearing is good because it not only helps seal the driver's compartment, but also provides support for the steering column to keep it from flopping around.

The support bearing locates the end of the steering column in the driver's compartment.

If you are keeping the stock dash supports, Flaming River produces what it calls a "motorsports column." It is a standard size steering shaft surrounded by a tube of stock steering column diameter. You can mount using the larger tube and the shaft inside still turns freely.

To get into and out of a racecar quickly and easily, a quick disconnect for the steering wheel is a must. Flaming River's quick disconnect unit welds to the steering shaft for a solid connection and then the steering wheel bolts to that.

The steering wheel hasn't been solidly bolted down yet, but you can see the general position in this mock-up.