mods if this is in the wrong place please put it where i should have and if this Question has been answered please delete this thread and point me in the right direction... is the 4th gen steering system compatible with 3rd gens? if so is it an upgrade, or are any of the parts of the 4th gen steering system an upgrade? i was just wondring because i saw one for sale pretty cheap and mine doesnt even have the quick ratio box its the lame one lol thanks for any help

 

The 3rd gen has a old fashion gear box. The 4th gen has a rack&pinion steering, so no , they wont enterchange.

 

As Christain said, 3rd &4th gen steering is completely different. There are many cars that use a quick ratio box that will fit the 3rd gen F-body. Look here. http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/...feature21.html

 

ok gotcha... and thanks guys for the easy answer, anyone know how to check and see if i have the FE1 suspension or not i have the build sheet if that helps

 

4thgens don't have a steering box, they use rack & peanut steering.

 

deffinately not a fan of rack and pinion steering myself...I work at a shop and we do a ton more rack and pinions than we do steering boxes...now thier are more cars with rack and pinions out now but still..My 89 handles better than my friends 95 trans am

 

Handling has nothing to do with box vs rack. Its all about feel and precision. Rack and pinion is better for both. Also, racks wear slower in my experience.

 

Rack & Pinion is better than a steering box. More accurate on-center feel and when transitioning.

 

No question. I've had both 3rd gen and 4th gen with WS6 suspension, and the 4th gen rack & pinion is a better setup.

A big part of it is the R&P steering only has 2 pivot points (the outer tie rod ends) versus 7 with recirculating ball type box. The other factor is the front suspension. 4th gens use 4 lighter control arms with a coil over shock for better geometry - superior design to the heavy, modified strut in 3rd gens.

In terms of all-out cornering power, the two designs would likely produce similar results. But the 4th gen is WAY better for steering feel and ride comfort.

 

In my opinion is what I said. I prefer steering box vehicles. I know how rack and pinion works and I know why they went that way. Just not a fan. People are entitled to thier own opinions on things right?

 

i agree

 

How does Handling have nothing to do with the Rack vs Box debate when its well known that a R&P allows more accurate placement of the car and better feedback to the driver? I'd say thats a LARGE part of handling right there. It may do nothing for the physical aspects of handling, however it does wonders for driver confidence.

You can have the most amazing handling car int he world. But if you give a driver two sticks and tell him to steer the car without using his hands he's not going to be able to drive the car well at all.

So the method of steering car has a great deal to do with how a car handles. A driver who doesn't feel confident in the car can't push it has hard.

 

i thought i saw a thread where someone retrofitted the new system?

 

your adding a variable- driver... if you take out the variable, then the handling isnt affected.
but i FEEL that r&p is alot tighter feeling and faster

 

^^^ what he said.

If we both have identical cars, but I'm a better driver, does that mean my car handles better? I don't think so.

 

a better driver doesnt make rb better than r&p.

 

That is exactly my point.

In any case, we can agree to disagree. Lets not derail this thread any further.

 

Can I install a r&p on my 3rd generation ?

 

It can be done but it will take a lot of modification to the steering geometry to have a turning radius smaller than a Kenworth truck. A lot of drag racers use manual racks because they weigh less and they don't need a good turning radius. It's not a very good setup for a street car, corner carver, or drift car until you get the turning radius down... at that point it would be superior but honestly there are a lot of other things you could've done at that point that would enhance the feel and handling of the car with your time and money.

 

search it i found a couple of threads where guys have done it but its not a bolt on mod so to speak... too much work for me until mine doesnt work... now i have a question, does the F41 suspension mean my car has the good ratio steering box? my car is a base firebird with every option the build sheet says F41 suspension, but my dad got the cheapest engine... 5.0L carb im just not sure if gm put all the good suspension stuff in cars that arent formulas or T/As-GTAs

 

As far as I know the F41 Sport Suspension Option ($49.00) ceased being a separate available option in 1986 and was included in all models.

So no, just because you have an F41 does not mean you have a quick ratio steering box.

I would suspect that base firebirds did not get the quick ratio boxes, just like the base Camaro and RS only came with the 2.5:1 box where as the IROCs got the 2.25:1 quick boxes.

This might help

http://www.3rdgenformula.com/main_menu.htm

 

yeah thats what i was afraid of... 1 more thing i have to upgrade lol
is there a part number i can id this with?