944-LT1

Im not sure if this has been covered here or not but I tried searching here and cant find anything on it so I will post it. I also adding the keywords I was searching this site for in the title. I have seen many guys paying for the 180 dollar late manual steering tie rods. So I thought I would share this with you guys as well.

Alot of people have converted to manual steering to get better road/handling feedback as well as ridding their cars of the hoses, pumps, leaking fluid. Recently I did as well. I bought a used rack and steering shaft from a guy here named Matt Shepard in real good shape. It came with pre 86 tie rods and as many of you already know, these tie rods wont work with late offset cars 87+. So, I started looking for late manual tie rods. Now many of you already know that these are rare. So rare that one side costs 180 bucks!

About 4 days ago I had 2 tie rods from an early manual steering 944 that wouldnt fit my late car. As well, I had 2 late power steering tie rods from my car. I started looking for alternatives on the interweb. Things such as sleeves, DOM tubing, and services to have the early tie rods lengthened. All above are expensive too!

After alot of asking around and getting ABSOLUTELY NO ANSWERS (except from Tifos guide...thanks tifo!), I took out the old analog caliper and starting analyzing things. I found that I needed the early tie rods lengthened roughly 2-3inches. I then got smart!

The manual tie rods ends (outer) are male in that they thread into the inner tie rod.
The PS tie rod ends are female in that the inner tie rods thread into the outer tie rods.
Thats the answer!
I measured the pitch of the threads on both sets of tie rods as well as the outer diameter. You know what??? The thread pitch and diameter is the exact same between the early manuals and the late PS tie rods....As well as the lug nuts!
This size is M14-1.50.

Taking this number down and going to McMaster-Carr's web site, I found metric threaded rod for about 29 bucks. Ordered it, got it the very next day, cut 2-3 inch pieces from the 1m rod and threaded it into the early manual inner tie rods and then threaded the late PS outer tie rods to the rod. AS you can see in the picture, theres about 1 diameter showing. Dad says the accepted bending moment is 5 diameters so this is very strong at around 26 tonf inE-2.

After I locked the rack at center, I "aligned" the wheels by eye and pushed the car back and forth to settle the car. Got in the drivers seat and turned the wheel left and right. IT WAS AMAZING! The gear ratio of the manual rack is spectacular I tell you! No lines, leaks, and no paying 360+ from paragon for the tie rods.

So I made this for when someone searches for manual steering and cant afford 360 bucks for freaking tie rods.

http://www.mcmaster.com/param/asp/PSearch2.asp?McMaster Carr part number 98861A336





And heres a shot of the engine bay without PS or simply just running an alternator.


Anyway, hope this helps the next fella.

944-LT1

Also, I dont know if Im posting this in OT or Tech being as im not a member. So if it need be moved, I apologize.

Cass944

i knew there had to be some way to do this....

MAGK944

Excellent solution, love it when a plan comes together!

GK

alex

but my late manual rods did come with a white Porsche sticker on them.


Damn.

Good thinking on that one. Your engine compartment sure looks good.

Spidey944

BRILLIANT!!! But yet another reason I love my 86. LOL.

Legoland951

944-LT1, I am glad the idiotic V8 bashers weren't successful in chasing you off rennlist via their insults. Its amazing if you check the posts of these agitators, they don't contribute ANYTHING useful to the site. I think this contribution you made on the manual steering rods is more significant than the significance of all those agitators' posts COMBINED. Thanks.

Its also interesting that you mentioned Tifo, as he is always helpful in his posts. Too bad he has been more on the sidelines due to the same group of agitators.

Just imagine what information the 944 hybrid group can bring to this site as you guys are a creative bunch...

genikz

that's awesome man, thanks for posting!

alex

I am seriously so confused as to why some cannot appreciate the effort and ingenuity it would take to do the V8 swap, and on top of that consider our bastard cars ANY more Porsche than one with a V8 (cause obviously Porsches weren't meant to be fast ). I plan on one someday.

Just last night, this very same 944-LT1 who came up with this brilliant solution for tie rods, helped me, with a couple other listers, find out EXACTLY why my window wasn't working (because of me, apparently!).

Within a few minutes he had detailed every single color of every wire in the switch. It turned out to be something simple, but the detail of his posts were impressive.

I only hope my car (if the swap ever happens) comes out half as clean as some of the guys on here, and I hope those with the negative opinions of the V8 choke on a bent valve.

Ok, not really but you know what I mean.

944-LT1

Well thanks everyone! Thanks Lego, nice to hear from ya again! Tifo sent me on this path (even if he doesnt know it...or me haha). If I have seen further than most its because i stood on the shoulders of giants type of thing really. HAha.

Alex, im there for ya! Keeping a schematic next to my laptop.

Wipeout

Guess I missed something about V8-bashing. I think it's cool...and pretty creative that you can take that sort of engine and drop it into a tiny little 944...

moorepower

Hey, I switched to a manual rack, and my engine bay doesn't look anything like yours. What did I do wrong.

Darwantae951

There is a male threaded tie rod end still made for the 911s that is also a replacement if you have the "female" inner tie rods. I can post a part number for anyone who is interested.

-Darwin

FRporscheman

Yeah - mcmaster doesn't show that big engine anywhere I look.

Great post! Thanks for figuring this out and sharing! Did you loctite one side of the threaded rod? So when you need alignment adjustments, it's not turning all over the place (just wondering)?

944-LT1

Thanks. No, really, just put it all together to see how everything would go together. This weekend I will do just that; honestly didnt think that far yet. haha. I am using two m14-1.5 nuts on both ends of the threaded rod to lock it all up but I think youre right, I should loctite it on the inner side. Thanks!

Well thats just because you havent come to see us on the other board. Give us a week and we'll have you pacing orders yet. The new news is that we have figured out a bellhousing (real cheap! 160) that will allow ANY GM V8 from the 60's to present to be bolted in! That means if you start with a run-of-the-mill LT1, when youre ready for more power (or when prices start to come down) you can simply take the LT out and bolt in a LS1,2,3,6,7,etc without buying a whole nother kit! Now thats versatility huh! haha.

We have also come up with an extra cooling mod that helps with guys running big HP and need the extra cooling. Its a front crossmember that replaces the large triangular crossmember in front of the radiator.... Cost...about 20 bucks.

This allows the radiator to sit 3" closer to the nose and also allows the use of a Ford taurus or laincoln mark VIII fan that pushes 4K+ CFM!!!