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Old 01-28-2019, 03:26 PM   #26
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Originally Posted by j rick kirby View Post
Just a friendly reminder to go to the MM website and start reading. 99.9% of your current and future questions will be answered and explained. You also seem to be getting some things out of order. MM will address the order you should do mods.
Got it!
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Old 01-29-2019, 05:04 PM   #27
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Orders placed this morning! Rack and pinion should be here by the weekend, and the MM solid rack bushings should hopefully be arriving soon as well! I will post and keep everyone updated with the install and possible pics if anyone asks. Thanks for everyone’s help and info, I wouldn’t have been able to make a more informed and educated decision without all the help!
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Old 01-29-2019, 09:05 PM   #28
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

This is why I like being on this forum. I've been considering doing something with my own rack, figuring that at 131k, therre's probably some wear and tear that needs addressing. Getting the original rebuilt is right up my alley, but not something I ever thought possible. Now I know different, and I have all of you to thank for that information.
Thanks

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Old 01-30-2019, 07:44 AM   #29
j rick kirby
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Originally Posted by falcongtho3 View Post
This is why I like being on this forum. I've been considering doing something with my own rack, figuring that at 131k, therre's probably some wear and tear that needs addressing. Getting the original rebuilt is right up my alley, but not something I ever thought possible. Now I know different, and I have all of you to thank for that information.
Thanks

If it's not leaking I wouldn't touch it. Check tie rods for wear. I have tracked the crap out of my car for 10+ years and the rack is solid. I did replace the inner and outer tie rods recently. Car has 153,xxx miles.
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Old 01-30-2019, 09:11 PM   #30
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

I've looked it over when I do my oil changes and there don't appear to be any leaks. Did the outers about a year ago and it made a world of difference.

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Old 01-31-2019, 08:00 AM   #31
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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I've looked it over when I do my oil changes and there don't appear to be any leaks. Did the outers about a year ago and it made a world of difference.

What about the inners?
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Old 01-31-2019, 08:41 PM   #32
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Don't feel any slack since replacing the outers (and LBJs), so I don't have those concerns right now.

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Old 02-04-2019, 01:02 PM   #33
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

So someone at Summit or UPS screwed up! According to my Summit app, it says the rack and pinion has been shipped. According to UPS, it says “Shipment ready for UPS.” I called Summit to see what’s going on with my order a moment ago. They have no idea what UPS means with “shipment ready for UPS,” and according to the person I spoke with at Summit, I should have received the rack by Friday! Long story short, they filed a claim and are sending me a replacement unit ASAP and I should be getting it in 2-3 days. It’s been raining over here and I haven’t had a day off since last Tuesday, so it’s not like I’ve lost days/time where I could have installed it ����*♂️
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Old 02-06-2019, 10:53 PM   #34
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Wow, I am far beyond frustrated! The replacement unit was scheduled to be delivered today (Wednesday) by end of day...this was Monday evening to Tuesday morning. Mid day Tuesday it changed to Thursday at end of day while the original order status was updated to “under investigation” to locate the item. Yesterday afternoon, according to the UPS tracker, my original order was no longer under investigation and had a delivery date of today by end of day, while the replacement unit continued to show Thursday at end of day. It’s about a quarter to 8pm here on the left coast and I’ve been waiting all day to receive shipment! I checked the status a moment ago, and now it says Thursday at end of day! WTF??!!!! ����*♂️
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Old 02-11-2019, 02:38 PM   #35
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Where would be the best spot to install the filter? I know on the return (low pressure) side, but where on the line would be best?
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2003 Black Mach 1

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t45 swap (BEST decision of my life!!!)
Don't fear the gear!

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Old 02-11-2019, 03:40 PM   #36
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Where would be the best spot to install the filter? I know on the return (low pressure) side, but where on the line would be best?
Have never heard of anyone running a rack filter.
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Old 02-11-2019, 04:08 PM   #37
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Have never heard of anyone running a rack filter.
According to Summit and Cardone, if anything happens to the rack due to not running a filter, the warranty will be voided
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Don't fear the gear!

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Old 02-12-2019, 08:19 AM   #38
j rick kirby
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Have had nothing but problems with the Cardone parts I have tried. I won't buy them anymore. Since I have never heard of a rack filter that sounds to me like an automatic way to void a warranty.
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Old 03-15-2019, 01:59 AM   #39
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

So I FINALLY started on the rack and pinion....and got a whole lot LESS done than I thought I would! To keep it short and “sweet,” I had a few minor set backs, and succumbed to “out of sight, out of mind!” (I lost an hour walking to/from the O’Reilly’s” to buy a tool I didn’t need when I already the correct one in the first place). Today just was not my day! Lol But after all was said an done, I managed to remove the old rack!

Unfortunately I work tomorrow, which means I’m gonna have to Uber it to and from work. I get out at 6:30pm and should hopefully be home by 7:15pm or so. I won’t have much time, but my plan is to spray the heck outta the undercarriage and clean it as best I can. If that doesn’t take me long, I’ll move onto the old rack and do my best to measure and document the position of the outter tie rods.

The good news is, I’m scheduled for the night shift on Saturday night, the bad news, it’s a double shift, so I won’t be out until around 3:30pm Sunday afternoon. But, I’ll have all Saturday morning and afternoon to try and get as much done as possible. HOPEFULLY I can finish it all off on Saturday, if not, I want to be as close to finished as possible! So that means, if I’m able to get everything i mentioned done (Friday/today I guess?), all I’ll have to do next is measure and cut the sleeves to MM’s specs, and start installing the new Summit rack! I soo hope it’s all down hill from here on out, cause after today, I almost felt like calling it quits lol
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2003 Black Mach 1

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Mac catback
t45 swap (BEST decision of my life!!!)
Don't fear the gear!

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Old 03-17-2019, 08:41 AM   #40
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Ok! So Friday didn’t pan out as planned, I ended up doing some OT then went over my gf’s house for dinner. Anyway, I did manage to get quite a bit done yesterday tho! What took me the longest was cleaning up all the built up oil/grime, and cleaning up the threads on rack bolts and steering column pinch bolt. The threads were soo dirty that it felt as if I was changing the threads on those things! Anyway, long story short, the Summit rack is bolted in and MM rack bushings kit installed! All that’s left to do is hook up the hard lines to the rack, torque down the outter tie rod nuts, install the power steering filter (where I have no idea?!), bleed the system and top it off with fluid and I’m DONE!
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2003 Black Mach 1

K&N RAI
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t45 swap (BEST decision of my life!!!)
Don't fear the gear!

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Old 03-19-2019, 07:30 AM   #41
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Update time! Finished it up before I went into work today (yesterday?...It’s past 4am over here on the left coast)! I’m honestly amazed as to how the car drives and feels!! But then again, where/what do I owe the credit to, the new rack and pinion or the MM rack bushing kit?! The car feels soo much more responsive now, I can just image how much better it would be if I still had the sway bar on?! LOL It’s maiden voyage was the traffic filled freeway on my way to work. I couldn’t judge it or make a proper assessment because I was late to work and was more focused on trying to get there. Although, one place I did see an improvement was when I was getting onto the 405 freeway from the 710, which has a transition on-ramp with a 270* turn. I’ve never floored it nor have I ever tried to take that turn fast, but this time around, I almost didn’t “feel” the turn! I soo felt like I could’ve taken that turn a lot faster! I was excited to say the least! My drive home was a lot easier, faster, required less effort, and was pretty straight forward. Before, I had to keep both hands on the wheel because the bumps, cracks, and whatnot on the freeway would throw my car around, forcing me to be on my toes to keep control of the car...and that was with me driving at around 60-65mph! Tonight, the drive felt soo much smoother that I didn’t even realize I pretty much did 75-80mph the entire way home! Oh and the bumps, cracks and whatnot...I was able to keep control with just ONE HAND! Lol Felt soooooo GOOD!!! I actually, and finally, feel excited to drive my car again!! I soo cant wait to start digging into the rest of the suspension now!

For anyone interested, I took pics of the parts and what I did. My intent wasn’t to take pics for a detailed write up, but I think I did take enough pics to help show/explain/get the point across.
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2003 Black Mach 1

K&N RAI
Magnaflow O/R X-pipe
Mac catback
t45 swap (BEST decision of my life!!!)
Don't fear the gear!

I'm not a real mechanic, I just play one online...
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Old 03-19-2019, 09:07 AM   #42
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Glad it worked out. I'm guessing most of the improvement is from the MM bushings eliminating the deflection from the worn out rubber. Does the wheel seem easier or harder to turn?
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Old 03-19-2019, 02:29 PM   #43
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Originally Posted by j rick kirby View Post
Glad it worked out. I'm guessing most of the improvement is from the MM bushings eliminating the deflection from the worn out rubber. Does the wheel seem easier or harder to turn?
It feels almost the same! I don’t know how to really describe it but, I guess you can say that it feels that it has the slightest “tension” when turning the wheel, but nothing that would require the use of two hands, or any extra force to turn. Oh, and it takes a little less than 2 1/4 turns lock to lock, whereas the stock unit was 2 1/2, so I’d say that it’s definitely an improvement!
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Don't fear the gear!

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Old 03-19-2019, 02:36 PM   #44
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

My next task is to figure out how to stop the brakes from rattling when driving over bumps, etc., and figure out how to get my fuel gauge working again! After that I think I’m going to read a bit more and save up for some MM CC plates and coil overs!
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Magnaflow O/R X-pipe
Mac catback
t45 swap (BEST decision of my life!!!)
Don't fear the gear!

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Old 03-19-2019, 03:00 PM   #45
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Chassis bracing is the first thing to do if you haven't.
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Old 03-19-2019, 03:01 PM   #46
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Originally Posted by LXS View Post
My next task is to figure out how to stop the brakes from rattling when driving over bumps, etc., and figure out how to get my fuel gauge working again! After that I think I’m going to read a bit more and save up for some MM CC plates and coil overs!
The brake deal is usually broken or missing anti rattle clips.
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Old 03-19-2019, 06:44 PM   #47
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Originally Posted by j rick kirby View Post
Chassis bracing is the first thing to do if you haven't.
Then that’s where I’ll start!
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2003 Black Mach 1

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Mac catback
t45 swap (BEST decision of my life!!!)
Don't fear the gear!

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Old 03-19-2019, 06:45 PM   #48
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Originally Posted by j rick kirby View Post
The brake deal is usually broken or missing anti rattle clips.
I don’t have those. I ordered a set thru autozone and I’m guessing they’re for a GT because they don’t fit. Any chance you happen to know/have the part number?
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2003 Black Mach 1

K&N RAI
Magnaflow O/R X-pipe
Mac catback
t45 swap (BEST decision of my life!!!)
Don't fear the gear!

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Old 03-19-2019, 09:26 PM   #49
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

Order the brake parts for a Cobra and not a Mach 1, and you'll save yourself a lot of frustration. O'Reillys gets it wrong as well and I had to figure it out myself.
My brake rattles and bumps were diagnosed by a very experienced Ford tech. Next up for mine is going to be a replacement of not only pads and rotors, but also the caliper brackets. Apparently they get worn, especially when the slides are properly greased.

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Old 03-20-2019, 12:54 AM   #50
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Re: Rack and pinion “build”

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Originally Posted by falcongtho3 View Post
Order the brake parts for a Cobra and not a Mach 1, and you'll save yourself a lot of frustration. O'Reillys gets it wrong as well and I had to figure it out myself.
My brake rattles and bumps were diagnosed by a very experienced Ford tech. Next up for mine is going to be a replacement of not only pads and rotors, but also the caliper brackets. Apparently they get worn, especially when the slides are properly greased.

Oh ok, perfect! Does it matter which year Cobra/Termi? That’s good to know as well, had no idea caliper brackets get worn down!
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t45 swap (BEST decision of my life!!!)
Don't fear the gear!

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