Tech Project
Rack-and-pinion technology became popular in the '80s and has since been incorporated into different types of vehicles, like older-model cars and even John Deere tractor equipment. The guys at Unisteer realized that there was a demand for these kinds of kits and turned their focus over to fill in the void in the custom car world.
The cars of the '50s, '60s, and '70s have a real need for steering upgrades. The challenge was and continues to be engineered systems that match the factory suspension geometry, using modern-day steering gears. Most of these old cars use very long control arms that narrow the suspension's pivot points and require a very narrowed rack-and-pinion. Some people think that it's so simple they can just take the off-the-shelf parts store rack-and-pinion and fabricate a bracket to mount it to their vehicle. It's not that easy because if the rack-and-pinion unit used doesn't match the suspension exactly, you will experience bumpsteer.
The dreaded bumpsteer is the condition that occurs when your wheels have a tow change when they leave the pavement, like when you hit a bump. This tends to make your car want to pull to one side whenever it hits a bump or dip in the road. The effect of bumpsteer can be felt and noticed on a set of 13-inch wheels and tires or, if you have oversized wheels on your ride, the effect will also be the same.
If modernizing steering performance is what you're looking for, this is the kit for you. Most of Unisteer's kits are simple bolt-on units that will significantly upgrade the vehicle's handling. Most of the kits are available in either power or manual steering and can be ordered with all the needed components for installation. Follow along as "Hollywood Fuzz," from Bowtie Connection in Artesia, California, installs this bolt-on kit onto a '60 Impala frame.