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Thread: My "Quick Steer Kit" from Cobraautomotive has been installed

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    133

    My "Quick Steer Kit" from Cobraautomotive has been installed

    After doing much research on the net to find out what the difference is in turns lock to lock with the Cobraautomotive "Shelby Quick Steer Kit" is, I found NOTHING.

    Sure, everybody had something to say the steering effort, but nobody got to the "meat and potatoes" about whether there was a noticeable improvement in the steering response, which is the whole purpose of the kit.

    So I'm here to tell ya', YES, THERE IS A DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT in my '64 Falcon's steering response!

    I did not measure turns lock to lock for reasons I won't go into but I intend to at a later date. What I did notice is that the steering is unmistakably quicker, the response sharper, and I can't wait till I have the proper tires on it and have an alignment done and I can really drive the car the way it's meant to be driven.

    For the record, I swapped Granada disk brakes onto my '64 Falcon, and then I swapped over to the '65 V8 Falcon MANUAL STEERING set up.

    Steering box is the 1 INCH sector shaft steering box for five turns lock to lock, this is the box from the later '64 Falcons or the entire year of '65 Falcons, this kit only works with this box, not sure if they make a kit for the larger diameter sector shaft used on earlier Falcons.

    In case some don't know, Ford changed the steering set up on V8 Falcons around June or July of 1964 to a completely different set up. The '63 and early '64 Falcon V8 cars used one type of set up and steering box with a 1-1/8th inch sector shaft, and the later '64 and entire year of '65 Falcons used the box with the 1 inch sector shaft that served both six and eight cylinder Falcons.

    I have a steering box out of a '65 inline six Falcon mated to my V8 steering gear, and my quick steer pitman arm is bolted to that box, for the record.

    I drove the no faster than 30 mph today, and the steering, while not "fast" is definitely improved.

    NOWHERE on the internet could I find this information. The only thing everybody wanted to know was whether the steering effort was greater. That was the last thing on my mind, what I wanted was BETTER STEERING, and I definitely got that.

    Everything is new, so you know, new inner and outer tie rods, lower and upper ball joints, new center link, new idler arm, new pitman arm. I bought the center link, and all tie rods from Falconparts in California, I'm happy with the parts, they look like quality parts.

    Having new components improves steering over an old worn out and sloppy steering set up, and the Shelby Quick Steer Kit from Cobraautomotive is a nice leap forward in improved steering.

    I forgot what the cost was, I ordered the parts with some other stuff, but it's not much more than the standard pitman and idler.

    Anyway, that's my little review and now FINALLY here it is in print, that the steering response is much better. That's a qualitative statement, I hope to add a quantitative statement later and tell you how many turns lock to lock works out to be.

  2. #2
    WOW...5 turns lock to lock? That seems like a lot. Should be really easy to turn with no PS. I just put the UniSteer rack and pinion on the 64 Sprint I'm rebuilding and it only turns 2.5 lock to lock but has PS. Can't wait to try it out. I went with the rack unit since it's designed to get rid of the bump steer these cars had. I couldn't find much info either when researching the steering available. Mine has the Granada brakes , also.
    Ray Agen
    Dynasty Green 64 Sprint, 300 hp 302, AOD

  3. #3

    Quick Draw McGraw

    Quote Originally Posted by Wilbur View Post
    After doing much research on the net to find out what the difference is in turns lock to lock with the Cobraautomotive "Shelby Quick Steer Kit" is, I found NOTHING.
    Hello, Wilbur.

    My notes for the steering on a standard 1963 Falcon say: "17-inch Lifeguard steering wheel with 4.6 turns lock to lock and a 38.8 foot turning radius."

    I had never heard of a "Cobraautomotive Shelby Quick Steer Kit" so I looked it up.

    1965 QuikSteer_Kit.jpg

    See: http://store.cobraautomotive.com/196...and-frame-pin/

    Description: "This road race quick steer kit consists of a high quality forged steel idler arm and pitman arm. These were first introduced on the original Shelby GT350s. This will fit any 1965-66 Mustang steering box with a 1” sector shaft, and will enhance your car’s handling with increased road feel and response time while reducing the need for excessive steering input. This kit is a must for any early Mustang set up for handling." Price $214.95.

    I installed all new front end parts on my Falcon and left everything stock. The 1963 and 1964 V-8 Falcons used a different pitman arm than the six cylinder cars and it was pricey ($259.95!!). So, you are right. The $214.95 price that you paid is not bad.

    These are the parts I added:
    In Driveway.jpg
    Dennis Pierson
    Tampa, FL
    "The Wonder Falcon"

    '63 Futura Hardtop (260, Ford-O-Matic, bench seat)

  4. #4
    Soo glad it's working for you. I'll give an opinion of the UniSteer rack when I get the car done...
    Ray Agen
    Dynasty Green 64 Sprint, 300 hp 302, AOD

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    133

    Talking

    Dennis, on my other Falcon, I have the same set up as you do on yours, the early components which are much more expensive. Sixty three til June or so in sixty four used the same V8 steering components. My idler arm bracket has three bolt points whereas the sixty five has only two, both being V8 manual steering set ups.

    If I recall you had power steering or?

    I just got off the phone with a buddy and we were discussing how we like keeping our cars "period stock", in other words, I may do minor modifications but I want only mods that I could have gotten in the early to late 1960's and when I find a "gem" Falcon I touch NOTHING and leave it bone stock.

    I sold one of my nicest Falcons, and the main reason was I didn't have a garage for it. The Falcon only had thirty six thousand miles on it, was their grandfather's car who bought it new, beautiful interior, red, no tears, Raven black exterior, straight as an arrow and rust free.

    It had original bias ply tires on it, had the window sticker, and unique options such as 14 inch factory wheels, back up lights, and the hood ornament.

    It now resides in a garage where it is well cared for. I would not have touched that car, the ONLY mod was a bolt on anti-sway bar, otherwise it was bone stock, so I'm like you Dennis, I refuse to alter a nice Falcon.

    My two black Falcons that I currently drive were rescued from junkyards, anything I did to them was a vast improvement. I keep them "relatively stock" with some mild mods.

    Roger has recently seen my one black junker Falcon, it's a rough car but mechanically speaking it has new springs, new shocks, new suspension components such as springs, control arms, etc. etc. etc.

    It also has the dual circuit brake fluid reservoir, and three speed manual toploader trans, which is non stock, a 200 inline six which is non stock. It has no interior, it is my "truck".

    My blue V8 Falcon, also a sixty four, that one will remain pretty much stock, right down tot he drum brakes, though I'd like to add bolt on parts that are easily removed like fiberglass bumper, hood, alloy intake, alternator. The car is utterly UNMOLESTED and I don't want to screw it up, and I may not even do the mods I mentioned above.

    Some of the Rainier Falcon's crew saw the blue car last spring at a meeting, it's seen better days but it's bone stock save for a few items like the aftermarket alloy radiator I just installed, and I want to get a proper Falcon radiator for it, in case anyone wants to trade my near new alloy rad for a stock rad. I don't like the non stock look.

    One of my dream Falcons, Dennis, is a sixty three like yours BUT a convertible! I so much want a convertible again! Either a Falcon or a vintage MGB or MGC from the sixties.

    Meanwhile I'm havin' a hoot driving my Raven black Ford Falcon "truck" as my driver these days, though I don't drive much really.

    I enjoy the car because the front is so light, much lighter than the V8 Falcon and the car drives like an overgrown go-kart.

    Raysir, I look forward to seeing more about your Falcon Sprint, and though I did consider rack and pinion steering, I opted to stay with the worm gear set up, which doesn't have the quicker steering of the rack and pinion.

    I look forward to seeing photos of the Sprint, I've always wanted a Sprint, a sixty three in white, black, or red, in that order, and a sixty four in white or possibly other colors.

    My dream car, though, is just what I own, a sixty four Falcon two door post sedan in basic black, which is why I used to own three of them in black and four of them total, and currently own three.

  6. #6

    A lot of points

    Hello, Wilbur.

    My car does not have power steering.

    The re-build of my front suspension started from seeing that the front tires were wearing unevenly. A mechanic told me that the car needed a front end alignment, but that it needed new ball joints.

    Then in classic Roger "while I am at it" fashion, I figured that rather than just replace the ball joints why not the replace the upper and lower control arms as a unit, and the sway bar bushings are bad also, and so on and so on.

    I studied a steering diagram until I understood how all the parts worked with the idea that if I was going to make any modifications, now would be the time to do it. I read about Monte Carlo bars, under-engine braces, Shelby drops, bigger sway bars, and bump steer.

    It seemed that while each modification did have benefits, they also had drawbacks. Whether the benefits exceed the drawbacks depends on how you plan on driving the car and one modification leads to another and it is a slippery slope.

    For example - a heavier sway bar reduces body roll. True. But, it also gives the car a stiffer ride and adds a little weight. Now you can corner faster but the original 13-inch tires start breaking free. You can increase the wheel size to 14 or 15 inches to use bigger tires and get more traction, but you further increased the weight of the car, you raised its center of gravity, and you changed its appearance.

    All of that seemed to be overkill to me because my Falcon is not racing at Monte Carlo. I drive it to and from work every day and will drive it on the highway but avoid taking it on Interstates. For the kind of driving that I do, the stock suspension is perfectly fine. That is because the type of driving that I do is exactly the the type of driving that the suspension was designed for.

    I drive my Falcon almost every day, and really really really do like my stock steering and suspension. It gives a comfortable ride and the car corners as hard as I care to push it without any excessive body roll. The steering is really nice. It tracks straight as an arrow, I can steer it with one finger while the car is moving, and I love the road feel that the direct mechanical connections deliver to the steering wheel. I have been very satisfied with the results from replacing all the worn front end parts.

    Thanks, Dennis.
    Last edited by ew1usnr; December 18th, 2015 at 06:03 PM.
    Dennis Pierson
    Tampa, FL
    "The Wonder Falcon"

    '63 Futura Hardtop (260, Ford-O-Matic, bench seat)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Federal Way
    Posts
    906
    Wilbur....at the risk of hijacking this thread....(so it won't be hijacked...) I would love to see you put some pics of your three falcons in a show off my ride thread...any pics of that very original one you sold too.
    Don Bartlett
    Federal Way, WA
    61 Four Door Sedan
    144-6, 3 on the tree



  8. #8
    Wilbur, I'm wondering if using a 16:1 power steering box as a manual would accomplish about the same thing? Certainly more work though.

    I'm just thinking of ways to use factory parts to quicken my steering.
    1965 Ranchero Deluxe
    factory 289 4 speed car

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    133
    I would like to use both a Flaming River 16:1 steering box and the Shelby quick steer kit together for the best steering response. First I need to drive my Falcon with the Shelby kit on the highway and see how it drives, maybe the Shelby kit will be all I could ask for, don't know yet but I'll find out.

    I'm trying to find Flaming River Falcon steering boxes but no luck. I hope they still produce the box for the Falcon.

  10. #10
    Here's a screen shot from the Flaming River site. It appears that they can custom-make a Falcon 16:1 box, but it's not an off-the-shelf item, See the last bulleted item.

    Also, here's some info about roller idler arms and how to adjust caster to help with wheel centering.
    1965 Ranchero Deluxe
    factory 289 4 speed car

  11. #11
    Let's try those attachments again...
    Attached Images Attached Images
    1965 Ranchero Deluxe
    factory 289 4 speed car

  12. #12
    Wilbur, any updates on the quick steer kit? I'm still interested in how it works in daily driving.
    1965 Ranchero Deluxe
    factory 289 4 speed car

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