Quick steering arms

[pantera928]

Hello

Do any of you have quick steering arms on your Avanti and if so, what do you think about them?

THanks

[Gunslinger]

I had them installed on the '70 Avanti I owned...if I had to do it again I would pass.  They were designed specifically for the later Avanti II cars that had the fork lift steering box used once the originals were no longer available to restore the original handling.  In that respect I guess they were fine.  On an earlier car it made the car very "darty" in handling...too responsive in other words.  You got no improvement in the turning circle and steering that slightly over responded.  

Apparently you have an '80 Avanti...the quick steering arms would work for you.  The change to the fork lift steering box was in the '77-'78 period.  

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I have them on one of my '64 Avantis and agree fully with gunslinger.  One thing I might add is that one of the main contributors on the SDC Forum has bent a pair of the original arms so their length is about halfway between the stock and the quick arms.  That seems to me to be the best of both worlds.  I don't recall who the gentleman was who did that but I do remember that he is one of the more astute members technically.  An inquiry on the SDC Forum, or here, might turn up something.

--Dwight

[silverstude]

I had them on my 70 also and it made the car tantamount to having a tiller instead of a wheel.  They also have to increase the pressure on the Power steering components, especially the hoses, as the high pressure feed out of the pump on my car blew off on one outing and I went into the weeds on a slow curve...

[pantera928]

Thanks for those replies so far. I hope someone with a later model will add something to this discussion.

I have a set but am hesitant to try them. Of course I can always go back to the original arms if the steering really sucks.

[wildfelr]

RQB 3263 81/305    yes  i installed them on my 81.  relatively  easy job with no other adjustments required..... however.... while they have to do exactly what they are designed to do  after a couple miles I didnt feel any difference in the steering....there is a difference but I didnt feel it....its still the 50s vintage Stude Lark kingpin front suspension/steering......

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I guess everyone knows this, but I'll point it out anyway.  You have to re-align your front suspension after installing the quick steering arms.

--Dwight

[pantera928]

32 minutes ago, Dwight FitzSimons said:

I guess everyone knows this, but I'll point it out anyway.  You have to re-align your front suspension after installing the quick steering arms.

--Dwight

Well, in theory, they tell you to remove the grease fitting from the kingpin and replace it with a bolt of the same thread to lock it in place. Then change the parts and adjust the lengths of the tie rods to reconnect to the new arms so no alignment is needed.

I emphasize "in theory" because I have never done it myself

[Avanti83]

Isn't adjusting tie rods part of an alignment, toe-in.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Avanti83

[pantera928]

10 minutes ago, Avanti83 said:

Isn't adjusting tie rods part of an alignment, toe-in.

Yes it is but if you adjust the tie rods so that the ends fall into the holes where they were before, the front end geometry(toe-in) "should" not change from where it was prior to installation of the quick steering arms

[Avanti83]

1 hour ago, pantera928 said:

Yes it is but if you adjust the tie rods so that the ends fall into the holes where they were before, the front end geometry(toe-in) "should" not change from where it was prior to installation of the quick steering arms

I won't disagree if one can keep them in place while removing the original long arms which is not a trivial effort. Been there, done that and have the tee shirt. IAC, eye of the beholder 

[pantera928]

11 minutes ago, Avanti83 said:

I won't disagree if one can keep them in place while removing the original long arms which is not a trivial effort. Been there, done that and have the tee shirt. IAC, eye of the beholder 

Agreed. Not as easy as it sounds. What is IAC?

[Avanti83]

2 hours ago, pantera928 said:

Agreed. Not as easy as it sounds. What is IAC?

In Any Case

[pantera928]

Just now, Avanti83 said:

In Any Case

Got it. Thanks