Original Or Custom Steering Components in Perth? Take Your Pick!
When you first sit inside an automobile, what’s the first thing you see? The steering wheel. It’s called sitting “behind the wheel”, after all.
The steering wheel and steering column is your connection to the vehicle, giving you the power to control where it goes with the slightest movements. A sleek, sporty steering wheel has been fashionable for car enthusiasts since at least the 70s, and is a clear indication that a vehicle has a certain prestige, power, or history.
To do a classic car justice, a period-correct classic wheel is required – not an out of place, modern alternative. At Rare Parts, we stock all manner of steering components and accessories in our range of over 8000 renovation and restoration products to help with your car project.
Steering Columns
Even the most beautiful vintage or project car is going to be left in the garage more often than not if the steering is poor. Serious vibration, road drift and uneven wear of the tires can also reduce the lifespan of your vehicle.
Many classic automobiles would benefit from a steering column upgrade, such as adding tilt provision, or an entire rebuild of the steering such as conversion from a box to a rack and pinion model. Classic steering columns include cut-to-fit, tilt and telescope variants, and can be eye-catching in stainless steel or aluminium.
Rack-and-Pinion
Any enthusiast knows that older cars with slow steering boxes often feel like tanks, a stark contrast to the tightness and responsiveness of modern steering. At Rare Parts, we’ve got a range of rack-and-pinion conversion kits for iconic models from Holden, Ford, Chrysler, and more, allowing you to have smooth, fast modern steering in vintage wheels.
Rack-and-pinion steering is relatively simple in concept. The gearset is enclosed in a tube, with each end of the rack coming out from this tube. Tie rods sit on either end of the rack, with the outer tie rod end connecting to the spindle or steering arm. When you steer the vehicle, the outer tie rod end pivots in turn, allowing the steering arm to rotate.
Essentially, a rack-and-pinion gearset converts the rotational motion of the steering wheel to a linear motion, and provides a gear reduction – meaning it is ultimately easier to turn the wheels.
Suspension/Steering Components
In addition to tie rods, rebuilding your steering and suspension will often require new ball joints, CV joints and suspension bushes.
Drag links connect the vehicle’s steering gearbox to the tie rod ends and are found in various classic Fords and Holdens, such as the Falcon and the Kingswood.
Idler arms and pitman arms link the box of a steering system to the centre and then to the hub assembly, providing pivoting support and facilitating movement when the wheel turns. The pitman arm attaches to the steering gear shaft and acts as a lever, converting torque, while the idler arm assists the pitman arm by supporting the steering linkage. We offer both idler and pitman arms for a range of vehicles.
While full roll cages are illegal in WA, front and rear sway bars are perfectly legal ways to reduce the amount of vehicle sway or body roll, ideal for classic cars with less than ideal weight distribution.
Why Rare Parts?
At Rare Parts, we have everything you need to ensure your vehicle feels as good as it looks, with responsive steering, tactile handling and tight suspension.
Rare Parts has been servicing Perth for over 30 years, and we’ve established a name as one of Australia’s leading car parts suppliers.
We carry stock parts for all the leading makes and models, including Holden, Ford, Chrysler, Chevrolet, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and more.
Classics, renovations and restorations are our passion. So, if there’s a rare part you’re after, there’s nowhere you’re more likely to find it.
Contact Us for your classic automotive steering and suspension parts!