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Posted by: pjf Oct 11 2011, 07:27 PM

I'm trying to drop the front end of my '76 and could use some help. I tried to search for a step-by-step procedure but couldn't find anything. My search skills are not the greatest but I did try. Does anyone know of such a thread I can look at? I have a short procedure. I've followed it but I must be missing something. I've unbolted the shocks at the top, disconnected the break lines, removed the cross member shroud, removed the master cylinder, and unbolted the steering linkage in the passenger compartment. I've put two jacks under the cross-bar and removed the torsion bar bolts at the front and the two crossmember bolts in the back. I can get the whole assemble to drop about an inch especially after driving the torsion bars back a bit. What seems to be the problem is the steering rack. It looks like its hanging up as it passes through the body. There are several plastic/rubber shrouds around the linkage so its hard to see what's going on. I unbolted a bracket that went across shrouding in the gas tank compartment but its still not budging. It seems that the torsion bars have to go back further to clear the end covers that are fixed to the front and at the same time the steering rack linkage through the body to the passenger compartment wants to go forward. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Posted by: Spoke Oct 11 2011, 07:31 PM

There's only a few bolts to take off.

If the rack is holding you up, you could remove the 2 bolts under the rack and remove the tie rod ends off the struts and drop the front, then remove the rack afterwards.

BTW, you didn't have to remove the master cylinder to drop the front end.

Posted by: Rob-O Oct 11 2011, 08:26 PM

There is a bearing and clamp under the fuel tank. I don't think it should be holding up the removal, but if the rack isn't coming out just right, I imagine it's getting hung up there. I'm with Jerry, if it seems that the steering rack is holding you up, disconnect it. Just two bolts. But of course you'll also have to remove the tie rod ends. Not too tough considering what you've accomplished already.

Posted by: jcd914 Oct 11 2011, 11:04 PM

Remove the front A-arm covers. 8mm Allen thru the hole in the cover then the arms can come straight down in front.

Make sure you got the lower steering u-joint off the steering rack.

Jim

Posted by: jaxdream Oct 12 2011, 07:41 AM

I believe the steering rack is what's holding up the parade. The rack has just about got to come out / go in at a slight angle to the crossmember. I recently tryed to pull a rack out of a junker , no dice . I left it didn't need it and didn't want to go through the hassle of removing thecrossmember and related suspension. When I installed the 911T suspension in my present keeper , I installed the rack first followed by the crossmember and related parts next. No way to get rack in or out without the crossmember and relations being out of the way. Good Luck.......

Jack

Posted by: pjf Oct 13 2011, 06:42 AM

Thanks for all the help with this. As it turns out removing the front torsion bar covers did the trick. One 8mm bolt had to be drilled out from the top (inside the front trunk) but once the covers were removed and the torsion bars could drop the steering rack could angle out like it needed to. I was able to remove the whole assemble without unbolting the steering rack as I wanted to. Thanks again!