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Steering differences ??? 700

Can anyone tell me if there are any differences in the steering between an 85 745 and a 91 745?

I am about to do an engine swap but the 85 seems to have better steering than the 91. It seems to have a better, more positive feel on the highway.
Should I swap the steering boxes also?

Of course it might just be tires or different components worn but the 91 seems tighter than the 85 but I like the steering less.

Thanks

Swap is a D24T to replace a B230F in the 91 model








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    Steering differences ??? 700

    As far as I know, all 740 steering racks are interchangeable as complete assemblies. There have been at least three manufacturers of racks used over the years---ZF, Cam Gears and TRW. Component parts, such as tie rod ends, are specific to each brand and NOT interchangeable. I don't think there is supposed to be any difference in steering feel between the different types of rack. I suspect there is something wrong with your 91, either something is worn out or the toe setting is incorrect. The type and condition of the tires can make a big difference too.

    If there is nothing wrong with the engine in the 91 745, why swap it out? There are plenty of 960s with bad engines available for cheap, and one of those would seem (to me) to be even better to put the diesel in.








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      Steering differences ??? 700

      I am interested in your comment. Yes, the 91 740 wagon is running fine, albeit with a cracked exhaust pipe I believe and the a/c is noisy. I bought it locally as it has a much better body than my 85. I agree it may make more sense to put the diesel into a 960. I do have enough knowledge to know if its doable easily or not.

      Are the engine mounts in the same place on the cross member? I could always swap the cross member as well but that would be a lot more work.

      Did the 960 come with a rear axle of a similar ratio? Of course I could always swap the rear axle too, unless it has ABS.

      I think I need to stay with a car that does not have OBDII in order to avoid any emmissions issues. We have none in SC but I also have a home in NC.

      Do you have any info on these things and do you know of a good 960 wagon needing a new heart?

      I was going to send a pmail but your email address looks too long to be right.

      cheers








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        Steering differences ??? 700

        I will attempt to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge, but keep in mind that I have owned neither a 740 TD nor a 960, so I have no direct experience with either.

        I believe the front crossmember for the diesel is specific to that engine, so you would have to change it to put the TD in the 91 740. As far as I know, the mounting holes on the unibody for the crossmember are identical on all 7 and 9 series cars, so that part of the swap should be doable without too much trouble.

        960s came with several different axle ratios, depending on year and transmission type, some of which would be suitable for use with the diesel. (somewhere in the FAQ section is a complete list by year and model) They also came with three different kinds of rear suspension. Sedans all had IRS, with coil springs until 94, and with a transverse leaf spring from 95. Wagons had a live axle, at least until 94, perhaps later. I have seen them with leaf spring IRS too, but I don't think any ever came with coil spring IRS. Most if not all coil spring IRS cars had Nivomat shocks, which are very expensive to replace, so a live axle or leaf spring car would be a better choice, as they often had conventional shocks, and live axle cars can easily be converted with parts from an earlier 7/940. The leaf spring cars, 95 and later, use wheels with a different offset than the earlier ones. You can put 850/V70 wheels on these cars, and 15" or larger 740/760/940 wheels will fit the earlier models with the standard RWD offset.

        OBDII was introduced on 96 models, from all manufacturers, so you should be able to find a car earlier than that with no difficulty. Some states will give you a hard time if the model year of the engine is earlier than that of the car it's in. On the other hand, diesels generally don't have to go through emission testing, so you might be OK, it all depends on how things are done in your state.

        I don't know of any 960s for sale at the moment, but I have seen several of them, with engine problems, go for a few hundred bucks each at the local wholesale auction. A couple of them were very clean and nice. For some reason, sedans seem to be a lot easier to find than wagons.

        There used to be a guy on here by the name of Mapleleafer, who was thinking about building a 960 TD. It is an appealing concept---all the comfort, convenience and safety features of the later car, and 35 MPG. I think it can be done, but it would require a lot of thought beforehand, and a lot of work to actually put it together.








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          Steering differences ??? 700

          Thanks for sharing what you know. I've looked at the cross member on the 91 with the B230F and it looks very similar to the cross member with the D24T. However the mounts themselves look very different. I guess its likely that the 6 cyl. gas engines would use a different cross member. Wont know till I try it probably.

          It looks like I should stay with a live rear axle. I cant really complain about the ride though the shocks are weak on my present car.
          I have a feeling that the front suspension springs are stronger on the diesel car than the 4 cylinder.

          thks again








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    Steering differences ??? 700

    Judging by the flood of responses, there is no difference. I checked a world parts site and the racks have the same part number. I guess something must be out of whack for it to steer poorly ?

    thanks







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