Steering & Alignment

What Steering Components Does This Category Include?

This category covers every part between your steering wheel and front tires, plus the hardware that keeps those tires aligned. It sits within our Chassis, Steering & Suspension parts department, organized by system so you can shop one job at a time.

Beyond the steering gear itself, you'll find the parts that carry its motion to the wheels:

• Steering linkage, including tie rods, center links, and pitman arms that connect the gear to the spindles
• Steering knuckles & components that locate the wheel hub and brake on the suspension
• King pins & components for solid front axles and vintage beam-axle setups
• Steering stabilizers that damp kickback from bumps on lifted trucks and off-road rigs

If you're rebuilding the front end, inspect the linkage whenever you upgrade the gear.

Rack and Pinion vs. Steering Box: Which Fits Your Build?

Rack-and-pinion steering kits give you more direct steering, while steering boxes keep an older vehicle's original layout. In a rack, a pinion gear meshes with a toothed rack and converts steering wheel rotation into linear motion. That's more direct than the recirculating ball design used in older vehicles.

In a steering box system, the column turns the gearbox internals, and the pitman arm moves the center link and tie rods to the spindles. If you're keeping that layout, replacement boxes and steering box components let you replace or rebuild the gear.

Converting instead? Conversion kits adapt a rack to an older chassis, such as the Flaming River cradle kit for the 1968-1972 Chevy Chevelle and El Camino. Before you order, read how to choose a rack and pinion for your steering conversion.

How Power Steering Pumps Affect Steering Effort

The power steering pump supplies the hydraulic pressure that cuts the effort you need to turn the wheel. Rack-and-pinion and steering box systems both come in manual and power-assisted versions. Power assist can be hydraulic or electric.

Many 1960s and 1970s muscle cars used Saginaw-style pumps, mostly on GM vehicles and on some Ford and Mopar models. This subcategory covers the pump and the hardware that supports it. Match the pump to your steering gear and engine before you order, since mounting and pulley alignment vary by application.

LS swaps often need a different pump or bracket. Some accessory drive kits include a power steering pump option. For era-specific advice, see our guide to power steering pumps for classic muscle cars.

Alignment Components and Sway Bars for Sharper Handling

Alignment components let you set camber, caster, and toe, while sway bars & end links control body roll in corners. Toe is adjusted through the tie rods. Camber is set with adjustable control arms, cam bolts, or camber plates, and caster affects straight-line stability and steering return.

Look for cam bolts, camber plates, and kits that dial in those angles on street and race cars. A sway bar ties the left and right suspension together to reduce lean.

QA1 offers front and rear sway bar kits for 1964-1967 and 1973-1977 GM A-Body cars, so you can tune both ends of the car. Planning to check settings in your garage? Our rundown of DIY front-end alignment tools covers what you need to set your alignment at home.

Steering Wheels, Columns, and Shafts for Street and Race Cars

The wheel, column, and shaft form the driver's end of the system and shape how the car feels in your hands. Aftermarket steering wheels change grip, diameter, and style. Billet Specialties offers 14 in. D-shaped steering wheels and steering wheel half wraps.

For race cars, a collapsible steering column is recommended, so start with steering columns & accessories. Circle-track racers often add a steering quickener, typically 2:1 for dirt and 1.5:1 for asphalt. A quickener reduces how far you turn the wheel for the same tire movement.

The steering shaft links the column to the rack or box and has to route around headers, frame rails, and swapped engines. Steering shafts & U-joints from Borgeson help you make that connection with the angles your chassis needs.

How to Choose Steering Components That Fit Your Vehicle

Start with fitment by adding your vehicle with the year, make, and model or VIN selector above. Then match steering ratio, mounting location, and intended use to your build. Check whether a kit includes the linkage, brackets, and hardware you need, or whether you'll order those separately.

A lower steering ratio turns the wheels more per rotation of the steering wheel, so response gets quicker. Mounting a rack ahead of or behind the axle line changes steering geometry, so confirm it matches your chassis.

Off-road use may call for heavy-duty parts. Trail Gear IFS Eliminator kits and Trail-Link Three front 3-link kits suit 1979-1995 Toyota Pickup builds. When your list is set, shop Steering & Alignment by system and add the parts to your cart.