hi guys my 66 gto with 389, with headers and power steering i installed the rag joint and it hits the headers i ground the studs down and cut the studs off and now the nuts are hitting the front tube. what are you guys doing for this problem?

Thanks Jon

Jon,

Not sure. What headers are they? Had a '66 with Hooker SuperComps, no issues. Had another with some brand-X and they hit the rag joint. Dinged 'em until they quit... If you're careful and steady, using a brass drift and a ton of patience, you can "dimple" (ding) the header for clearance. Hitting too hard or with too large a device, can collapse the tube.

Another issue that can cause such problems are sagging motor mounts. The Pontiac can "sink" as much as 1" when the mounts get tired.

And even further... A-bodies of the era tend to "pull in" across the front crossmember, making the engine "closer" to the frame and attached stuff. A good body shop can correct it by "pulling" the outer rails down while supporting the middle. An alignment would be necessary afterwards.

Hope this helps.

Jim