Quick rack

[Alexdaredevilz]

Has it been 4 wheel aligned since?

[haircutmike]

SILICONEKID340HP said:

Replaced lower upper ball joints,track rod ends,steve heath poly anti roll bar bushes,complete poly bush on wishbones,reconditioned rack (western powersteering services),Steve heath drop links,Gaz Mono with 500lb springs etc etc etc

I've done exactly the same and have play in the steering!

Get someone to gently rock the steering wheel in the area of play while you look at the spindle where it exits the rack.

You'll see the spindle moving but wheels still = play in rack bar and pinion.

There is an adjuster on the slipper plate that you may be able to take up some slack with.

[SILICONEKID340HP]

haircutmike said:

SILICONEKID340HP said:

Replaced lower upper ball joints,track rod ends,steve heath poly anti roll bar bushes,complete poly bush on wishbones,reconditioned rack (western powersteering services),Steve heath drop links,Gaz Mono with 500lb springs etc etc etc

I've done exactly the same and have play in the steering!

Get someone to gently rock the steering wheel in the area of play while you look at the spindle where it exits the rack.

You'll see the spindle moving but wheels still = play in rack bar and pinion.

There is an adjuster on the slipper plate that you may be able to take up some slack with.

Where is the adjuster ? does the front end have to be off the floor and what does it look like .

It feels like im having to fight to keep it in a straight line .

Watch the video all the way through it`s very interesting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqTbdmbL7mU&fea...

Edited by SILICONEKID340HP on Saturday 15th September 17:40

[BliarOut]

Get the bugger to Centre Gravity, it'll save you money in the long run

[SSPPGG]

dont forget the column itself


ive got a new impreza rack fitted
new lower UJ
new upper uj

..... and i still have some play that is definately in the column...i suspect the ball mechanism that permits the steering height adjustment. it is small, but i can feel it.

[SILICONEKID340HP]

SSPPGG said:

dont forget the column itself


ive got a new impreza rack fitted
new lower UJ
new upper uj

..... and i still have some play that is definately in the column...i suspect the ball mechanism that permits the steering height adjustment. it is small, but i can feel it.

Come on show us ! did it just bolt in or was there some fabricating ..

To be honest i have come to a point where i may sell ..If the steering and shockabsorbers can`t be sorted im out !can handle all the other niggles like Megasquirt ,wear and tear and except the age (getting a bit tired) ,i may go for a Lotus or something .

Edited by SILICONEKID340HP on Saturday 15th September 21:33

[haircutmike]

Steve, what we want is a drive in, drive out service .

[SSPPGG]

i'm more than happy to share what ive done, and mike if you want, i can get a one together for you to try. i think itll take a couple hours to fit if you fancy a drive to sunny shropshire

i've not driven mine with this fitted yet.....but its the same system i've used on 2 of my cobras.

[SSPPGG]

SILICONEKID340HP said:

Come on show us ! did it just bolt in or was there some fabricating ..

To be honest i have come to a point where i may sell ..If the steering and shockabsorbers can`t be sorted im out !can handle all the other niggles like Megasquirt ,wear and tear and except the age (getting a bit tired) ,i may go for a Lotus or something .

Edited by SILICONEKID340HP on Saturday 15th September 21:33

pics of the trial fit are here.

there is no welding or any heavy machining

this is a grubby off the shelf test rack, just to trial fit. and test mod. just as well as ive used a cpouple up as ive changed the pinion fitting a couple times

the rack does just bolts into the original mounts, the brackets you see are the scooby ones even the bolt hole centres work. the brass spacers are simply because i couldnt find shorter m8 threaded bolts!
ive made some temporary spacers (not in these pics) as you cant leave the bolts open like that, but when i'm in work next week, ill bend some brackets the correct width so that the bolts are properly mounted.

the pinion needs to be shortened and machined to take a ford UJ. it took me 20 mins on a mill to machine 17mm hex flats. (the photo was a trial with the tvr uj, but i didnt like how much material i machined off to take a 9/16 spline.

you can see the fluid ports which go to the rack stick out the front of the pinion. with the pinion in its original rotation, these clashed with the chassis

you may not have to do anything to your chassis. i had to take a small amount of material off the edge of a bracket, or the fluid unions were pressing against the plate. Itll depend on how your plates were welded on, but it is a small "nibble". (maybe the size of a 5p piece) importantly, there is no material change to the chassis to mount the rack. it uses the same bolts that tvr used, so there is no welding at all

the rack centres in the chassis within a couple mm. again, this could just be manufacturing tolerence from TVR, but as you will need some spacers to limit the rack movement from side to side, i made one spacer 2mm wider than the other, these just slip on the rack shaft before the track rods are fitted

the trackrods will need shortening 22mm (grinder) , and rethreading a little with an m14 tap. takes half hour tops

you need to get a 9/16 double ended splined shaft, which you need to test fit and cut to length. perhaps an hour to shorten and fit these are off the shelf

the rack hardlines will need to be rebent or remade (pertek or similair) as the pinion needs to be rotated 180 degrees, or the fluid lines clash with the chassis, but this is just a case of unbolting the pinion and spinning it round really. the hardlines are not in this pic, but ive done those now and fitted them. ive bent them before myself, and have bought them. makes no odds functionally, but are neater if bent professionlly

the scooby TRE fit into the ford steering arms, and the taper rate is the same, but the scooby ones are fatter, so the tvr steering arm needs to be opened up imm with a taper ream to match. takes half hour or so

i from memory, i used m14 and m16 to an6 adaptors in the scoooby pinion for inlet and outlet connectors. these need a little machining to get a decent seal, but again, its just a few minutes on the lathe

ive made a pump mount bracket, and ive got hoses etc, so itll be mounted soon.

electrics is pretty straightforward, just a fused line to alternator, ignition live, and engine running live (which ive taken off my fuel pump relay from the ecu which only runs the pump once the engine is fired (after an ininitial 3 sec prime)


none of this is hard, im pretty sure given 2/3 hours I could fit the mechanics and be done once a kit of parts is to hand

no beefing up of the pedal assembly etc, infact apart from getting the wiring connections, no need to do anything inside the car.

hope that helps.



http://thumbsnap.com/V3IuwlM2

Edited by SSPPGG on Saturday 15th September 23:46

Edited by SSPPGG on Saturday 15th September 23:51

Edited by SSPPGG on Saturday 15th September 23:57

Edited by SSPPGG on Sunday 16th September 00:05

Edited by SSPPGG on Sunday 16th September 00:14

[SILICONEKID340HP]

SSPPGG said:

SILICONEKID340HP said:

Come on show us ! did it just bolt in or was there some fabricating ..

To be honest i have come to a point where i may sell ..If the steering and shockabsorbers can`t be sorted im out !can handle all the other niggles like Megasquirt ,wear and tear and except the age (getting a bit tired) ,i may go for a Lotus or something .

Edited by SILICONEKID340HP on Saturday 15th September 21:33

http://thumbsnap.com/V3IuwlM2

This one needs a full disription of modifying and fitting ,it`s a major future mod and the solution to the crap we all have fitted ..Western Power Steering services told me they were no good from new ,some type of adapted bodge.!

[haircutmike]

Steve, you are obviously a very talented guy.

What seems simple for you would be a non starter for most!

YHM.

[BliarOut]

With the increasing rarity of original racks there's probably a commercial opportunity for a parts kit...

[bubblehead]

Great stuff Steve. Have picked up a rack and pump for £60 the pair so a cheap upgrade from my non pas rack over the winter is planned. Looking forward to seeing how yours works out and thanks for all the info and pointers, very helpful.

[7 TVR]

haircutmike said:

Steve, you are obviously a very talented guy.

What seems simple for you would be a non starter for most!

YHM.

+1 for what Peter said

Looks like your nearly ready for mine

[SILICONEKID340HP]

I bet Haircut did not sleep last night! He`s so excited .

[jeboa]

Started stripping down a second hand Impreza rack, all was looking good - until I got to this:



Threads inside are a bit knackered - not sure if this is something that can be fixed economically?

[BliarOut]

Old helicoils are easy enough to replace and stronger than the parent aluminium...

[SSPPGG]

jeboa said:

Started stripping down a second hand Impreza rack, all was looking good - until I got to this:



Threads inside are a bit knackered - not sure if this is something that can be fixed economically?

a rack only costs 30 quid....i reckon youve got now one to practice on, before you do the proper one.

it'll cost 20 t helicoil that.

[jeboa]

That's what I was thinking, good practice unit! (and a spare rack I guess!!)

[SSPPGG]

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

there are a couple more pics of the rack on the above thread