Extending Steering Rack Trackrods

[Barkychoc]

I have a TVR V8S. The steering rack has some play in it.
The rack is a modified vauxhall chevette rack, but no one seemed to know exactly what was modified so I bought a recon chevette rack off ebay to have a look.

It turn out that the track rods are not chevette ones - the rest of the rack is. The track rods are ford, though at the moment I haven't determined exactly what ford.

The Chevette track rods are too short - and the wrong thread to mate up with the ford track rod ends.

My question is would you consider extending the track rods ?
I'm talking about a properly engineered extension not something made by Blue Peter.
If I do this then the chevette rack will fit.

I understand that some kit cars do this anyway. Is that correct?

I assume that if you do extend them its best to do it in mild steel - you would want them to bend rather than snap in an accident?

All help appreciated.

Chris

Edited by Barkychoc on Thursday 8th November 18:57

[trackcar]

why cant you swap the track rods of the old rack onto the new one ..

[X-man]

Just swap the old track rods over, i did this on my kit car about an hours work.

[Barkychoc]

I thought of doing this - however the bit I'm not sure of is how you stop it coming undone.
On the chevette rack I have removed the gaiter and where the track rod screws in the end of the rack, where the rack end and the track rod meet a small hole is drilled (so half the hole is in each piece), and what looks like a snapped off metal pin is in the hole.
What is this? Is it a special pin that is used ?
I assume it is hammered in? Or is it threaded ?

This is the showstopper at the moment, I'd kind of like my track rods to stay attached to the rack!

If it helps I could post a pic of this.

Chris

[Steve_D]

Does the pin look like a 'C' shape when you look on the end?
Does it go all the way through?
If yes then it is a 'Roll Pin' and you can drive it out and re-use it as it is effect a rolled up spring.

Steve

[Barkychoc]

No it is definately not a roll pin.
It is visible one side only, and looks to be solid metal.
I will try to get a photo later.

[Barkychoc]

A couple of pictures of where the trackrod meets the rack.
This is the recon chevette rack that I have.
The pin(s) are roughly 2 to 2.5mm diameter at a guess.

Edited by Barkychoc on Friday 9th November 11:46

[GreenV8S]

I guess it's a taper pin. You're absolutely sure it doesn't go right through? If not, getting it out could be a real problem. One way to remove taper pins is to drill and tap the end and pull it out with a stud and a pile of washers, is it big enough for that? Otherwise you'd have to treat it like a broken stud and drill it out until you break through the taper, but that would be very difficult to do without practice. How about handing the problem over to somebody who rebuilds these things for a living? The solution is probably easy once you know what you're doing!

[tooslow]

Hi Gents,

It is a solid pin around 5-6mm long,

we used to have them on a Saab 99 steering rack which is adjustable like the one pictured, it allows the play to be adjustaed out.
We used to drill out the pin, then adjust the rack and redrill a new hole slightly smaller than the new pin this hole is drilled down the join as in the picture and drift the new pin home.
Job done,

As for replace ment pins a long shot maybe but try an older established Saab dealer one with an old boy in the workshop or try the Saab owners club or Saab specialist

[Barkychoc]

Tooslow thanks for the information.

I don't really want to fiddle with the Chevette rack - I'd like to leave it as it is.

Which brings me back to my original question - is it safe / wise to attempt to extend the track rods on this rack?

I was curious to find out if kit car construction advocates this - I'm guessing it must if any work done is engineered properly.

The TVR rack is a chevette rack except the track rods, which are longer and from an unknown ford.

I don't want to fiddle with the TVR rack either - I want to give myself the option of getting it rebuilt if all else fails.

Chris

Edited by Barkychoc on Friday 9th November 15:00

[Barkychoc]

GreenV8S said:

How about handing the problem over to somebody who rebuilds these things for a living? The solution is probably easy once you know what you're doing!

Yes Pete considered that too - but I didn't realise just how few people there are out there now doing this kind of work.
My fear maybe unfounded is that I hand over my rack to a so called specialist who sends it back in bits saying they can't do it.
Am I worrying unneccesarily?

Chris

[GreenV8S]

Barkychoc said:

GreenV8S said:

How about handing the problem over to somebody who rebuilds these things for a living? The solution is probably easy once you know what you're doing!

Yes Pete considered that too - but I didn't realise just how few people there are out there now doing this kind of work.
My fear maybe unfounded is that I hand over my rack to a so called specialist who sends it back in bits saying they can't do it.
Am I worrying unneccesarily?

Chris

You don't *have* to get them to strip the rack (although IMO if the rack is beyond rebuilding I would be extremely cautious about using it), you could just ask them to swap the track rod ends over. I expect it's an easy job with the right tools.(If they won't do it cheaply then you can probably conclude that it isn't a sensible DIY job either.)

[Barkychoc]

Yes fair comment Pete.
I am not prepared to do anything to either rack unless I am 100% certain what I'm doing, and at the moment I'm not, and am prepared to admit that which I hope is a good quality to have.
A rack coming apart does not bear thinking about at any speed.

Chris

[dern]

Barkychoc said:

Which brings me back to my original question - is it safe / wise to attempt to extend the track rods on this rack?

I was curious to find out if kit car construction advocates this - I'm guessing it must if any work done is engineered properly.

The TVR rack is a chevette rack except the track rods, which are longer and from an unknown ford.

If the threads are metric ford ones then rally design do these rack extensions...

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/catalog/product_info....

...in alloy. The thread is M14 (don't know the pitch but I can measure them for you) and they extend by 50mm each side.

I have a pair for my locost. If these are no use then just get an engineering company to turn some up for you. If you don't know anyone who can make them then contact Nick Skidmore on the locost builder forum as he'll be able to make some up for you. He made some threaded inserts for me and his prices are good and he's well respected. A lot of the westfield guys will be using extenders when they switched to wide track at the front so you could ask on the westfield forum for their suppliers if the rally design ones are no use.

Personally I'd do what has been suggested though and get someone to swap the track rods over.

Regards,

Mark

Edited by dern on Sunday 11th November 19:40

[Steve_D]

Find a company who refurbish racks and ask them to supply the configuration you require. That way you have bought their services and the finished item will come with a guarantee/warranty.

Steve

[hal 1]

I had some extensions made up for a power rack I'm going to fit to my car, carbon steel if i remember correctly, wasn't too expensive, lotus used to use triumph herald/spitfire racks for the elan with extensions on each end