Lightweight Steering Rack Support

[Guest ScotMac]

Ok, i have finished my strengthening (for now), and have moved on to the steering rack.

 

Probably not gonna find any left-hand drive l/w builders on here, but i hope the general knowledge of the club can help w/ this.

 

The problem is, since mine is for left-hand drive (no we don't need to get into the "right" side of the road thing), it doesn't at all match the video. The steering rack support piece obviously has the steering collumn hole cut out on the left side, but it also has a substantially different cutout shape than the right-hand drive one in the video. Also, the right hand drive one has 4 nice holes cut in it to match the holes cut in the #25 auxilliary support pieces that bolt to it. Mine instead has only *2* holes cut in it, and they don't at all match up to the holes in the #25 pieces.

 

Finally, the damn thing doesn't fit in the space where the video shows the right-hand drive one going. ie, on top of the rearmost front-lower box section and on the engine bay floor (nose area) just in front of the frontmost front-lower box section. The space is about 10", and mine requires about 10.5". I could bend it a bit tighter, to get it down to the 10", but then the #25 pieces wont fit (they fit into the angle of the bend).

 

Hmmm...i just talked to Coveland, and Jim says that they actually decided that the RH piece wouldn't work, and instead did their own custom setup!!! I am going to follow up w/ the guy that actually did the work at Coveland.

 

Note, i have contacted RHSC/GBS, and so far have received the normal response.

 

I will post photos of both the left and right versions of the steering rack plate and the #25 panels shortly.

 

Cheers, -sm

[Guest ScotMac]

I will post photos of both the left and right versions of the steering rack plate and the #25 panels shortly.

 

Cheers, -sm

 

Here is one showing the right-hand drive support plate and the (already bent) #25 support panels. Note the holes in the 25 pieces and how they line up w/ the holes in the support plate:

[Guest salty_monk]

(no we don't need to get into the "right" side of the road thing),

 

I'm told it's all about history.... we had knights, mostly right handed who had to draw down with their right hand so they rode to the left.

 

I think by the time America was invaded/conquered whatever, the gun was the favoured weapon so it didn't matter which side they rode on...

 

Might all be BS though!!

 

Let's have a look at your pics then.... I would have though you could make almost any LH drive rack fit with a bit of fiddling... I know peops who have shortened them & cut extra threads & also seen the threaded adapters that fit on the end to lengthen them...

 

Will a Miata (MX5 for the Anglo's) come somewhere close?? (or did you get supplied with one??

 

Most of the RHD ones just mount on a wedge or on the chassis with some hooped brackets (like exhaust clamps)

 

Here's mine:

 

 

Dan

[Guest ScotMac]

Let's have a look at your pics then....

 

 

Dan

 

Yes, Dan, you can probably make any rack fit. That is not the issue. I was just attempting to figure how the h*ll RH thought this was supposed to work, before going of and doing it my own way. Here another photo, this one is of the #25 piece being fitted to the rack plate:

 

 

And here's one of how it is supposed to finally fitted into the chassis;

[Guest salty_monk]

Did they give you a rack or tell you what to use for LHD?

[Guest ReadingTrev]

 

Hi there,

 

these links are to the most detailed photo's off my website I have of the steering rack. No-one will be able to give you an exact answer, because of the LHD option, but if you can glean anything off these, it will have been 5 mins well spent sorting them out.

 

Good luck!

 

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7515/13...00/101_3594.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7515/13...00/100_3528.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7515/13...00/100_3542.jpg

 

 

I've over 2500 photo's of every aspect of my Lightweight build, so just ask if you want any more!

 

 

Cheers for now,

 

 

Trevor.

[E.Hunt]

Hi Scott

 

I loosly fitted the support brackets onto #25 (which I had to file a bit off the sides to fit in) and then like the video marked the bottom holles on the floor pan with a broken marker pen. The support brackets have diffrent spaced holes to fit against #25 and use the U bolts as final fixing.

 

Cant seem to find my photo's of that section

 

Trev nice to see you about but I don't seem to have permission to see your photo's

[Guest ScotMac]

Did they give you a rack or tell you what to use for LHD?

 

Oh, i get it. Good idea to actually look at the rack (Duh!! ). I knew that the rack plate would go fine on *top* of both the lower square sections, and seeing the rack made the light go on. They want me to mount the rack below/inside the rack mount plate, instead of on top of it, as done for the right-hand drive. My *guess* is they supply the same rack for both the left and right hand drive options, and just turn it over and raise (lower) the rack mounting plate appropriately.

 

Here are two shots, one of me trying to fit it the way the right-hand drive is fitted, and one w/ it fitted on top of the square sections. I don't know if you can tell, but for the first one, the rack mounting plate extends about 3/4" past the square section, whereas in the second, it lines up perfectly w/ the front edge of the square section.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, and good to see you back on the site Trev (i also couldn't view the photos...probably something to do w/ a private url link).

[E.Hunt]

Cant see any holes in your support brackets for the rack to pass through?

[Guest ScotMac]

Oh, i get it. Good idea to actually look at the rack (Duh!! ). I knew that the rack plate would go fine on *top* of both the lower square sections, and seeing the rack made the light go on. They want me to mount the rack below/inside the rack mount plate, instead of on top of it, as done for the right-hand drive. My *guess* is they supply the same rack for both the left and right hand drive options, and just turn it over and raise (lower) the rack mounting plate appropriately.

 

Here are two shots, one of me trying to fit it the way the right-hand drive is fitted, and one w/ it fitted on top of the square sections. I don't know if you can tell, but for the first one, the rack mounting plate extends about 3/4" past the square section, whereas in the second, it lines up perfectly w/ the front edge of the square section.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, and good to see you back on the site Trev (i also couldn't view the photos...probably something to do w/ a private url link).

 

BTW, this brings up another question. The obvious way to dial out bump steer is to move the rack up and down until it cleaned up, for the amount of suspension travel desired. For the LightWeighter's, how much bump steer do you see on the l/w? ie, is the RH positioning of the rack in a good spot to get rid of the bump steer? (i am assuming that the LHD and RHD will actually end up positioning it in about the same spot, due to the exercise i just went thru above).

 

Cheers, -sm

 

 

Cant see any holes in your support brackets for the rack to pass through?

 

Right Colin...for it to work the way i have proposed, the #25 supports must either be binned, or a hole must be cut in them to allow the rack to pass thru. Since RH also didn't cut any mounting holes in the rack mounting plate for them, like they did for yours, my guess is they are binned.

[Guest ReadingTrev]

I've modified the post now and manually added the pictures - hope everyone can actually see these!

 

Trevor

(Silly Boy!)

[Guest ScotMac]

Did they give you a rack or tell you what to use for LHD?

 

Sorry Dan, forgot to answer your question. It is a Lucas/TRW rack...i have no idea what car it is for, but the markings on the box is "Ford JRM311".

 

Cheers, -sm

[Guest ScotMac]

Trev, thanks for sorting out the photos. The 3rd is definitely useful. It shows that i was completely incorrect in assuming that they just flipped over the rhd rack. ie, your rack is completely different from mine!!!

[Guest ScotMac]

Found it. It's a Fiesta manual rack from 89-99:

 

Steering & Suspension / Search by Part to Vehicle / Vehicle List Part Number : JRM311 Part Number Product Group Make Model Year » JRM311 Steering Rack FORD (Europe) Fiesta 10/89 - 08/99 » Model Details

Link:

http://eos.trw.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfini...STEERING%20RACK

 

http://eos.trw.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfini...mp;txtLoggedIn=

 

Any opinion if it is any good??

 

 

Oh, and it is a RHD unit...but it is rear steer based for RHD....which is obviously the only way that my flip it around for LHD idea would work. ie, a rear mounted RHD rack can be flipped for a front mounted LHD, which is exactly what RH gave me.

 

EDIT: Looks like TRW has changed their website *and* changed their model numbers. I can't seem to find a JRM311 anymore, but it appears that a JRM116 may be the new designation for the same rack.

Edited February 26, 2008 by ScotMac

[Guest ScotMac]

Oh, and one more question (last one, i promise), does anyone know the number of turns, lock to lock, on that rack? I don't necessarily want a quick rack....but don't want 4 turns either...something around 2.8-3.2 would be nice.