I've Had It With Rally Design And Their Couplings!

[FERRINO]

Apologies for the rant but I really need to let off some steam as I'm mad as hell with Rally Design and their cheap-nasty-dangerous-poor quality crap that they sell!

 

Just following on from this thread:-

 

http://www.rhocar.or...php?showforum=7

 

I was never happy with my 2B steering from the start with the "dreadfull upside down LH drive Metro rack into the wrong hubs nonsense". So I eventually found a reconditioned manual Sierra rack. Obviously the Sierra rack is far too wide for the 2B so I had the steering arms cut/shortened and rethreaded and had a steering rack extender modded also to suit so it's all much more suitable. I had a brand new custom steering shaft made to my drawing by Alan_builder with the correct splines for the Escort/Sierra rack and couplings.

 

The last step (so I thought) was just to order brand new couplings to connect the whole lot together and it would be perfectly new and ready to go for the IVA steering wise - how wrong I was.

 

I ordered the RD850 Sierra Column Coupling (the triangle one) and the forged RD820F for the shaft to rack connection.

 

They arrived quickly and I fitted them. It was then I put the link to the first post up as there was a lot of play when I turned the wheel. Also, the pin just fell out of the triangle joint coupling and I had to use 2 nut/bolts instead of 1.

 

I sent the shaft-to-rack coupling back (at a cost of £4 to myself) and they sent another. That one was better. There was still play in the steering though and I eventually tracked it back to the same thing happening at the triangle joint coupling.

 

So that's 2 out of 2 couplings rubbish MOT and IVA failures. I remained calm and sent the triangle joint coupling back also (another £4 postage).

 

The new one arrived today and I attempted to fit it. The pin fell out of the first one but the pin on this one was far too tight and wouldn't allow the the triangle shaft to even go in let alone tighten. So I had to drill it out.

 

Once I'd finished messing about with the drilling and resetting the steering tonight I was absolutely horrified to see play at the triangle joint again (maybe even worse than the first piece of junk I sent back)!

 

I am so furious with RD. I suspect they buy their steering couplings from China or India for cheapness but the quality is absolutely shocking especially for such a safety critical component!

 

I am now done with RD and will never darken their door ever again. Car builder solutions have these couplings (albeit a bit more dear) so I probably give them a go. Not before I have rung RD tomorrow though and given them a piece of my mind. I have been in touch with them via email (some disinterested individual called Scott) and expressed my dissapointment with the quality of their steering couplings and had no reply whatsoever. That goes to tell me exactly what they think of customer support.

 

Anyway - rant over. Apologies for it but I decided that the first job when I got the car in May last year would be to sort the steering properly and now in Feb of the following year I'm still trying to sort it...............

[Bob Tucker]

Hi Ferrino....

I'm sorry you have had such a problem.

I usually promote RD on the basis of many years of having used them.

I am close enough to visit & deal face to face & have never had a problem.

 

I usually speak to Karl, he is one of the senior guys...try & get hold of him.

Let us know the outcome.

BTW we have fitted two of their couplings to the steering column on the Vette....which is expected to reach 190 mph

later this year.

Cheers, Bob

[flameredturbo]

Where are they based? I've looked at the cycle wing brackets they make for cortina hubs but read various posts across the net of how they simply don't fit! These posts are all quite old though so I'm wording if they've sorted them out! Your post suggests maybe not!!?

[FERRINO]

Thanks for the reply Bob.

 

I have heard many good things about RD which is one of the reasons I chose to use them for these joints. Unfortunately I base my opinion of people/services on my experience with them and so far their my experience of their product inspection/quality is p155 poor.

 

Have you checked carefully the steering joints you have received for the vette project yet by the way? You may be ok - they may just send all the inspection rejects to me lol.

 

Cheers

Tony

[Bob Tucker]

Theyre now in Swalecliffe Kent

 

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/contact_us.php

[Bob Tucker]

Hi Tony,

We all rate suppliers by our own experiences...if yours was bad, we all appreciate that you let us know.

 

We have one 820f which seemed to be fine when we fitted it.....But I will re-check it carefully this weekend.

We also have one of these from CBS.....http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/chrome-steel-cylindrical-universal-joint

Obviously the column is custom built, so we do not use the Sierra's triangular rod or couplings.

Is it just the triangle joint that is the problem? On my hood I grabbed a few from the breakers. They have all been OK.

Bob