What cars don't have power steering AND have low ratio?

[Nero]

yep. Sorry not much use. I can't have a Porsche bit on the car...they are always too expensive.

[John]

nero,

regarding the 10foot lines, an alternative since you like doing things the hard way, would be to get an electric pump.

Regarding the picky, can't you twist the whole rack more? ALL cars have the input shaft on this kind of angle from what I've seen, except for the McLaren F1

I must say, it's a big brute, but what you'd expect I suppose from a 380, ie big axle loads over the front end.

J

[Nero]

Am I doing things the hard way?...I will look for a pump.
I have tried tilting the rack but it still binds and it really need to move back another 50mm, which is pretty much at the bulkhead. The steering arms on the uprights are quite short and also quite low, so the rack will have to be mounted low to suit. Might be best if'n I go to a steering reconditioning place.

[John]

Am I doing things the hard way?...

I notice you are building a car from scatch......

Only trouble with using an electric pump is that they are usually controlled by engine ECU as duty cycle is complicated. So not sure how you'd get around this. I suspect the easiest still might be 10 foot lines....

Or personally, I'd still be going the manual route...everything about this 380 thing doesn't seem to fit the car at all....but I think you'll have a hell of a time getting anything standard to fit anyway, by the time you factor everything in. I assume you are wanting to use a complete ADR approved column as well?

Re Smart Coupe. Price a new one, it may surprise you. I remember when we bought a complete steering gear off a C Class merc about 2 years ago it only cost something like 700 euro, which I remember thinking at the time was extremely cheap for such a part. Not that these might not be at all suitable. They are for one, very short racks, but the size is certainly more in keeping with the rest of the car. Although it seems you are wanting the whole column anyway also, which I guess is going to add a lot of cost if you are buying new.

J

[Nero]

Yes car from scratch.
Column and rack cam with package of parts. All less than 12 months old so would not mind using it...not that I'm really tied to anything apart from engine/trans/ECU.
Mazda MX5 has a manual rack in the early ones and it is 2.9 turns lock to lock. Later ones had 2.3 turns LTL. Will check them out.

[Jay_G]

if you need it i could get you some installed pics of a camira rack in abaout a week.

reading through the gregorys for the cmaira rack specs are as follows

Steering gear type: Variable ratio rack and peanut
column type: energy absorbing
linkage: dircet from rack to tierods and steering arms
Ratios:
on centre 22:1
on lock 26:1
turns lock to lock : 4.67

[oldcorollas]

can you move the end of the rack input shaft down closer to the rack?
if the shaft has the angle, but doesn't go "out and back in" it mightn't be so bad...

ie the following.. still an angle, but not nearly as bad


ps: is it feasible to comply an older rack? like say... KE70/spoontah? with a quick rack installed??
the base racks are everywhere, and quaife still supplies a quick rack for it (compared to about 4 turns stock)

and for hardlines... 10 ft at small diameter = however many mls of fluid, some restriction, but two long straight hardlines aren't much of a hassle? zip tie to rail?

[oldcorollas]

heres a bodgy pic of KE70 rack testfitted to KE10 corolla...

[Nero]

olds...resplining the shaft much lower down would be very expensive...so easier to get a different rack. Alfa 33 apparantly has input shaft in the middle.

[Nero]

MX5 SE, 2.3 turns lock to lock, but powered rack...might be the way to go if I can find one.

[Nero]

oh bugger bugger bugger, MX5 is a front steerer and I need a rear steerer!