Steve Lovelock
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| posted on 5/7/05 at 05:29 PM |
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Steering rack - is a quick rack worth it?
Hi,
I am getting the first items together for my Luego Velocity build and cannot decide if I should bite the bullet and pay for a quick rack or make do
with the standard Escort item. I can't imagine that I'll be doing loads of track days and would like a good all round car. Your views
please?
Steve
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tks
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| posted on 5/7/05 at 05:53 PM |
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trackdays
you need quickrack then...
maybe not when you are raceing
but when you lose the cars backend its handy if you can steer more with one turn
to try to catch it..etc..
trackdays is an deffinitly yes
Tks
The above comments are always meant to be from the above persons perspective.
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 5/7/05 at 06:02 PM |
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its all down too preference, ide say no, lots of accidents are made worse by over correcting (on or off track)
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shortie
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| posted on 5/7/05 at 06:17 PM |
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I'd also say no, not really worth the extra expense in my view.
As Jon says can just make things worse when problems occur and easier to get into problems in the first place.
Rich.
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 5/7/05 at 06:42 PM |
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I have a standard rack on my car and I am happy with the steering using a slightly smaller wheel than the standard sierra item. Plenty of feel
without being too heavy
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Peteff
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| posted on 5/7/05 at 07:45 PM |
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I have a standard rack and it takes 3.25 turns from lock to lock. Most of the quick racks I've seen are 2.5 and cost lots more than the £15+vat
it cost me. I think I'll live with what I have.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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GeoffT
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| posted on 5/7/05 at 08:13 PM |
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Apparently you'll also find that when turning corners you don't turn the wheel far enough to trigger the indicator self cancelling
mechanism, resulting in indicators going for miles......
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Spottty
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 12:01 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by GeoffT
Apparently you'll also find that when turning corners you don't turn the wheel far enough to trigger the indicator self cancelling
mechanism, resulting in indicators going for miles......
Well then you would just blend in with the old people on Sunday drives!
I'm getting a quickner only because I want to autocross it. Track days you should be ok due to the bigger corners though.
Best thing to do for a build....
Ditch the wife! 
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bimbleuk
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 05:50 AM |
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I hated the standard rack as it made catching/holding slides a little tricky. A lot of this was down to limited room for my elbows.
Stick to a 2.5 (not 2.2 or less) rack and you'll be fine.
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NS Dev
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 07:14 AM |
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I wouldn't drive one without a quickrack!!!
My std everyday Sierra is 2.8 turns lock to lock and I think that is about right for a lardy car that is not slid around too much. For a lightweight
sports car, 2.5 turns is the absolute max I would say, unless you never get it out of shape.
Having got used to driving my grasser with a 0.75 turns lock to lock rack (and a massive amount of lock too!), anything else feels hard to catch in a
slide.
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 01:42 PM |
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id'e agree with the autograss rack, thats about what i used too run steering wise but you are entering a corner provoking oversteer and waiting
too catch it with the steering and throttle and power out of it rather than steer out of it, its all down too preference but what normally happens on
track is (or road for that matter)
the back end loses grip due too sideways cornering forces and wheelspin from the right foot, 1st thing most people do without thinking is back off the
throttle, the lack of grip due to wheelspin disappears leaving enough grip for the tyes too halt the slide, at the same time opposite lock as been
pile'd on (again without thinking) then your into tank slapper mode, then the lock comes off more tank slapper mode, maybe its driving style i
dunno but too much steering too quickly IMHO can make things much worse when the grip reappears.
If you can get into and out of the hairpin at Mallory as quick as or quicker than anything else there with a std rack without the need to let go of
the wheel for more lock then i personally dont feel the need for anything else.
goes and ducks for cover........
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smart51
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 01:44 PM |
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"tank slapper". Que?
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Spottty
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 02:20 PM |
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I think he is talking about something like snap oversteer.
I have seen it and its some times quite violent. You see a car sliding then the driver lets off the gas and the whole car jerks back the opposite way
due to the grip and then your in trouble because you have to correct that slide but your turning the wrong way for the turn.
Best thing to do for a build....
Ditch the wife!
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 02:25 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by smart51
"tank slapper". Que?
<Nerdy description starts here>
This expression originated in the motorbike world - you're riding along, minding your own business, when the handlebars start oscillating from
side to side - the ends start slapping the petrol tank (or it feels like it, anyway). Very scary... one way to stop it is to accelerate a bit, but
then you know that it'll happen again when you slow down. Often bikes have steering dampers to counteract this.
When talking about cars, I'll go with Spottty's description!
David
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Alez
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 02:25 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by smart51
"tank slapper". Que?
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Surrey Dave
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 02:26 PM |
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A delightful experience ,enjoyed by many old motorcyclists,when frames and suspension where not as good, they would end up in a cycle of over
compensating (sets up a kind of oscilating situation that you cant stop ,although you could try and accellerate throughit if you were brave!!)on the
steering going from lock to lock until they inevitably hit the deck.
I've also enjoyed this in a formula ford on a frosty Brands Hatch , it starts with an oversteer which you promptly steer into , then it all
momentarily grips , so instead of staring at the right bank your staring at the left bank , then you over compensate again , and again,until in my
case I managed to slow the thing right down. Just as well the car was rented for the morning , could have been expensive
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 02:31 PM |
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Surry Dave and others great "tank slapper" description, the word compensate is a good one too, with a quick rack there can be a tendency
too overcompensate, when the rears find grip they will follow the front throwing the back end out again but the opposite direction......
most people that go off due too oversteer go off in the direction they have put on opposite lock, turn to the right, back steps out, opposite lock
too left, rear end finds grip car steers off too left........
by all means fit a quick rack, but be aware like a LSD as a aid it can be your enemy.
[Edited on 6/7/05 by Jon Ison]
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Dale
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 03:11 PM |
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Tank slapper Canadian descpition is for off road motorcycle coming down from a jump and hitting the upgrade of the next one and running out of
suspension and leg bend and your good old boys hit the tank.
Not a pleasant experience - even with a cup.
On the real topic I am using a 2.7 turn rack but my build is much longer -(old lemans style 107 inch wheel base) So I may switch it over to a much
quicker rack to make up some of the difference. The sand rail business here sells racks for cars up to 2000 lbs that are 1.5 turns lock to lock for
under 200. Cnd dollars.
Dale
Thanks
Dale
my 14 and11 year old boys 22
and 19 now want to drive but have to be 25 before insurance will allow. Finally on the road
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NS Dev
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| posted on 6/7/05 at 03:15 PM |
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I won't argue with those wise words!
I think the degree of correction depends on the circumstances, and yep, on a track if you need that much lock then I guess it's all already too
far gone!
In my limited road rallying experience, a lot of arm flailing in an Opel Manta with a std ratio rack during any sideways moment quickly made me
realise the benefits of a quickrack. In fact on one occasion I nearly lost the end of my little finger when I managed to get it through a hole in the
steering wheel during a particularly energetic slide recovery!!!!
The high speed stability issue (not that Jon mentioned this but I know plenty of people that do!!) is not relevant either. Ultimas use a 2.5 turn lock
to lock rack and I can say that they are plenty stable enough at 200+ mph!!!
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