Looking at the book design - an escort rack is ~59cm between the spherical bearings to the track rods. The bottom wishbone inner hinge axes are only 42cm apart - suggesting that the escort rack is ~15cm too long! This excess length will mostly lead to extra toe in on full bump (Compression). Is this an ideal setup? Is there noticeable misbehaviour due to this? What "shorter" racks could be considered? Anybody done anything different? Any comments/ driving experience etc would be welcomed....
Thanks
Bob C

I can't see why it should cause problems if what you say its true, the number of road and race going locost must prove that!

cheers,

Ned.

it is not an ideal setup; ideally bump and droop will not produce any steering effects. I can't comment on how much it affects the handling, gladly we're building a +4 chassis which makes the escort rack the correct length to within a few millimetres.. so I'm not too bothered

any racers care to comment?

Its a horrible kludge -- came about because the Locost chassis is more or less the same as the Westfield which was originally designed to use MG Midget donors and was later adapted to Escort & Cortina parts..

The problem is none has source for track rod ends to mate a suitable narrow rack to Cortina steering arms.

Most locoster get away with it because they make the front suspension very stiff.

There is a lot of info on the other list regarding this. The oz design rules are strict on bump steer. I shortened my rack by about 110 mm, and although it is still a pile of bits in the garage, I now have very little visible bump steer.

By the way, just bought some steering rack extensions off Darren at GTS, and the are the DB's. I think the Triton/GTS union is going to do very well.

Do any of u think payin 130 quid for a quick escort rack (1.5 turns) is a little much? Tiger racing are selling them. Reconditioned standard ones are only 50 quid. May just get tht and save the cash for alcohol instead

Ian Pearson - how/where did you get the rack shortened???
re rack prices - I got a cheap old scrap rack for a tenner, I think rallydesign(?) do a quickrack kit for £49, putting that on reconditions the rack!
cheers
Bob