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Narrowing a Sierra rack?
nick205 - 23/4/10 at 08:45 PM

I'm planning to narrow a Sierra steering rack to suit my new build. I'm confident stripping the rack down and shortening the actual rack part, but how best to narrow the actual alloy casing itself.

MK do this for their Indy's and having looked at the rack I'm guessing it's parted in the middle in a lathe and then the case is shortened and sleaved back together...?

How would you rr-assemble it...? Heat and an interference fit between the case and the sleave?

prawnabie - 23/4/10 at 08:53 PM

Could you not TIG it or is that a no no?

austin man - 23/4/10 at 10:29 PM

I believe its an inteference fit, Mine has been done by a local engineer, it is cut, shortened and sleeved with stainless tube, the rack cut down and re tapped. The hardest part is removing the tensioner as they tend to break up. My local engineer also made me one of these in poly

jossey - 24/4/10 at 05:26 PM

i had a sierra rack and i used hollow steel tube to narrow the rack.

cut the section out to get the length about right. then tidy the ends off on the rack and slide the tube over one side and weld. then the other side and weld again. sorted.

i also drilled the tube a few times and filled with weld in a few spots. then grinded it into a pretty looking piece of metal and painted.

:O)

although i then threw it away and got a lhd corsa rack which turned out to be RHD. lol


dave

2cv - 24/4/10 at 05:36 PM

Nick, is this for the 4WD 205 project?

I just wondered if, to save yourself the trouble of modifying a Sierra rack, you could use one that was narrower as standard; one from a 205 perhaps?

nick205 - 28/4/10 at 08:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 2cv
Nick, is this for the 4WD 205 project?

I just wondered if, to save yourself the trouble of modifying a Sierra rack, you could use one that was narrower as standard; one from a 205 perhaps?


Still undecided on that project and looking at other things including a Haynes build or another MK. Already have the rack and now have access (if not the skills) to a lathe so it's as much learning as anything.