My first Striker had a 2.4 turn quick rack and for road use I found it a little to much. When I then built my second Striker I went for a 2.9 turn rack to make it a little more road friendly. Move on a few years, and with hindsight, I now wish I had fitted a 2.4 again! The 2.9 is fine on the road but on track it is to slow. I now hardly ever use the car on the road as they are so limiting and prefer track days or sprinting. So my winter plan is to replace the 2.9 with a 2.4.

But....I am sure I fitted the current rack before the side panels went on. I keep looking at the car in the garage and can't convince myself that it is possible to remove the rack without one of the side panels coming off first which is a load of drilling to remove all the rivets which is a job I don't really want to do

Currently there is no stock of 2.4 racks so I don't want to start stripping anything until I have the new rack in my hands. They say they are coming after Christmas but when after Christmas.

So has anyone ever removed a rack from a fully built Striker?

Picture to demonstrate when I need a faster rack


All sidways

You may have already considered this, but any chance of:

1. Removing the tie rods from the rack itself
2. Removing / replacing the rack
3. Refitting the tie rods

...just a thought.

Yes that is in the back of my mind as a possible solution. How easy is it to remove the tie rods in situ on a MK2 escort rack as I have never even looked at doing it before?

Never done a MK2 Escort rack.

Last rack I did was a Peugeot 205 and I used a pipe wrench to remove them. However, I was replacing them so I wasn't concerned about damaging them!

You can get inner tie rod end removal tools. Probably not cheap for a tool with pretty limited use though.

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Originally posted by peter030371
My first Striker had a 2.4 turn quick rack and for road use I found it a little to much. When I then built my second Striker I went for a 2.9 turn rack to make it a little more road friendly. Move on a few years, and with hindsight, I now wish I had fitted a 2.4 again! The 2.9 is fine on the road but on track it is to slow. I now hardly ever use the car on the road as they are so limiting and prefer track days or sprinting. So my winter plan is to replace the 2.9 with a 2.4.

But....I am sure I fitted the current rack before the side panels went on. I keep looking at the car in the garage and can't convince myself that it is possible to remove the rack without one of the side panels coming off first which is a load of drilling to remove all the rivets which is a job I don't really want to do

Currently there is no stock of 2.4 racks so I don't want to start stripping anything until I have the new rack in my hands. They say they are coming after Christmas but when after Christmas.

So has anyone ever removed a rack from a fully built Striker?

Picture to demonstrate when I need a faster rack


All sidways

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Isn't the hole in your side panel large enough to slide the rack to the left (on full left lock), and then lift the right side up and out of the chassis?

On my striker the first section of the side is not paneled, so I've not had to deal with this.

If the rack is a modern heavy duty reproduction (from rally design etc) it will have modern screwed in rack ends, if it is a reconditioned original escort one it will use a joint which is built on the end of the rack which is serviceable but has to be disassembled to be removed.

Dave

on most racks the pinion sticking out the side is the largest part, take that off and its just a tube that can be pulled through the side. With the bellows off its even smaller. It must be a funny design if you couldn't take it out by that point.

I'd be surprised if you couldn't get items out. Full left lock, move rack as far to n/s. That might give you enough to drop right side down ( maybe with the TRE off.

If not track rods are easy to remove if you've got big enough Stilson wrench or better still one of these...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282243081930?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=S2Ubr8b4SYG&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=jvzsexmirua &var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY


Or..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373776398554?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=kI3rTCjiTFO&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=jvzsexmirua &var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

RallyDesign seen to have them.

https://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=900_1332&products_id=7310

I am sure last time I just disconnected it, slid it all one way and then fed it out in the other direction. I don't really remember it being a problem.

Thanks for all the replies, seems some have done it (or think it's possible) so I will start stripping it down this weekend

Rally Design are out of stock until after Christmas some time but MK had some in stock and only £15 more so I should get the replacement today or tomorrow.

If I get stuck I will revisit this thread for more pearls of wisdom.

Just found this picture taken during the build. The holes for the track rods are only just big enough for the gators to fit through when stretched out. I also now have a rad with various pipes in the way....we shall see but it makes be think of one of them Christmas cracker puzzles where you have to untangle two bits of bent metal


Part built

quote:

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Originally posted by peter030371
Just found this picture taken during the build. The holes for the track rods are only just big enough for the gators to fit through when stretched out. I also now have a rad with various pipes in the way....we shall see but it makes be think of one of them Christmas cracker puzzles where you have to untangle two bits of bent metal


Part built

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As everybody has said , really easy to do , I swapped mine last year , also fitted rose jointed track rod ends as well for easier set up/adjustment .
I’m only over in March if you need a hand , send me a pm if you want my number .

quote:

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Originally posted by Acac
As everybody has said , really easy to do , I swapped mine last year , also fitted rose jointed track rod ends as well for easier set up/adjustment .
I’m only over in March if you need a hand , send me a pm if you want my number .

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quote:

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Originally posted by bi22le

[Interesting holes you have in the tops of your front upper rocker covers. . .

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Wing stays 3