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Short steering rack

JohnSmith - 26/6/13 at 04:58 AM

Hello everybody!

I'm a newbie here so don't hit very hard
So I'm bilding +442 and turns out I need really short steering rack - ideally 450mm from pivot to the other.
I measured my BMW e30 rack - it's 600 and no option of shortening really. Then I got one from Golf MK1 - it's 550mm and could be shortened by may be 50mm at most.
Any ideas which cars could have a shorter version? How long is actually MK1 Escort rack?

Cheers,
Johny

snapper - 26/6/13 at 07:11 AM

MK do a short rack for the MK seven replica
I have one that I'm rebuilding with all new bearings may be available on eBay or here in a month or two

britishtrident - 26/6/13 at 09:56 AM

ISTR Rule of the road is drive on the right in Latvia ?

Left hand drive rack from a FWD car is no good it would steer in the opposite direction.
You either need a left hand drive rack from an Escort MK2 or Sierra.
or a right hand drive rack from a FWD car such a a MK1 or MK2 Fiesta which is then fitted upside down so as it steers in the correct direction.

JohnSmith - 26/6/13 at 10:41 AM

Yes, we drive on the right side.
I figured it out that I probably need a rack from RHD FWD car or LHD RWD car.
Is it so that all FWD cars has steering arms behind the axis? Because of drive shafts?

iank - 26/6/13 at 10:43 AM

Fiat Seicento/Cinquicento rack is very short, get one from a RHD UK car and as britishtrident says it should work the right way around.
Russbost might have the measurements to hand as he uses them on the Furore.

JohnSmith - 27/6/13 at 04:49 AM

Thanks everybody for your input!
After a bit of pondering I figured that Smarts have really short steering racks. So I got one yesterday from a scraped Smart (Four two?). The rack itself (without pivots) is 360mm long, pivot to pivot will probably be in range of 400mm, I might even need to extend it slightly. Body is only 240mm long.
Only downside it's not particulary quick - 4.25 turns but I guess I can live with that.

Johny

britishtrident - 27/6/13 at 07:07 PM

Make 100% sure it will turn your steering arms the right way I don't know Smarts but I have a feeling it will give backwards steering ie turn the wheel right the car will turn left.

[Edited on 27/6/13 by britishtrident]

JohnSmith - 28/6/13 at 07:52 AM

Sure, I have checked already.
Smarts are RWD cars.