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Better options for steering racks?

propav8r

propav8r

F*ck Edgar
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Location
Franklin, NC
Hey, so I've killed my second or third power steering rack in my 244 now. I've had both redblocks and the LS in the car, but I think it's a combination of wider tires and just pushing the steering really hard in the mountains for very long periods of time.

Anyway...

There's been a lot of talk on the board over the years, but not a whole lot of action (at least that I can find) on coming up with a viable steering rack swap candidate.

I know a couple of people have put XR4TI racks in, but those are nearly as unavailable as the Volvo units.

Is there a commonly available power steering rack that's a viable swap candidate? Have I noob'd myself and failed to search correctly for a known solution? What say TB?
 
The issue you?ll run into with finding a suitable rack replacement is the rack travel per turn of the pinion (input). Volvo racks are around 50-55mm iirc, which is a lot. Most racks are significantly less.

What are you killing on the racks? After slowing down the pump speed on the rally car and the drift car, I haven?t had any rack or pump related issues. A quality rebuild on the rack is also a requirement.
 
culberro said:
The issue you?ll run into with finding a suitable rack replacement is the rack travel per turn of the pinion (input). Volvo racks are around 50-55mm iirc, which is a lot. Most racks are significantly less.

What are you killing on the racks? After slowing down the pump speed on the rally car and the drift car, I haven?t had any rack or pump related issues. A quality rebuild on the rack is also a requirement.
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One just started pissing fluid.

One wound up with a tight spot in it somehow.

The one I just killed has radial play on the geared shaft.

The pump on the one I have now is a factory Camaro LS1 pump with a Volvo regulator/valve screwed in.
 
Mine just puked out both ends, I haven?t looked into it much but a friend of mine was talking about doing a Prius electric rack swap, if someone can find the specs on that it might be a nice upgrade, we have enough priuses in the yards. I have a Vanagon ZF steering rack that looks near identical to my 240 ZF rack. Odds of finding those probably aren?t much better though
 
Speaking of racks, I have a CAM rack that is doing really weird / dangerous things it will suddenly jerk to one side and if you don't have a good grip on the wheel bad things could happen. I have disconnected the PS system and have gone to the simple loop back manual steering. What would cause this eratic behaviour?
 
dkrause said:
Speaking of racks, I have a CAM rack that is doing really weird / dangerous things it will suddenly jerk to one side and if you don't have a good grip on the wheel bad things could happen. I have disconnected the PS system and have gone to the simple loop back manual steering. What would cause this eratic behaviour?
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The balance setting. Most likely time for an adjustment or swap it out for a rebuilt unit.

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=278200

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=292389
 
Radtap said:
Mine just puked out both ends, I haven?t looked into it much but a friend of mine was talking about doing a Prius electric rack swap, if someone can find the specs on that it might be a nice upgrade, we have enough priuses in the yards. I have a Vanagon ZF steering rack that looks near identical to my 240 ZF rack. Odds of finding those probably aren?t much better though
Click to expand...

I'm sure it's doable, but any electric rack will be computer controlled and need steering angle sensor input at a minimum
 
Seems like the Prius setup just uses the column and ECU to ad power assist to a manual rack, you'd still need to use either a Volvo manual rack or make something else fit.

Prius setup throws a code without a speed sensor but still works
 
James M said:
Seems like the Prius setup just uses the column and ECU to ad power assist to a manual rack, you'd still need to use either a Volvo manual rack or make something else fit.

Prius setup throws a code without a speed sensor but still works
Click to expand...

You're right the Prius has the motor on the column. There are some OEMs that use an electric motor on the rack instead.
 
Problem is that the manual racks are slower than the power racks by like 1 extra turn lock-to-lock. Even with added Prius power that's not something I'd like.

How long will a power rack live if it's just looped? Can it survive the life of the car you think?
 
If you run a manual rack you can move the tie rod attachment locations further in, it will increase effort but decrease ?turns to lock?, put limiters on the rack so you?re not whacking anything under the front, I?m sure you could increase power output on the Prius steering setup to make up for the increased load on the rack.
Kinda like the 3 different options on Ben?s QSRC
 
HiSPL said:
Problem is that the manual racks are slower than the power racks by like 1 extra turn lock-to-lock. Even with added Prius power that's not something I'd like.

How long will a power rack live if it's just looped? Can it survive the life of the car you think?
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I'd loop it to include to reservoir so you have a decent amount of fluid and change it every few years. It would certainly last longer than it being powered by a pump
 
So semi rare manual rack + BNE quicksteer + Prius column setup, all because we can't get something with decent seals

Man permanent jackstands aren't looking so bad right about now
 
You don?t need QSRC, just a welder, some material and a drill. Only need QSRC if you?re going low. I mean it?s not like we have a whole lot of options until someone figures out a good swap for these cars. Something something xratty but not gonna find a whole lot of those either. Find a rack that fits, similar travel and a good pool of them, figure out how to mount it, figure out tie rod situation, figure out steering shaft and u joint situation, figure out pump. Gon need adapters or modification somewhere.

Someone mentioned c4, foxbody, pinto racks on a rally forum, can still get those new, need measurements though. C4 racks are 2.5 turns to lock I believe
 
Radtap said:
Someone mentioned c4, foxbody, pinto racks on a rally forum, can still get those new, need measurements though. C4 racks are 2.5 turns to lock I believe
Click to expand...

It?s not the lock to lock turns you?re looking for, but the rack travel for each turn of the pinion (input). I have yet to find a pinto based rack that has more travel per turn than a stock Volvo rack.

The xratty rack is significantly wider at the inner ball joint, and will result in a lot of bump steer.
My guess is the same for a e36 rack as well.

The easy answers are:
Sellholm for a PS rack
Quaife quick rack guts into a manual 240 rack, and then use a Prius column assist.
 
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