Otto Mechanic

What do you mean when you say T-bar?

xschop

The little pivoting mechanism(pic #6) that holds the Two valves in. It looks like you could possibly flip it and have the same affect as the extra washers.

Otto Mechanic

I just picked up an old steering rack last week and haven't taken it apart yet, from the pictures I can't see how that would work, looks like the washers fill a void that has a "wall" around it higher than the surface that "moves" and needs to be held in place by friction. Maybe you could eliminates the caps or use fewer washers but it looks like you'd still need a washer or two even if you flipped the bar over.

I'll let you know what I find when I get the salvaged rack apart.

xschop

Very good, if you think a 1-piece t-bar replacement to simply bolt in and have the extra washer dimensions included could be made, then I'll go that route.

Otto Mechanic

Oh I don't doubt that. It's much simpler to make in four pieces though, was there a reason you want a single part? A bolt, two washers and that special "T" bar seems pretty clean?

It might get complicated machining the T bar to incorporate the washers, my guess is very complicated.

Otto Mechanic

Actually, now I think about it, it may not be complicated at all. A bar of the same length and width with a circular channel cut to the correct depth might do the whole thing. I'd been thinking about milling out "washers" in the bar but that wouldn't be necessary. I think it could be reduced to a single plate/bar and a bolt. I'll see what sort of tooling I'd need, it seems like something my small mill could handle.

But it's still sort of a toy project isn't it? I don't see the advantages over washers?

xschop

I'm modding one for a local track car and his buddies always want for later. A kit would be sweet too with spacers to accommodate the empty banjo ports using factory banjo bolts.

Otto Mechanic

And the customer is always right!

I'll keep it in mind while I work through it?

xschop

I'll post what I do as well.

Yes sir, the customer is always right. And a good paying customer is a downright genious in my book.

Otto Mechanic

Wait just a second here Chop, are you proposing what I think you are? A design challenge? Oh yes! This could be great! and it may inspire more and better development. Let's face it, manual steering racks for these cars were never popular in the 80's and now they're virtually extinct. An entire generation of race cars has no source for acceptable hardware...

I love the idea. But I'm also lazy and I wouldn't be beyond just buying your solution if it was reasonably priced. I just want to be clear on this.

Has the glove been dropped? I'm really not sure I'm ready but the idea is great!

xschop

I wasn't suggesting a challenge, just amused someone else is as thorough (aka ****) as I am lol. If I put my name on something, I go all out. I was planning on making a swap kit for the V8 hybriders as they shy away from even a depowered rack due to the very critical hood clearance. There is about 3/8" difference between the two when bolted up to X-member. And you are correct, the early manual racks are about extinct and not as great at high speed stability as a depowered rack so Ive been told. Now I have a 951 track car and a V8 swapper that want a depowered rack.

Otto Mechanic

Well I'm up for the challenge anyway, it could be fun, in fact it's the first opportunity I've had to put my new lathe/mill to use. As long as it's OK if I don't reveal my hideous mistakes in 3D color.

Let me know what you come up with, I'll be more than happy to do the same. Don't count on major breakthroughs though...

67King

Take a look at this just for reference. After taking mine apart per the stuff mentioned earlier in this thread, I ended up deciding that for a track car, I would rather not take a chance with the small pinion shaft. After 20 minutes on the track, it is much, much more fatiguing, but I do like the feel much better. http://mwthemachineshop.com/944-power-rack

Otto Mechanic

That's the article I was talking about in post #26. I haven't opened up the rack yet so I can't say whether I think the solution shown in this thread by 16Valver addresses the concern The Machine Shop has. I believe they're solving the same problem, 16Valver reveals the solution and the fellow in Colorado Springs leaves the exercise to the student. I think they're both going at the same problem.

I don't know if The Machine Shop holds some sort of patent on their design or if they have any sort of liability insurance for their modification? I sent them eMail but didn't get a complete answer. It's possible my question wasn't clear.

67King

Ah. Until you said that, I had no idea what he was trying to do. COuldn't figure it out, I threw out all of that stuff when I was dong this. It looks like he uses washers to keep the plungers from moving. The guy in COlorado welds stuff together so that the splined shaft is essentially welded to the body where the pinion shaft is attached. I'm pretty confident the machine shop method is better, but it looks like 16Valver's method would be a great inexpensive option for less stressed (i.e. non-track) cars.