steering rack bracket fit

[seajayare]

The left side steering rack bracket (the thin rack with bent steet bracket rather than the alloy bracket type) fits tight to the left hand of the chassis to align with pre-drilled mounting holes in the chassis. Or it should but the bracket fouls on the fillet of a chassis weld so the bracket either does line up or it doesn't sit flat. It is only about 1/4" out and I was planning to cut the bracket down.

It looks like this would happen on all the cars as the weld fillet looks normal so if the holes are in the correct place the bracket would never sit properly without a bit of fettling. have others had to mod the brackets?

cheers

[Westfield 129]

I have removed a couple of these steering racks to replace them with the "fat rack" and the alloy brackets.

Are you sure that you have the brackets in correct orientation?

I didn't find any problems with the pressed steel brackets in the cars that I modified, and there appeared to be no modifications to the steel brackets. They fit perfectly, as did the alloy brackets for the fat rack. Occasionally, the racks on the LHD cars may have the steering shaft close to the chassis, but that only requires a precise boring and press fit to the steering shaft prior to welding.

Otherwise, you can shim the rack on some washers or make a shim, grind to fit... Or slot the bolt holes and slide the rack over.

Even better is to get rid of the slow sedan ratio skinny rack (it really ruins the car's feel) and install a fat rack (new RHD racks are available from Moss UK), or find one from the breakers, along with a pair of the alloy brackets. Shim the rack tight in the brackets with beer can aluminum or make shims from sheet stock or rubber strip.

Even if the brackets are cracked, they can be TIG welded, and the caps can be made by any machinist should they be broken or cracked and you don't want to weld them. This will take care of any fit problem.

I have a spare LHD fat rack and brackets off a '70 spridget 1275. The cap on one side is broken, but I can repair easily enough or make a new cap. I can also have new fat rack brackets machined from solid, rather than cast. Let me know what you need, and I can quote a price.

[Westfield 129]

Looking at your picture, I believe that the weld that is in the way should be beneath the steering mount plate, rather than inside.

Of course, you can grind the bracket to fit, rather than grind the chassis weld. There is plenty of meat on the bracket.

I'd just start with a fat rack and alloy bracket, and correct the fit then.

[seajayare]

Thanks for the help. I am pretty convinced thatvthe brackets are the correct way around as the brackets are handed and the holes only get close to lining up one way around ( the pic i added actually shows the RH bracket so not the one I actually have to chop but it is the pic I have) .

The alteration to the brackets is easy enough it is just that the bracket would always have to be altered on every car as the weld looks to be in a place where it has to welded and the brackets I assume are all the same (thin rack ones anyway) so if mine is the only one that need adjustment it seems like the holes in the chassis are in an unususal place and that might create further "opportunities" for me later on in the build that might be best sorted early

I have been thinking about fat racks, rear discs, LSD, tuned engines, long shocks, winged sumps, IVA or just track and have finally settled on the plan of the car using the bits that came from the donor to start with then start modifying as bits fall off/fail or when santa brings gifts. Otherwise i was just putting off getting the car done until I collect together all the new shiny bits! So thanks for the offer of the brackets but I am trying hard to stick to the currrent plan.


seems like an XI ownership could be a project to keep me busy for a very long time
cheers

Chris

[Splat]

Hi Chris,

Just a thought, but most mods can be carried out with little hassle, simply unbolting one item and bolting on the upgrade. In the course of my own rolling rebuild, in addition to a major engine rebuild (1275 A+ bitsa to 1320 pure-A with 105 hp), I've added Peter May 9" front discs and MGB callipers, Peter May hardened half-shafts, splined hubs and wire wheels, an entirely new dash layout and, most recently (last winter) new suspension bushes and long dampers with softer springs (the last mod. proving a revelation in terms of ride and handling). They were all simple swaps, even if longer suspension travel required a little fettling of the floor and handbrake mechanism.

And I have a pair of ally steering-rack brackets waiting to go on. But the fat-rack conversion will also require yet another coolant drain-down and refill, and yet another steering alignment, among other, as yet unforeseen problems. I'd consider the fitting of a fat rack, with it's sharper steering, now rather than later. You'd also be setting your car up with a fresh, tight rack, rather than with an old baggy one, of unknown provenance and life expectancy. If I were building a new car, I'd probably include it from the start.

Simon

[seajayare]

Simon,
I think you have to change the steering arms on the stub axle too.

It does sound like I would save a lot of pain doing things now and It won't take much for me to persuade myself

There are brackets on ebay now but I am not sure about the steering arms, I guess the track rod ends are different threads/cones on the fat rack.

I am not sure that I will know where to stop if I start mods now !!

cheers all

[jonclancy]

Yes, you do need the correct arms as Chris says.

I have a new fat rack, mounts and arms to go onto my car.

Might use them in my next project, though...

[Westfield 129]

You do need the fat rack steering arms, but the spindles are the same for either. I bet that with a little searching, you could probably come up with the correct rod ends that would work with the late skinny rack arms, though. In any case, the fat rack arms are easy to fine, and inexpensive. Quick to change over as well.

You don't have to remove the radiator to change the rack. Even if you did, it is worth the effort. The gain in steering response and feel profound.

If I was building the car, I would change the rack FIRST. The rest is pretty easy.

As for disc brakes in the rear, or MGB calipers, note that the W11 is hundreds of lbs lighter than the Spridget donor, and the real improvement would come from a larger sized master cylinder, rather than the MGB calipers. Feel is the problem, not brake fade. That's why I build my RHD cars with a twin master cylinders rather than the tandem unit supplied with the kit.

My feeling about changing parts during the build is to replace the stuff that makes the most difference during the build. The steering rack is one of those parts. The rest... You can change easily enough as you do your development. Note that the development, making all the parts work together rather than just go down the road in formation, is the hard part. The actual build is easy...

[seajayare]

Ok. The fat rack/arms/brackets/rod ends are on their way.

Anyone want thin rack, steering lever & mounting brackets (all unmodified and from donor with some shiny paint on) and some nice new thin rack gaiters & rod ends unfitted?

if anyone does then let me know but doesn't sound like there will be much interest

[Splat]

Good decision. As Jan says (actually, as i said too) the rest is easy to do at a later date, but it makes sense to do the rack now.