TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:50 am

Anyone running a 914 rack and pinion? Curious what your experience is.
OR
Should I just go with a Wright ( or similiar) ?
Just not sure if I'll like the 1:1 ratio for running on street and off road feed back through steering.

Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:16 pm

My brother had one we parted out & I got the R&P out of it and the whole steering column and put in my rail.Haven't had any major problems with it.On road or off.

Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:11 pm

Did you connect the tie rods to the ends? This is being used on a mid-travel car. The previous owner had the ends of the rack machined so that he could make a bracket to attach heims to the center. He said if I was to mount straight to the ends that the heims would bind due to the amount that the suspension would oscilate.
Anyone got any input on this?
Somehow I'm thinking just getting a aftermarket rack might save me a whole lot of dinking around.

Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:21 pm

an end load rack will give quite a bit of bumpsteer on a beam front end. if it has been modified for center load, i would give it a shot. post pics of the modded rack if you can, i'd like to see it

Tue Mar 20, 2007 3:18 pm

Anyone using Latest Rage? Are they crap or good. I only want to do this once.

Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:11 pm

realy i would just get a wright or a saco rack.. here is one on race-dezert for sale

http://www.race-dezert.com/cgi-bin/trader/atl.cgi?ct=2&md=second&id=9952

dosent get much better quality than that

Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:44 pm

Does anyone know what the ratio is on something like the Saco? or any of the others for that matter. I was at the Michigan Buggy show and seemed like all the guys had was 1:1 ratio.
If anyone is running this type of ratio, how do you find the feedback to the steering wheel? Is this a wrist breaker?

Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:22 pm

I have a saco and the ration is 1.5:1 They are offered in different ratios. The knock-off racks from Latest Rage have a wide turning radius. The stops can be adjusted and ground down to allow a tighter radius but they are mostly 1:1. The saco from Tweed's was $295 and its the standard model not the magnum and its very nice and quality too.

Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:25 pm

it is not recommended to use lower than a 1.5 or 1.4:1 ratio, the knock off racks are pretty hard to turn, and have a WIDE turn radius.

if i get what i am expecting from my insurance settlement, i will be buying a saco rack

Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:29 pm

Anyone have a web link or something for Tweed. I am putting the Tweed lifted spindle back on and it's a head scratcher since I didn't take them off originally. It would be great to have some sort of instructional diagram or something instead of trial and error. Then I could check out their line of racks at the same time.

Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:34 pm

http://www.tweedsdesigns.com/

Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:43 pm

thanks. I know this is going to drive me nuts until I get it all back together. I hate having half finished stuff lying around.

Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:06 am

Thanks for the link to Tweed, the guys there were great and it looks like I just had the king pin in rotated 180 degrees to what it was to be.

IF I'm still using the Porsche Rack what should I be watching for when mounting it up...ie. bump steer, etc....?

Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:24 am

Does anyone know if Wright is still in business making racks? I tried calling a phone number I found on a wbsite and it said the number head been disconnected. All I seem to find on websites are the Wright "style" HD rack and pinion but when I call they're all Latest Rage knock offs and do not come in a 1.5:1 ratio.

Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:35 pm

I ended up getting my spindles mounted this week, just have to shim out the camber, and a buddy of mine sold me exactly what I was looking for; an original Wright rack with 1.5: 1 ratio. I mounted it up tonight and attached the steering shaft too.
When I got the buggy it came with the Interantional tie rod ends and a full set of heim ends. I'm thinking the heim ends are going to get eaten by the dirt. They seem to have way more travel built into their design though. Anyone find that the heim ends wear a lot faster than the tie rod ends?