BS5620 Posted September 3, 2010 Share Posted September 3, 2010 Hey guys Iv been trying to put rack and pinion in my mk1. Now i have a massive bump steer problem. I have heard of people solving this by using those fancy adjustable bump steer tie rod ends that you can get for silvias or mustangs. Searching on the net I can find plenty of places overseas where to get them but none in nz, Does anyone have any clues or hints? Cheers in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted September 3, 2010 Share Posted September 3, 2010 What items have you used? I put R&P in my mk2 (I am assuming we are talking cortinas) Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS5620 Posted September 3, 2010 Author Share Posted September 3, 2010 Hey gaz. Yeah I've read your R&P piece in the tech part. Would have followed it but needed it to be behind the x-member because of the front sump of the 4age. Ive used a kp60 steering rack and then made then taped the rack ends so the cortina tie rods screw can screw in to that so I am able to use the standard cortina struts and ball joints. Drivers wheel is fine just the pasengers one skews out majorly. Mine is a rough follow from a guy in Hamiltons link http://www.cortina-mk1classifieds.com/forum/showthread.php?1699-starlet-rack-conversion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy_rich Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 I looked into doing a similar conversion on my capri once, to enable me to use a front sump toyota engine. What have you done about your steering arms? if you have swapped the struts left to right your ackerman angle will be wrong. http://www.nationaltbucketalliance.com/ ... kerman.asp granted you've probably covered this, otherwise its just a case of making sure your inner tie rods on the steering rack move in the correct plane in relation to the inner pivots of the track rods. I was going to have to lengthen the starlet rack somewhat to make it work, I'd imagine a cortina to be alot narrower than a capri however. I ended out throwing the idea in the too hard basket and made a rear sump for my engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Hey gaz. Yeah I've read your R&P piece in the tech part. Would have followed it but needed it to be behind the x-member because of the front sump of the 4age. [/url] Cant mod the sump? Mine is front bowl also. Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS5620 Posted September 4, 2010 Author Share Posted September 4, 2010 I ended out throwing the idea in the too hard basket and made a rear sump for my engine. Cant mod the sump? Mine is front bowl also how much work is involved in modding the sump?? I would imagine a lot of attention given to minimum volumes and baffles etc?? I ended out throwing the idea in the too hard basket and made a rear sump for my engine Im thinking of throwing the whole idea in the too hard basket but really want R&P because the steering box is so sloppy Gaz how well does your R&P work did you have any issues with bumpsteer etc when it came to cert time?? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy_rich Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 I can see it being much more worthwhile persevering with the idea for a cortina to get rid of the steering box, I didnt feel so bad about ditching it as capri's have rack and pinion anyway, and there was a fair chance that I'd just make it handle worse, plus it wasnt worth the hassle at cert time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 I ended out throwing the idea in the too hard basket and made a rear sump for my engine. Cant mod the sump? Mine is front bowl also how much work is involved in modding the sump?? I would imagine a lot of attention given to minimum volumes and baffles etc?? I ended out throwing the idea in the too hard basket and made a rear sump for my engine Im thinking of throwing the whole idea in the too hard basket but really want R&P because the steering box is so sloppy Gaz how well does your R&P work did you have any issues with bumpsteer etc when it came to cert time?? Cheers R&P is the best thing I did to the car. 100% worth it! I had no probs with bump steer as I kept my steering rod + lower arm at the same angle and didn't change mounting points. If you can do this you will be sweet. You also have to remember that lowering the car will change the angle so you want to set the whole system up at the correct height. Only problem I had at cert time was when the steering rack fouled with the lower arm at full droop and full lock. I changed to the capri struts and this fixed it. Modding a sump is not hard, if you are winging it then baffles will be needed, if your just making it smaller to clear around stuff then you can usually get away with no baffles (if it had none to start with). I have had a 4age in an escort using the exact setup crossmember/rack as my Cortina. The Cortina does have a longer engine bay tho so if you have set it right the way back then I could see how your sump would end up small as. Perhaps you could put a step/half part of pipe in the sump? There is a thread somewhere with tips on modding sumps which would be worth a read if you go this route. Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS5620 Posted September 5, 2010 Author Share Posted September 5, 2010 Cheers for the help and info. I have renewed enthusiasm for this now and will keep persevering. Have started the search for parts. One quick question, when you were using Mk2 Cortina struts how did you attach the lower arms?? As sierra arms have ball joint on arms and standard mk2/mk1 cortinas have a seperate lower ball joint that blots on to the bottom of the strut and can be unconnected from the track control arm?? Just asking because I'm imagining it will be a while before I have cash/come across some capri struts considering I sold a pair last year for nearly $500!! Cheers Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 I cant remember if I used the Sierra lower arms with the Cortina struts or not. Perhaps the Sierra + capri combo was my second try after cert failed. Hrmm, sorry, cant member more. Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS5620 Posted September 5, 2010 Author Share Posted September 5, 2010 Sweet, thanks heaps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valiant Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 Hi, I have been following your topic. I have been looking into this for my anglia. Heres my take. use the whole escort front end from the strut tops to the steering colum. That way you don't have to adapt this to that etc. mock the whole thing up and mount the strut tops where the castor/camber is in the right place. Don't worry to much about your sump, make a new one. The sump is pretty much a tin box, its not to hard to make/modify one. remount your motor once the rack and pinion conversion is done If you try to fit the rack and pinion around the motor it just won't work out properly, I wouldn't worry to much about the Capri struts, I think the only major difference was a larger damper? You can get all the parts you need to make Escort struts work perfect localy. Thats my 5cents any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 Dont know bout a Mk1 Cortina but it wont work with a mk2 tina. Anglia however would be alot closer to Escort. Escorts are alot skinier so the standard lower arms would bring the wheels in way too far. To get the camber back to normal you would need to have struts in the egine bay. You would also loose alot of track. If you were doing this then using custom lower arms would be the go.. this is a bit tricky (but not impossiable) with NZ standards. Capri struts have the lower knuckle which can unbolt which alows you to swap them right to left. It will need a special tappered reamer to re-reem the hole through it however. I can tell you the exact rise/run so ya know which reemer to buy. Its around an $80 tool. (or if nearby can borrow) This will allow you to use the Sierra lower arms. Some early mk1 escort struts also had the removable part.. I cant remember if you can use these or not.. Im going back a few years here in the memory bank. Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valiant Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 Good point about the width. It would be worth getting the measuring tape and checking, MK1 Cortina isn't very wide. It would be worth a look/measure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS5620 Posted September 5, 2010 Author Share Posted September 5, 2010 could it be an option to use Mk1 escort struts with removable steering arms (crazy rich I'm looking at the ones I presume are yours on TM) use escort inserts and have the tops machined to fit my cortina top hats? (Iv used capri inserts for the cortina before so had to have special adaptors machined up to fit the hats! so already have half of it). Then wouldnt need the capri struts?? If you try to fit the rack and pinion around the motor it just won't work out properly, yeah I'm now a firm believer in that, just R&P has been an after thought once engine conversion has already been done!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valiant Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 I couldn't say what will work with what. In the past I have always found that all the parts the are used in the donor vehicle assembly work when they are swapped into the new vehicle. No I have no parts for sale on Trade Me, I'm not trying to make a sale If you try to fit the rack and pinion around the motor it just won't work out properly, yeah I'm not a firm believer in that, just R&P has been an after thought once engine conversion has already been done!! Yeah? your motor/gearbox just has to point at the diff head more or less. As it sounds like you have found out your steering rack and front suspension has to be spot on to work properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted September 5, 2010 Share Posted September 5, 2010 Pretty sure mk1 and mk2 cortinas share the same chassis. Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS5620 Posted September 5, 2010 Author Share Posted September 5, 2010 BS5620 wrote:Quote: If you try to fit the rack and pinion around the motor it just won't work out properly, yeah I'm not a firm believer in that, just R&P has been an after thought once engine conversion has already been done!! Sorry Valiant that was ment to be a NOW a firm believer, Not NOT. Wow one letter give sentence a totally different meaning!! Yeah its just a case of getting the right pieces....I think I'm going to be pullinh the whole engine out again soon!! I didnt want to have to come to that realisation haha Crazy_Rich, the other guy who was talking on here and he's got the struts for sale. Yeah mk1 & 2 tinas share the same chassis, was still going to use sierra lower arms instead of esky ones. I think, am probs wrong tho that capri and esky struts are extremely simialar just capri is not as tall but is fatter and stronger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 I believe the bolt on off peice on the escort strut is slightly differant to Capri. I think it is shorter and on a slightly diff angle. The capri strut also has the spring cup about inch lower so gives you a tad of slam for free. Gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valiant Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 HaHa. Sweet as. I know its a low tech option but.... Can you overhaull your standard suspension. New tierod ends, pitman arm, drop arm, ball joints and adjust your steering box? I have done this to both my Vals and I am very happy with the results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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