ProZac Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Starions are pretty awesome cars I reckon, except for having a steering box setup that feels like ass when driving. I've had them reconditioned in the past, and it took away the excessive play they usually have, but the steering still had no 'feel' to it. Fitting a rack into the car isn't too difficult. There are a couple of different ways to go, with my personal preference being using an s-chassis front crossmember, modified with Starion frame rail and engine mounts. Then use all s-chassis arms, hubs, knuckles, brakes, struts etc, all the way up to Starion top hats. The track width of the two cars is very similar, and provided an adjustable top-hat is used, decent geometry can be maintained. Another option is to weld rack mounts onto the original Starion crossmember. Once again, not super difficult, but I would need to do some hunting around to find a rack that has a shaft length similar to the distance between the tie-rod mounting points on the original relay rod... This will keep the steering pivot points reasonably inline with the bottom arm mounting points, reducing any bump-steer. The hardest part of the conversion I reckon, is connecting the Starion steering column to the rack, as no welding can legally be done on these parts. Starions have a rubber isolator coupler that frequently wear out, and I'd like to remove this also. The problem here, is with how this coupler connects to the end of the steering shaft, its pinned on. This means the end of the Starion steering shaft isn't splined, its basically an eyelet. A couple of pinched pictures that show it: See :http://www.starquestclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=131612 for more info. I though about maybe trying to fit a complete steering column from another car, but I'd like to keep the Starion interior totally factory if possible. Basically, I'm looking for ideas and advice on how to connect the Starion steering shaft to a retro-fitted steering rack... Anyone have any experience? How do the hot-rod guys do it? Come at me oh wise and wonderful OS peeps, all out of the box thinking is greatly appreciated . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepers Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 well, lemmie give you 2c worth. if you use a rack and crossmember that came together from factory you gonna have way less hassle with the cert man for a start. try if you can to use the radius arms as well then you have a pretty good argument for the steering being somewhere close to a factory setup when the cert man starts trying to knock you back. as for columns, arsehole that starion thing and find something that has a bearing in the end of the column and a spline on the end of the shaft, alternately machine that spigot that that goes onto the end of the ball and pin fiasco to suit a spline or something that matches the rack you use. i know its frightening but you could use parts from another type of car to do the job. no matter what you do your going to have to cert this and welding engine mounts on a crossmember is way easier than setting up and welding a rack onto a random crossmember, and the cert man will way happier if you can keep the rack/crossmember factory and just cert engine mounts. that all i have to say about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProZac Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 Cheers Sheepers. Very similar to my thoughs, definately easier to make an s-shassis (or similar, s-shassis stuff is just so cheap and easy to find) cross member fit the body and engine, than modify the orignal crossmember to accept a rack. I'm confident I could do either successfully, but the former does have other benefits, such as opening up a world of much easier brake options. The Starion column does have a bearing in the end that supports the shaft, its very close to the end though, and the eyelet doesn't protrude far past it. Machining the eyelet off would leave a prety thin shaft behind, around 10mm. Probably not really strong enough for the job. The more I look at it, I think the options would be to either retain the rubber coupler joint as it has a female splined end that usually connects directly to the steering box, or use a complete column from another car, hmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepers Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 plenty of ways to fuck a cat, as im sure you know. just some of them are easier to cert........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProZac Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 Most definately. The real problem is connecting the column to the rack. The rest of the job is pretty straight forward, just just this bit I can't really figure out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepers Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 what about the doowhacky that goes on the end of that bit? can you put a spline on it/modify that bit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepers Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 and why you gotta keep the mitsy column? can you use another one and mount all the mitsy bits onto it so it looks factory? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProZac Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 Hmmm, both of those are interesting ideas! Particularly machining something to go on the end of the column, I can see a way to do that immediately! What do places charge to put splines on things? I'm assuming it's pretty spendy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepers Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 umm, depends on the spline. if youve got a sample of the thing it needs to go into then that helps, if youve got a sample of the of spline youre trying to recreate then thats better. i shouldnt think it would be to much. where the fuck do you live again? if you were in my hood i could do it for you for nix but you aint. (teach you for living in some backwater) some cunt must be able to help you out with a lazy spline cutting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProZac Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 Hows about this: Solid piece of round stock. Drill out one end to the same (marginally smaller?) diameter as the steering shaft. Ensure round stock is of sufficient diameter to leave atleast 3mm wall thickness (same or more than original pivoting coupler thing wall thickness). This slides up (marginal interference fit?) over the eyelet, almost butting up to the bearing carrier in the end of the column. Pin goes through new piece, and the eyelet, connecting them in the same way as factory pivoting coupler thing. As the new piece fits over the round part of the original steering shaft, right by the bearing carrier, it cannot pivot on the pin. Other end of the new piece is machined down then splined to accept a generic steering universal. Excuse terrible MSPaint skills. Thoughts? Terrible idea and I'll careen into a pole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepers Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 that would be sweet, it ticks the boxes cert wise because its pinned to the shaft ah la the factory setup and would allow you to make the new piece to suit whatever you need. i endorse this product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I did exactly that for my steering extension, just at the opposite end. I'll get a photo for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProZac Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 And that's why the OS forums are awesome, cheers guys. Keen as to see pics Mikuni! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 If only brad documented his project thread better, you would have this info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProZac Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 Hah . I think I might mill a slot into the new coupler to match the flats of the eyelet, will be even more solid that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikuni Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 I wanted to make an extension with no play that would move the steering wheel back quite a way. This is the existing spline that the steering boss fits to. This shaft was drilled and threaded to suit the above. The above spline also had a slot notched into it at 90 degrees to ensure it won't be able to turn and un-wind itself. Then a spline was put on the end of the shaft for a removable steering wheel boss kit. It was rediculously cheap through a local engineer. I can't remember exactly, but something around the $100 mark including materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProZac Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 Brilliant, that is just awesome info! I can take care of all the machining myself, except for the spline. Will get onto this ASAP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepers Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 you can cut a spline on a lathe if your super patient and you make a dividing head for the spindle. you can use the carriage like a shaper, it just takes ages. but its cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eke_zetec_RWD Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Do you not have a dividing head or rotary table? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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