Guys,

Is there anything that can be done to improve the steering weight and feel on a Series 2??.......after driving my brothers 106 Rallye I can't get over how much better the steering is!

Mine feels far to light around the straight ahead [is that due to the 17's?] and the initial response to steering inputs is crap [woolly around the straight ahead].

What do other people think to their series 2 steering? Are any mods available. Is it possibly due a worn steering rack?

The car has poly-bushes and adjustable TCA's and new steering column bushes.

Or is just what you get with driving an old car?

 

hmm john,you could tek this up with the guy you got your tcas off ,martin fox of mef i believe,

as there is a bit more to it,like having it set up by corner weighting,i believe,but maybe youll need adj trailing arms too,and you could be talking dosh,

is your inner bushes in the steering mech worn? loadsa peeps have been doin them lately.

sell it and buy a jag,

 

Hi mate,

Thanks for the response but I don't think a Jag is gonna be any better

 

For £30 or so bang on a new rack John (if your keeping it).

Or undo the arms and see how slack the ends are first.

What front camber/castor settings are you running

Don't ring Martin he's in France at the moment

 

What about fitting a quick rack? There is definetly one available for RHD. I know that as I've been searching for a LHD quick rack quite some time.

I think that the ratio of the std rack is pants. On a Sierra with power steering it's 2,5 turns from left to right. On an Escort MkIV it's about 4 turns.

Quick rack will make steering a lot heavier though, so maybe not the best mod for city driving.

 

Not many proper ones left knocking about now Peter.

Most available on the market now just have the pinion modified, get aggressive with them on track or in competition and they jump teeth all over the place.

 

i want power steering and a quick rack! You up for doing that Tony

 

burtons do a quafe quick rack, cant remember how much mine was but £90 sounds about it. All you get for that is a rack and a pinion. Recon rack was about £120 IIRC

 

Buy a mondeo or something then yeah rick

 

 

The LHD quick rack parts (not a full rack) are available from Finland for 150e if you need some.

 

Is that rack AND pinion? Of course I'd be interested. Is there a website or something?

 

Some good replies!

Is it possible that my rack is worn and causing the symptoms I'm describing?

Quick rack sound like a good idea! Any links? I'm not bothered about heavy steering round town and it could do with having more 'weight' once rolling.

Tony, I seem to change my mind everyday whether I'm gonna keep the damn thing or not. In the middle of the week I want to sell it…..then it comes to the weekend when I go to start stripping. I clean it and take it for a drive instead

 

If I take the track rod ends out should I be able to feel any play in the rack by wiggling & pushing/pulling etc....??

I 'think' my camber and toe settings are as follows [from memory]:

15 minutes toe out and 1.5 degrees camber.

 

Try burtonpower.com for a start.

 

John, just feel how "stiff " the steering arms are.

There is a ball joint in the inner ends that wears out causing some sloppyness.

If you undo the steering arm from the hub and the arm drops of its own free will then they are knackered. It ideally should hold itself up in the position where you left it.

Maybe a daft question but the tyres are not over inflated either are they ?

 

Tony,

I know from memory that the steering arms do drop [they don't hold themselves up]. I wonder if my braking vibration which I had for a long time sending vibration up through the steering wheel has contributed to wearing them out? Probably!

Front tyres are Yokohama Parada Spec 2 inflated to 30psi, maybe its worth dropping them 2-3 psi?

 

Burton list a re-con steering rack at £33.45, is it any easy job to change?

 

Burton list a Quaife Quick Rack-

QUIAFE QUICK RACK KIT 2.78 ESCORT MK3/4 RHD

"SPECIAL ORDER ONLY"

at £88.95, the picture shows the rack and pinion, is this kit any good Tony? Does the 2.78 refer to the lock-to-lock ratio?

Is it a case of stripping a standard rack and fitting the new quick rack and pinion?

 

Try calling this place for the parts for LHD quick rack.
http://www.rallyracefin.fi/index.php
Too bad they don't show an e-mail address but they do have the LHD quick rack "inner parts" in their catalog. The complete phone number would be: +358 40 5656899

 

Well, I hope they speak english as I don't speak suomi at all.

 

Well he did speak english.

He's going to take a look at his stock for me on monday. Let's hope for the best.

 

JesseT


Do you have a quick rack fitted to yours? What do you think to it?

 

Last time I bought a standard one I got 2 for £30 from my local motorfactors. Remember they are an exchange item so you will need to return your old one. Easy job to change yes. Loosen the pinch bolt on the column joint, undo the track rod ends, undo the brackets on the rack to chassis mounts (4 bolts), remove rack. Refitting is as simple.

You do have to strip and fit yourself yes. The 2.78 is lock to lock turn. I think that takes about 2 turns out of a standard rack. AFAIK Quaife dont have any at the moment which is why they are special order. Chances are they will make Burtons buy about 10 before they go into production.

I use a 2.4 turn quickrack (much better) which Im looking to get copied by a machine company as they are virtually no longer available.

 

No, I don't. Wouldn't have one for everyday use without power steering.