Dommo Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 How's your alignment Andy? Excessive toe out will cause issues with clearance on full lock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyismilesaway Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 Thanks Damperman, Mark and Dommo. Geo is pretty approx currently albeit even and per the manual. What I best do is have the gaitor off and measure - a job for tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenh Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 If you have had the steering toe-in adjusted by a professional who isn't particularly familiar with kit cars, it is likely that he/she will have adjusted the tracking so that the same number of threads are showing each side, on the trackrod adjustment. This doesn't necessarily work with kitcars, where the trackrods may have been shortened, and not necessarily by the same amount each side. I note you said in one of the posts that the wing only touched on one side. Maybe (provided you've got plenty of thread for safety) you can solve your problem by winding the trackrod end in slightly one side and out by the same amount on the other side? If you can get the lock the same in both directions your problem may be solved. Just make sure you have plenty of thread still "in contact" on the joints of the trackrod ends to the trackrods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 Thanks Damperman, Mark and Dommo. Geo is pretty approx currently albeit even and per the manual. What I best do is have the gaitor off and measure - a job for tonight! It's always worth doing this with kits anyway. So many of the parts used are pattern copies now, that there is no guarantee they're going to be the same internally as what others have, specially with the steering racks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsechris Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 Not to forget, if it is only hitting one side, that's no guarantee that the rack isn't centred. It seems to me just as likely that the body and or arches aren't symmetrical about the chassis centreline. Sensible to check that is IS properly centred though, of course. I fitted wide track purely to get a better turning circle. It was OK when the car was first built but after fitting the Zetec, the NS cycle wing hit the exhaust manifold and left it with a dangerously wide left-hand turning circle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyismilesaway Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 To circle back on this, I had the vernier out and gaiters off the rack. The lock stops need to go on the 21mm dia rack bits (technical term). Split collars are in the post so hopefully can get this sorted easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyismilesaway Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Okay, so collars (lock stop) arrived and do fit on the rack shaft - however a question... Should the lock stop abut the "outside" surface or inner recessed part of the rack? The pic on page 1 of this thread is the same as mine and shows the outside and recessed part. The 40mm ext dia lock stop I have hits the outside surface. Hard to describe but hope the Q makes sense!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsechris Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 The set I made for ours worked against the inner section, but as long as you are getting the travel you need and the collar isn't interfering with the rack boot, I can't see any issue with having it work against the outer section myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyismilesaway Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Can I check something as this is still causing headaches and I think I'm going a bit snowblind Recap: it's a standard WF rack, MX5 SDV kit, "home" geo set with threads counted, rack appears to be approx.centred Checking again: As far as I can turn RIGHT the RH arch touches the body, LH front brake hose has a little slack As far as I can turn LEFT the LH arch doesn't quite touch the body, but the RH front brake hose is then fully strained For what it's worth, as far as I can turn (limited by the two lines above) is about 2.25 turns A call to Mark at WF I'm told this rack does have lock stops in the inner workings of the rack - removing the gaiters there is nothing that resembles a lockstop I can see, pic here if that helps https://andyswestfieldbuild.wordpress.com/2016/10/06/rack-causing-me-headaches/ Initially I thought adding some toe in will help here, but given the brake pipe strain that's only going to add to that If lock stops are simply the answer I'll run with that. (Getting some that fit is another challenge - but that's for me to sort!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisme Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 I'd take the wheel arches off and measure again to the edge of the tyre - it's surprising how many mm the arches can be off centre. I had stops fitted to my standard Escort MK2 rack (well, "stops" being very crudely fitted jubilee clips by the original builder that ended up slicing the bellows to pieces). I also struggled with the turning circle getting the car out of my garage and onto the road (about a dozen three point turns ) So for that and the general handling / aesthetics, I fitted a wide track and now it turns like a taxi (no other analogies please ) I'd try and keep any stop you fit to the absolute minimum thickness and adjust out the tie rods measured against the tyre edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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