Anyone have a steering rack out and can measure the dimensions?

Or anyone close to San Jose have an extra one I can buy.

Click to view attachment

Overall width, from outside rubber boot to rubber boot
Space between rack and cross frame used for mounting
Diameter of rack next to mounting points
Diameter of rack heading into car.

Trying to see if I can find an electric unit, like the Jetta, MR2 or Prius racks that could be adapted to work. The trick is finding something where the arms would be equal distance, like on our stock racks, otherwise not sure exactly would happen if unequal steering arms had to be used.

Most of the electric racks I looked at have the part (whatever it's called) going up into the car on one side or the other.

Can't have the (whatever it's called) going up through the pedals!

All help appreciated.

The single most critical criteria is going to be the inner tie rod pivot points in relation to the lower control arms pivot axis. Racks can raised and compensated at the steering arm on the knuckle or with bump steer kits. If the tie rod pivots are wider or narrower than the factory dimension you will have high value toe changes that do not follow camber, compression and rebound changes throughout travel as designed into the geometry. For a road going car this would be an extreme and undesirable attribute. May work for a stadium truck but not for road use. I would make sure the inner tie rod pivots are as close to the oem dimension as possible. Center pinion racks can be found in the aftermarket sector for a variety of assisted applications. I suppose a left pinion (offset) rack could work if you alter the path of the steering shaft up and over the pedal cluster but not really worth reinventing the wheel here. My 2c.

Ahh...Center Pinion Racks.

I tried searching for electric center pinion racks, but couldn't find anything. Have any search advice?

In any event, thanks for the information. Now I'm thinking it might be smarter to leave the stock rack in place and just put a power assist unit, which are available (*), in that 10" rod section (between numbers 3 & 4 on the picture) going down from my quickner to the ujoint on top of the center pinion unit.

(*) http://www.pacificcustoms.com/ac498700.html

Pardon the question if it's too personal, but why would you want power steering in a 914. Aside from that, car manufacturers spend a TON of money designing the steering to be appropriate for the car, and there are a lot of cars on the road that have terrible steering "feel". Too heavy, too light, too much assist (or too little) for a particular speed, whatever. Porsche and VW obviously didn't consider assisted steering to be of any advantage, so they left it out ...................

The Cap'n

Very cool steering assist unit. Please do it so I can steal your ideas later...

We talked about this before and I thought you were looking at the prius steering unit?

This is a race car Cap'n with a steering reducer.

I installed a steering reducer to reduce the amount of steering wheel travel for autoxing. The reducer works great, but does increase the input required, which on a hill climb course is fine, but in an autox, with multiple high speed slaloms, proves to be difficult to turn quickly and be smooth; the latter essential even at high speeds if you want to perfectly control the car moving side to side.

It's would be easier to show you in the car - as opposed to writing it down actually.

The Prius unit is cheaper, but a bunch more clunky.

I'm heading down to LA shortly and will be stopping by the mfg to look at their unit. Dimensions seem to be ok, but need to see one in person.

http://www.ezpowersteering.nl/type/434/166/Porsche_914.html
Skip all the guess work and buy a finished product?

You mean do it the smart way?

I'd like to learn more about that unit, but their website is in Dutch.

Pacific Customs <(*) http://www.pacificcustoms.com/ac498700.html> has put in a bunch of the same type units and will actually install one if you want. I'm looking forward to visiting their facility in LA.

First pic is the overall width of JUST the rack. Not including any parts of the tie rod. 501mm
Second pic is the distance between the rack and the crossmember. ~50mm
Third is the diameter of the rack 'horizontally'. ~38mm
Fourth is the diameter of the plastic boot that passes through the body. ~88mm

Finally, a few overall pics.

Thanks Mark!

Randal,

Did you look at the Prius electronic steering setup?
i heard that was an option???

Also, what details can you figure out from that guy I posted a link for that is doing the electronic motor at the steering rods?

Just figure out what motor he is using....
The rest is fabrication.

rich

Haven't been to a junk yard to check out the Prius electric unit, but it's on the list.

The guys in LA (link I previously posted) have the same type electric motor as you posted, their price is $750.00.

Currently concerned that changing the entire rack will be tough, as the stock unit is center pinion and all electric motor racks I've seen (like Jetta) are left pinion units. So all kinds of geometry changes....

I still need to visit the place in SoCal that sells the electric motor units. Pretty sure Bill and I can install one of them.

750 for an electric motor......bahhhhh

It's a 200 dollar unit with a bracket that you will need to make anyways.
The steering shaft would need to be custom anyways...