Hey everyone,
Just finishing up my 5 lug conversion with all new struts, shocks, springs, sway bar, etc. Car is not yet back on the road and someone mentioned today I should incorporate turbo tie rods into my upgrade before alignment. Is the diference in steering that drastic/worth it to warrant the change? If so, where would I look into getting my hands on some? How much?

yes...no more soft rubber connections...yes yes yes yes yes it uses a ball joint on the inside VS rubber

It's very worthwhile. Just make sure you get the set with the Lemforder tie rod ends. The others are crap.

My car had stock rubber tie rods when I bought it. The rubber was in good shape. I swapped to turbo rods because I had some in a box.
Much better connection to the road.

Then a year later I got rid of the rubber donut in the steering shaft. I replaced it with an additional U-joint. Steering got immensely more positive.

Bump steer became more pronounced until I re-aligned everything.

>Is there a major difference in steering?<

No.
If your stock rods are shot there would be.

Joe this is interesting Got any further description or Pics?

It would be nice to see what you're talking about with the donut

Every 914 I've had either already had turbo tie rods or I didn't put a set on that particular car. I personally installed a set on one 914. I drove it both before and after the conversion. The original tie rods were in good condition. Afterwards I didn't notice a difference at all.


There is quite literally a rubber donut in the shaft. It couples the shaft to the rack. I don't have a pic handy.





Scrounged something up...


#22


Click to view attachment

Lower middle of page 2
http://www.smartracingproducts.com/pdfcat/...8_frontaxle.pdf

A friend of mine replaced the tie rods in his SC when the bushings were shot. Huge difference. So he decided to upgrade the tie rods on his GF's SC, even though those were in good shape. No difference that either one could tell.

--DD

Looks like they re-use one of the steering u-joints ala J-west?

There'a a guy in another "club" site that's making billet replacements for the rubber steering "donuts". They are available in both standard size and a shortened size for bump-steer.

Mine's on order for a standard size.

Eric Read

How about a link?

Click to view attachment

...the interface dampener on the steering shaft...

Here's you links:

http://www.914club.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=116207

http://www.914club.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=122651

Hey, that looks like a good first project for Degreeoff with his new Lathe and Milling machine, Make a Billet Aluminum steering donut.