When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Got mine, in and installed. Every thing went together nicely. Very well packaged and basic assembly.
Only issue I had was with the steering column\fire wall grommet couldn't get the stock one to work but I was able to come up with something.
Really is like driving a different car. Alignment is next.Thumbs up
Cheers
I got my kit installed in my 79, and I am really happy with it. The install was really straight forward with the instructions provided, even though I was nervous about taking the column out since I had never done it before. The fit on the subframe for the rack was spot on, with a nice tight fit between the frame rails.
Once I got the car aligned properly, it was like driving a whole new car. Before installing the rack, everything was nice and tight on my car except for the steering. I feel like this was the last piece of the puzzle needed to make it complete. The car is more predictable and easier to drive. It doesn’t take as much concentration to drive it, especially on rough roads. I have driven roughly 200 miles with the new rack kit and don’t have any complaints. Can’t wait to race it on track to see how it feels!
I should've taken pictures during the install, but I attached a few pics I took once installed.
I got my kit installed in my 79, and I am really happy with it. The install was really straight forward with the instructions provided, even though I was nervous about taking the column out since I had never done it before. The fit on the subframe for the rack was spot on, with a nice tight fit between the frame rails.
Once I got the car aligned properly, it was like driving a whole new car. Before installing the rack, everything was nice and tight on my car except for the steering. I feel like this was the last piece of the puzzle needed to make it complete. The car is more predictable and easier to drive. It doesn’t take as much concentration to drive it, especially on rough roads. I have driven roughly 200 miles with the new rack kit and don’t have any complaints. Can’t wait to race it on track to see how it feels!
Awesome! Thank you so much, this is exactly why I build the kit. 🙂
I want to thank everyone who has purchased the kit. It has been a massive success.
Due to the excellent reception of the SA/FB rack kit I'm gonna do a limited run of my performance transmission mount/crossmember.
The crossmember is modeled after the oem 84-85 that incorporates bushings on the outer ends so it's fully isolated.
Two main things this mount does is it restores the factory transmission output shaft angle in relation to the pinion to the correct angle (most factory mounts are collapsed do to age and heat.
The other is it restores that proper sport car shifter feel without overdoing it with a short throw shifter giving clean crisp shifts from the factory oem shifter.
As always it's completely bolt in with no modifications to our Rx7s that can't be undone.
It breaks down like this.
OEM Transmission
79-83
84-85
Turbo 2 transmission (86-88)
84-85
79-83
Last edited by MTheoryInc; 07-04-22 at 10:29 PM.
Reason: To many pics
Glad to read about your long term intentions. It just seems every time someone delivers a gold standard product, they sell the business or move on to more lucrative endeavors.
Pulling steering column for rack and pinion upgrade.
Working on the install of my new rack and pinion. Steering lock appears to be none OEM so cannot be removed the usual way. I see someone mentioned on this thread cutting the steering column down near the steering box to make the box removal easier. If I do that, can I pull the steering column out into the cab rather than down through the engine bay? Wondering if that would allow me to install the rack and pinion without removing the steering lock. Thanks!
That is the factory hardware holding on the column lock. I use a dremel to carefully notch a line big enough for a flat blade screwdriver, then they come right out. I recently did a full column swap and used new socket cap screws while reinstalling the column lock.
Maybe some variations on lock used? Bolts shown in Hayes manual and described in FSM can be accessed from below when cutting the slots. Nothing visible from below on the lock I have. Is it possible to unbolt the steering box from the engine bay and push the steering column / steering box assembly 3 inches towards drivers seat so I can get at those two bolt heads on top of the lock? And am I correct in assuming the thing circled in red in previous post is indeed a bolt head and once I have it slotted it can be removed?
Yes they must be notched from the top it's the only access to those bolts. If you loosen the 3 bolts of the Oem steering box in the engine bay first it will allow more room to access the bolts inside. The ignition lock must be removed so you can remove the black outer tube that covers the actual steering shaft before you cut anything.
Once the black outer tube is carefully removed from the inside you can speed up removal of the steering box by cutting the main steering box shaft in the engine bay with a sawzall. The cut should be made close to the steering box indicated in the picture below.
Then you can cut the steering shaft again on the bench in the proper location as specified in the instructions.
Don't forget to inspect the collapsible steering shaft section and determine if it needs to be repaired with the included repair kit.
Much appreciated. I ended up doing exactly what you suggested… but just by chance not skill! With the steering box unbolted was able to slide the steerer a few inches into the cab and can now access the bolts. Chose that moment of triumph to call it a day. Back to it tomorrow.
Laid out the kit you sent me. It’s a wonderful piece of design. Looking forward to install it tomorrow.
The picture you referenced shows an SA interior. They must have redesigned the steering lock some on the FB's. The SA's bolts are accessible from underneath.
Rack and pinion kit is now in. Booked for an alignment on Friday, so no driving feedback as yet.
Kit is genuinely plug and play. Any issues I had were due to my own inexperience. How to get to the bolts on top of the steering lock (unbolt steering box and pull shaft towards driver to expose bolts). How to remove lower shaft from steering box (simply pull! Don't be misled by the giant nut that looks like its holding the shaft on). How to reattach the wiring to the rear of the switch box behind the steering wheel (Flash the lights, and find out the horn sounds instead... then reverse the two wiring clips you installed the wrong way around).
And MTheoryInc, the fabricator of the kit, was REALLY helpful. Called me in person when I got stuck on the lower shaft removal (again.... simply pull!), and texted multiple pics and words of advise to make sure I had all the info I needed to get the project done.
Rack and pinion kit is now in. Booked for an alignment on Friday, so no driving feedback as yet.
Kit is genuinely plug and play. Any issues I had were due to my own inexperience. How to get to the bolts on top of the steering lock (unbolt steering box and pull shaft towards driver to expose bolts). How to remove lower shaft from steering box (simply pull! Don't be misled by the giant nut that looks like its holding the shaft on). How to reattach the wiring to the rear of the switch box behind the steering wheel (Flash the lights, and find out the horn sounds instead... then reverse the two wiring clips you installed the wrong way around).
And MTheoryInc, the fabricator of the kit, was REALLY helpful. Called me in person when I got stuck on the lower shaft removal (again.... simply pull!), and texted multiple pics and words of advise to make sure I had all the info I needed to get the project done.
Sounds awesome!! Next level support great to have this for the small FB aftermarket community.
It’s been a few weeks since Scott came to Indy and removed, and correctly reinstalled, the steering linkage on my M Theory rack and pinion kit and I can say in all honesty that I’m very happy with the results. Having a smaller aftermarket steering wheel with a 1+” of play involved a lot of “muscle” effort when parking, or maneuvering in and out of my garage. Around town it wasn’t much of an issue but driving on freeways or highways between 60-80+ mph it was un-nerving to find that dead spot due to the play in the steering wheel and lose “all” road feedback. Constantly moving the wheel is not a lot of fun and took away some of the joy of driving my RX7. The difference with the new rack and pinon kit is like the difference between night and day, and I have over the past few weeks I’ve had to “re-learn” how to drive her. The steering response is “immediate,” you turn the steering wheel and the tires move, it’s that simple, I no longer have to wrestle the steering wheel getting in or out of my garage and the wheel moves effortlessly when the car is not moving at all. At highway speeds I “always” have road feedback with zero dead spots and I’m not constantly having to make steering inputs like I had to with the old steering box. Part of the kit installation instructions recommends 5.5 degrees of caster and after encountering an issue with the install of the kit that the shop did for me, I wasn’t confident that the instruction Scott provided were followed. I took to my car to my friend who works at Goodyear to have the alignment done and he was able to get 5.3 degrees on the left and 4.5 degrees on the right but that was max, any further adjusting of the strut rods would cause the numbers to drop off due the condition of the old rubber bushings. I have purchased urethane bushing kit and will go back and have the alignment dialed in as-per the installation instructions next month. It’s a lot more fun driving my RX7 now and it reminds me of the driving experience I had when I first got her, is the rack and pinion kit pricey? Yes, is it worth it? Hell yes, I never cut corners or looked for a ”cheaper” option with my RX7 because their “one of a kind” cars and I have always strived to improve on what I could to make her all she can be. If you are handy with tools, work on your RX7, have jack stands, floor jack, and can follow directions you can do this install in your garage and Scott is “always available” for tech support should you have issues.
wild *** guess here but may be possible? The LHD I just installed appeared to have the same mount points left and right for attaching the welded frame to the engine bay walls, and the steering shaft pieces don’t seem side specific. Maybe talk to the builder and see if it’s as simple as swapping the rack and pinion parts to their RHD version?
wild *** guess here but may be possible? The LHD I just installed appeared to have the same mount points left and right for attaching the welded frame to the engine bay walls, and the steering shaft pieces don’t seem side specific. Maybe talk to the builder and see if it’s as simple as swapping the rack and pinion parts to their RHD version?
but then again…. The right side of the engine has all sorts of stuff in the way of a steerer shaft that’s not on the left side so maybe not so easy.
06-09-22, 06:25 PM
rack and
