rack and pinion - poor man options?
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,366
Likes: 10
From: Drifting a Roundabout near you!
I was in such a hurry to get this fabb'd and installed that I didn't take pic's of the process...I was desperate to get the car ready for ABF. I made it up as I went using the CP racing installation instructions as a guide. This is not for the faint of heart, you must have the right tools and be comfortable with manipulating metal, a wirefeed welder, drill press, cutoff saw are required to do this right....I still didn't get it perfect. When I redo this with another rack I will document alot better. Here's some of the hard stuff;
Cutting the old tube is hard with the engine in the car, if you have the engine in, remove the brake booster and you will have full access. Next time the booster comes out for me....needs a fresh coat of paint anyway.(once you start this process you are commited, no going back...that's my opinion)
You need to fab a support for the bottom of the column tube you just cut, that is what you are looking at in the 3rd and 4th pic.
You need the splined bottom of the VW or donor shaft(Get the complete column assembly, link and rack as a set) I cut the bottom splined part off, then cut the rx7 shaft bottom off and ground both ends to almost points, then welded the two together, I used the bearing from the VW column to center thethe shaft on the support, I made a housing out of 2 inch pipe(round part in pic) shimm'd the slack with a washer.
I then shorten'd the tie rod ends from the VW rack and butt welded the threaded mazda rods(Left/Right threads) in the same maner as above.
Everything is laid out in the CP Racing install directions that you can download off their website.
Let me know if have more questions.
Cutting the old tube is hard with the engine in the car, if you have the engine in, remove the brake booster and you will have full access. Next time the booster comes out for me....needs a fresh coat of paint anyway.(once you start this process you are commited, no going back...that's my opinion)
You need to fab a support for the bottom of the column tube you just cut, that is what you are looking at in the 3rd and 4th pic.
You need the splined bottom of the VW or donor shaft(Get the complete column assembly, link and rack as a set) I cut the bottom splined part off, then cut the rx7 shaft bottom off and ground both ends to almost points, then welded the two together, I used the bearing from the VW column to center thethe shaft on the support, I made a housing out of 2 inch pipe(round part in pic) shimm'd the slack with a washer.
I then shorten'd the tie rod ends from the VW rack and butt welded the threaded mazda rods(Left/Right threads) in the same maner as above.
Everything is laid out in the CP Racing install directions that you can download off their website.
Let me know if have more questions.
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: tulsa
Originally Posted by tempusfugitive
I believe CP racing is using a modified vw rack and pinion, just don't buy anthing from them..
*I'm not taking up for them, I'm inquiring because I wanted to buy stuff from them...why wouldn't you go through them?
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