I FINALLY GOT IT FIGURED OUT!!!!
I went to the wreckers today and got a RacingBeat Holley carb intake manifold mintshape!!! Any buyers? Thats besides the point though, I also took a 1984 VW Rabbitt rack and pinion assembly in complete form. Once at home the work began (no pics yet) with a simple .25inch thick bracket and cutting the garbage strg.box off the 1st gen leaving as much of the shaft exposed all that is needed is to put the shaft in the VW universal racks joint. It almost seems as though it was made for it and the rex now has even quicker steering and it is so precise. If you move the steering wheel 1mm the wheels still respond I cant wait to get the car running and try it out. I hope it all works well...it should. Hope this helps you guys!

 

about that racing beat holley carb intake manifold. pm me info about it. it's just the manifold right? i think i'm getting a holley carb soon so i'll be needing one. if i can get one cheap as nallz, i'm game!

 

If I'm not mistaken the rabbit rack & pinion is the same as the dodge omni's. I'm excited to hear about your progect as I want to do the same, but don't have the time or more importantly the money to do a steering project now. Oh, I mention the dodge omni because that was the rack I was going to try to use when I did my project. Seems I was on the right track. And get up some pics man, we need to see how you did this.

 

Just the manifold, go to the parts section on the forum and its 4sale in there along with a RB muffler.

And ya i think the omni rack will work. Oh man it is so sweet to never have to deal with that crap strg. anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Don't get to happy until you get it on the road. One thing that's been brought up alot is bump steer being a main problem. PLEASE keep us posted though.

 

Why would there be bump steer? It retains the stock VW geometry and none of my 13 rabbits had bump steer. Im pretty sure it should work fine so stop jinxing me! just kidden...
Oh ya , if no one has done this yet how can they say it will have bump steer?

 

I am so there.........Let me know how it goes.......my steering has seen better days.....

 

We need some pictures of the installation my friend. If this works, my '79 might be getting a steering upgrade just in time for AutoX season next month. I'm certain I could get a working rack from a VW Rabbit from my local boneyard.

 

You can get bump steer if the pivot point for the tie rods on the new rack is at a different location than the stock FB's.

 

what is exactly "bump steer"?

 

this project has been done a lot over in new zealand, most parts used are from a mazda 626 fwd, a bit of work is needed but it opens the car up too other advantages as the owner of this car was using at for ralying and a 4 whear drive system was also installed.
this is all back in the 80's!!!!!

i'l scan the artical from my book of rotary racing in nz as soon as i get my scanner going

 

score! Show us pictures!!!

 

I will get pics up very soon. I went and looked for the 100th time and it seems the pivot point is within 1cm of stock FB. Do you think thats 2much?
I dont know about you guys but in order to have bump steer do you not have to have substancial suspension travel (anything over 5 to 6cm). All I have is maybe 3 to 4 cm of travel. I think it should work quite well and I will like the 3/4 less turn to go from lock to lock.

 

rack and pinion is my dream. My steering gear is loppy as hell. I live in mississauga. Maybe when you get it working I could come and see it. I would like to do the same.

 

Pics....pics....pics.....pics

This sounds great, I have my tools loaded up and am ready to head to the junkyard. But please post some pictures. If you need somebody to host them, just email them to Eville140(at)sigecom.net and I will post them.

Later
Randy

 

Can you get A lot of pics? I want to see everything that was involved. If it looks like a weekend job, ill be in like flint.

 

Just please give me a little more time because I have been doing alot of R@D and have changed designs a few times so that I can mass produce a couple hundred "Simple" brackets. All the other ones involved too much cutting and welding and just did'nt look the way I wanted. I could show the other designs but it's just not worth it, It would take way too many hours and fab work and I would just prefer to buy a new Maz. box. But NOW I have it pretty much the way I want so the bracket is one piece and much stronger. All I have left is to attatch the colum to the VW universal and re-thread the VW tie rods to accept the Mazda tie rod ends. I had it all hacked together for some geometric testing and to watch the wheel movement in ratio to steering wheel. All looked good but like someone said earlier wait till you drive it before you get to happy. The way I see it, It has the same or very close to the same specs as the VW Rabbit and nearly the same weight on the wheels. Anyway we will have to see, but IM STILL excited.

 

sorry, did mean to rush you. Im more excited than a... (insert funny metaphore here) damn, i dunno! but yeah. i just want see about it.

 

wow, sounds good , I hope this works OK on RHD cars too !

What year VW "rabbit" is it ? <edit - its an 84 I think they are the same as the VW golf in europe ?

Good work! ,
Mike

 

Can you get some pics of the 'rabbit'? So we can see what model it is coz here in Europe we don't have the rabbit, but it's probably just another name

 

Very interested just subscribing to the tread..


-Zach

 

My Haynes manual that I got for a 1985 Jetta covers 1972-1991 Golf, Rabbit, Jetta, and probably other stuff... Maybe they're all comaptible?

 

well, i was gonna do the FC front subframs swap on the racecar, but this sounds easier and cheaper.

yay!

 

yea, this sounds very interesting. Rack and pinion steering is on just about every first gen guys wish list. Please be sure to keep us updated.

 

I will post SOME pics tonite. I have just finished the most difficult part of the switcheroo. designing and making the end of the steering colum shaft using only CHUNKS of the old steer.box (u will see what i mean) The idea i have is trying only to use easily obtainable pieces such as simple washers of a specific size and pieces you all have from your box. It turned out to work perfect if i do say so myself. I will now be making the brackect that mounts the rack to the car, working from the thin easily formed prototype I will now finish by making it from the correct size stock. This is really coming together now!!!!

I must admit, This has been a hell of alot more work than I thought it would be only because of all the trial and error and designing. I figure once sombody had the all the specs and templates along with instuctions it will only take half the time. If I was to sell the whole system as a kit it would take only a day tops to install and that is with somone who is not familiar with mechanics.

Talk to ya all in a few more hours