I'm sure this has come up somewhere, but I can't seem to get "search" working right now...

I have removed my power steering on my FD and looped up the lines on the rack. It has been like this for 5 years and I've never had too much of a complaint about it. But now that I've been driving my S2000 daily driver for a while (with strut braces)... the RX-7 feels less crisp on the steering. Don't get me wrong, it still corners hard, but there is some slop in the response due to the contstruction of the quill inside the steering pinion.

So.... Has anyone welded this up or otherwise made it more like a manual pinion? What about swapping in the manual rack off of an FC? I'd like to modify MY rack so I can keep the quick ratio, but... if it's the only way, maybe an FC rack will bolt in?

Comments?

Thanks,
Brian

 

Have it converted to complete manual operation by Maval Gear, or just have them send you a converted rack. $165 for the "operation", $60 for the core if you don't send your own rack. The FC racks don't have as desireable a ratio as the FD rack and require more turns of the wheel lock to lock.

www.mavalgear.com

 

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-gen-archives-73/finally-some-project-progress-tons-pics-261585/

 

idk if its just my stupidity or inexperience with this but could you please explain a bit more on what you mean by the "slop in the response due to the contstruction of the quill inside the steering pinion"?

thanks

 

The lower column coupling connects to the input shaft which is then connected to the pinion via a torsion bar (Quill). The teeth on the pinion engage the teeth on the rack bar.
The input shaft is able to rotate about 3 deg in each direction before it comes into direct contact with the pinion. This 3 deg in each direction (slop...) is there to actuate the power steering.
I've been designing and making these b#$%^y things for the last 28 years, if you want any more detail I'll try to direct you to the appropriate web site.

 

Agreed. Don't do the FC rack conversion. I did it, and am going to get my old rack converted.. like I should have in the first place.

 

A picture is worth 1000 words right? Here are some pics that someone (I think in the UK) took of their pinion... this shows the quill I am referring to.

http://www.zeroglabs.com/rx7/steering.htm

 

I converted mine to an FC rack and I rather like the way it is (although I haven't driven it yet- lol). The conversion was easy though - I just had to modify the brackets and piece together the steering shaft.

 

I always laugh when people start talking authoritatively about the risk of breaking the quill "tabs" when converting the FD power rack to manual operation by eliminating the power steering pump...

 

ahhh i see now, thank you for the info