SR Coupe rack and pinion steering

[crispy'86]

Has anyone even tried to attempt this???
Maybe finding the crossmember with the right measurements will be a mission and rack, column etc.
Suppose it wouldn't hurt to try

[AE25]

wouldn't mind keepin track of how you go on this....
i plan on setting up my ke25 SR with rack as the 4age doesn't give the factory steering linkages enough room. 2tg i think has better room for it tho.

mark H from auckland originally used a ke35 x-member in his ke20 and cut/weld an ae86 rack onto it. he didn't get the angles quite right so it went out of allignment when the car bounced, but the concept was there. just make sure the pivots for the tie rods are the same width as the pivots for the control arms and you should be sussed. also try get the pivots on the same horizontal plane so the steering angles don't get fuked up.
the column was a mix of ae86 shaft with ke20 case i think with a bit of cutting welding... probly illegal tho. the ke3 id imagine would be easier solution.
his improved version was a complete ae86 x-member and rack with the ends of the x-member shortened and modified to fit the ke20 chassis. this way the pivot points are as they came from factory. ke2 and ke3 apparently have the same width x-member mounting points but the bolts are wider apart nth/sth on the ke3 so slotting will make it fit. ke70/ae86 have wider x-member hence the shortening required.
let us know how ya get on

[crispy'86]

I am going to trackdown some measurements of crossmembers from different model toyotas, I know kp60 starlets have shorter distances between chassis rails and KE2# and 3# are pretty much same. It will have to provide room for my 2TG to sit on the cross member that ae86 rack idea sounds good. I might use Ke70 rack or another rwd rack if i can find one that does the trick. 2t is comong out soon and 2tg dropped in so has to be in the next 2 weeks or so

[e30-323ti]

Does the KE70 subframe with rack bolt into a Ke3*??
You'd prolly need the suspension arms and steering arms to keep all the geometry correct.
I'd start there rather than trying to attach racks to the subframe.

[AE25]

nah ke2# and ke3# are same width (slightly different bolt spacing).
ke70/ae86 are interchangeable but wider than ke2/ke3.
ke2/ke3 are recirculating ball steering only.
ke70 came with both recirculating ball and rack'n'pinion options. ae85/ae86 are rack only.

i chose to modify a ke70 since it has so many different variations... ie had K, T, A and C engines, recirc or rack steering, and p/s in both steering types, 3 different diffs available in nz- U, S and T. came with k40, k50, T40, T50, w51 and auto's. 6 different driveshafts, singe piece and double. coupe, hardtop, liftback, 2 door sedan, 4 door sedan, 2 door wagon, 4 door wagon etc.

[crispy'86]

Got the chance to view a few different model toyota crossmembers but none quite the same spacing, hope i can get hold of one soon

[AE25]

or u could go custom!

not sure what hes done here but its a te27
http://www.arfabuck.orcon.net.nz/misc/061.jpg

jdm te27 with alum mounting plate
http://www.arfabuck.orcon.net.nz/misc/Picture039.jpg

[crispy'86]

Now that looks damn fine, looks like he has made an adapter plate to bolt the rack mounts to and bolt it to the crossmember. Is that a link you have come across?? The crossmember has been modified already for a 2t but that is going in favour of a 2tg with a turbo eventually

[AE25]

nah they were just some pics i uploaded from my computer to the web... they're originally from japanese websites. i think one of the sites is no longer available but i'll have another looksee...

[AE25]

wikkid i found it again
the home page (in japanese) here
http://www.yaboo.co.jp/

ive used babelfish to translate to english here
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=ja_en&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.yaboo.co.jp%2fkansei%2fframe.htm
on this link click on the 2nd "te27" in the menu at the top. once on this page with the orange te27 pic... click the dark grey icon near the top and this will take you to the te27 restoration pics... there will be four tags appear at the top of the page... each one is a different pics page.... the 4th page had the custom rack pic. so there ya go

[crispy'86]

Nice looking KE25 ( after all that's what it basically is) with all that work done. Just gotta suss out a template and rack to use, maybe KE70/AE85/6. Cheers for the link to that site

[crispy'86]

I have a good chance of using a starlet crossmember and rack on my SR, the reason for this is to use the rack mounts off the starlet crossmember and fit them to my sr member. Already has nuts welded on the inside of the crossmember for rack mounts, KE70 rack is 20mm too long which will screw up my alignment not to mention corrnering problems

[crispy'86]

Sorted out the rack, just wind it in the extra 20mm needed or 10mm both sides, it's going to get an alignment anyway. Just need a crossmember from a ke70 or similar

[Logan]

Hey crispy,
Just wonder if you could clarifiy what rack you used, and perhaps get some pics, ive current got the donk out of my ke25, and the old box just dont cut it, and im up for some mods to get some nice steering, Im currently running T-series diff/ box and rx7 struts, but it looks like im going 5 stud, with a 5 series diff and cressida struts...
anyway
Cheers
Logan

[corolla coupe]

but it looks like im going 5 stud, with a 5 series diff and cressida struts...

Sounds interesting, keep us updated on the cressida struts...

[crispy'86]

Logan, i will try and get some pics of the rack up when i get the rack mounts sorted. Bear in mind the rack is sitting aside until i get the e.f.i. fuel line finished and wiring tidied up a bit, so the mounts off a KE70/AE70 crossmember may work. Have to go and do more nutting out on this

[fangsport]

Chris ,make sure the knuckle to knuckle distance on the rack is the same length as the the bolts holes in the crossmember for the lower control arms.

[turbora28]

Howdy all, this thread has interested me because I recently converted my RA28 Celica to rack n pinion steering.

I used a KE70 rack with custom mounts welded to my xmember.

I have some bump steer problems though because the rack is around 15 - 20mm too wide each side (so 40mm in total or there abouts).

crispy'86 - you made reference to shortening the rack? It seems the only way would be to cut it and shorten, but you say about turning it in? Any more info on this would be great.

Also, these starlets racks. Does anyone know how wide they are (inner tie rod to tie rod) as maybe this would be better for me than the KE70 item.

What model starlet is it? I dont think they were sold in Australia. Are they common?

Thanks
Joel

[AE25]

in NZ the rwd starlet is common.. kp60, kp61 and kp62 models were all sold new and also imported from japan. i don't think they were ever sold in Aus???

i measured up my old starlet kp62 rack and compared it to a ke70 wagon rack i have and it surprised me that the starlet one was a little wider. i could have measured it wrong tho so someone please confirm i don't have the starlet anymore.

looking at a haynes manual for a ke70 i looks like it is possible to shorten the rack and rack housing near the centre. but depending on which engine you have, you may not have enough room for the steering column to move any closer to the engine. my ke70 with the 3tgt cant move much closer for instance... id imaging another T engine would be the same.. maybe possible for a 4ag tho?

[fangsport]

there will be a way to shorten them or maybe use a compleyely different donor i.e escort or avenger or somthing. Mark, how wide is a KE70 rack? i'll compare it to an escort one at work tomorrow.