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Go Back   Madabout Kitcars Forum > Mad Build Area > Phantom GTR/Vortex Builds

Phantom GTR/Vortex Builds In a Vortex with your Phantom build? Share your build experiences here.

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  #1  
Old 21st August 2014, 18:12
GJGB GJGB is offline
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Default Steering Rack Brackets Mod

Seems the original position of the steering rack mounting brackets (angled 30 degrees upward) gives the knuckle in the steering column an excessive angulation. As I understand it, these UJ's are supposed to operate at no more than 15 degrees and the action is very "notchy" with too much angle.

So Chris / Norman have decided the fixing brackets should be vertical (not angled upwards) so the pinion is more horizontal so reducing the angulation in the column knuckle. There's a drawing for this mod.

I've taken the angle grinder to mine and there are a couple of points worth noting.

First, the mounting holes for the rack will move downward by 1.1 cm or thereabouts by just bending the existing mounting tabs downward to the vertical thus putting the rack way too low vs-a-vs the hubs. I decided to cut the tabs off the chassis, shorten by the 1.1 cm and reweld.

Second problem, the nearside bracket now has the rack mounting hole directly in line with the diagonal bracing tube in the chassis !!! Grrr... !! There's just about space to get a nyloc nut between the mounting plate and the chassis brace but it's bl**dy tight and I reckon I'll struggle to show two clear threads of the bolt through the nut. I might have to go to two thin nuts and lock them against each other.

Anybody else attacked their rack mounts?

Best
Greg
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  #2  
Old 22nd August 2014, 12:18
GJGB GJGB is offline
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Having chopped the old mounts off and measured in place, it looks like the rack-mounting holes would drop by more like 30 - 40 mm using the existing mounting plates rewelded.

Also, the new hole position is several cm further forward of the old (angled brackets) location. Using 140mm bolts with twenty penny washers between rack and mounting (to space the rack backwards) does NOT look like any kind of engineering solution!

I now think the way forward is to weld 60x40 box section 230mm long vertically to the chassis in place of the old "angle iron" for new rack mounts (with the 60mm side along the car's axis) to put the rack in the right place. I reckon to drill holes for the rack-mounting bolts on the back (40mm) face of the box and put a 40+mm hole in the SIDE of the box to allow a 19mm ring spanner to get to the nut inside the box on the rack mounting bolts.

Even without the access problem caused by the chassis diagonal brace, it would still seem necessary to put in place new (box or channel section?) mounts that move the rack-mounting position backward by about 40mm from the transverse chassis member to align the rack with the hubs.

Wish me luck!

Greg
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Old 22nd August 2014, 15:52
GJGB GJGB is offline
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I've attached a drawing of what I'm proposing... if I can upload it!

Cheers
Greg
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File Type: jpg Rack_Bracket2.jpg (75.2 KB, 6 views)
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  #4  
Old 22nd August 2014, 17:40
EddyP EddyP is offline
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HI Greg,

I did this mod on my car and didn't have anything like the issues you're having.
I think I've got some pictures of when I did it, will have a look and get back to you.

A tip with nylocs though, cut a slither off the face of the nut, then you can thin it down to show the threads you need.
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Old 22nd August 2014, 17:43
EddyP EddyP is offline
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Greg - Found a pic that shows it a bit, send me your email and I'll fire it over to you.
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  #6  
Old 4th June 2015, 13:29
Flip Flip is offline
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It may be a bit amateurish but I just took an oversized nut and cut it diagonally to make two angled washers which I put either side of the bracket. Had to use a longer bolt.
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