quick ratio steering rack

[Fecomatter]

Just so you guys know I just trimmed the ends of the rio tie rods and the rods on the rack and got it short enough to have tow out. It's fine

[sketchman]

^Good to know. Will be doing this. Thanks.

[robotrob]

ive got an australian 1998 ford festiva parts car with power steering, i was umming and ahhing about pulling the power steering kit but decided i didnt really need power steering on my 121, but ill have to go out and count the turns on the rack now.. how many turns lock to lock do your USDM Ford Aspires with power steering run?

[Advancedynamix]

That late model power rack is a much quicker ratio than the non power rack. You dont have to run the power to it.

[robotrob]

yea before the thought of power and manual steering being different ratios crossed my mind I spent all of 2 seconds deciding not to convert mine to P/S lol

running the p/s rack with no power to it do you still loose a lot of road feel/feedback through the wheel?

[sketchman]

I would think if anything a quicker rack would give you more feedback, but I know I've run "quick" ratio power racks without assist before, and they felt fine. I've depowered every power rack I've ever had. lol

[mikemounlio]

I love my power rack thats not hooked up. It feels great! They look almost the same. Im sure they are built very close to the same as well. I like the power rack over the stock rack any day!

[Advancedynamix]

I like them too. Feedback is better in my opinion. The Festiva manual rack feels numb and slow. That's one of the big things I notice about jumping in a Festiva (with a manual rack) after I've been driving sports cars. The quicker rack is a must have.

[ottoparts]

Amazon was offering power racks for a 97 Aspire for $144 bucks.

[robotrob]

ill head to the parts store and grab some new boots for my p/steer rack and fit it by this weekend.. i was reading/researching on a miata forum that some guy was whinging about free play in the valve assembly when theres no ATF pressure, but i also noticed the miata rack is a different design to ours.. has anyone noticed about 1" of free play at the wheel with the depowered p/steer

[skeeters_keeper]

Finally got my hands on a rio rack over the weekend. Here's the updated measurements list.

................Ratio (in/rev) Throw
Festiva (manual) 1.310” 4.34”

Festiva (power) 1.645” 4.34”

Aspire (manual) 1.310” 4.83”

03 Kia Rio (power) 1.555” 5.28”



Looks like our quickest option is the Festiva power. The rio rack holds the inner rod ends in by "staking" the rack at the end of the threads, instead of a roll pin like the Festiva/Aspire. I don't particularly like that... anyone know if there is a trick to removing the rio ends? One of mine came out, the other is about half way out and the threads are galling so bad it feels like I'm going to break the rod end.

Also you'll loose about .4-.5" of throw if you use festiva ITRs on the rio rack because the rio ITRs have a small section that slips inside the rack bushing and the festiva ITRs will not. I think most people (with wider than stock tires) would rub at full lock with a rio rack.

[Dragonhealer]

ill head to the parts store and grab some new boots for my p/steer rack and fit it by this weekend.. i was reading/researching on a miata forum that some guy was whinging about free play in the valve assembly when theres no ATF pressure, but i also noticed the miata rack is a different design to ours.. has anyone noticed about 1" of free play at the wheel with the depowered p/steer

The Spec Miata guys run depowered racks all the time, no free play unless the adjustment is wrong or the rack is hosed....

[Dragonhealer]

Finally got my hands on a rio rack over the weekend. Here's the updated measurements list.

................Ratio (in/rev) Throw
Festiva (manual) 1.310” 4.34”

Festiva (power) 1.645” 4.34”

Aspire (manual) 1.310” 4.83”

03 Kia Rio (power) 1.555” 5.28”



Looks like our quickest option is the Festiva power. The rio rack holds the inner rod ends in by "staking" the rack at the end of the threads, instead of a roll pin like the Festiva/Aspire. I don't particularly like that... anyone know if there is a trick to removing the rio ends? One of mine came out, the other is about half way out and the threads are galling so bad it feels like I'm going to break the rod end.

Also you'll loose about .4-.5" of throw if you use festiva ITRs on the rio rack because the rio ITRs have a small section that slips inside the rack bushing and the festiva ITRs will not. I think most people (with wider than stock tires) would rub at full lock with a rio rack.

Great work!
I remember the Rio side rods were tough, but don't remember exactly what I did, I'll look at one tomorrow to see if I can remember.
Don't worry about the reduced throw, the Rio rack will pull the steering arm of both the Festiva and Aspire knuckle to a straight line with the side rod.

[robotrob]

The Spec Miata guys run depowered racks all the time, no free play unless the adjustment is wrong or the rack is hosed....

youre right i remembered incorrectly, i must have sstumbled onto a honda forum when i was buying my shortshifter... dont want to de-rail this thread too much but here is the thread i was reading: http://www.d-series.org/forums/diy-f...teezz-way.html

and like i said, its a different construction to ours and ive been living under a rock and never actually knew you could depower them in the first place

[Sid_RallyX_82]

................Ratio (in/rev) Throw
Festiva (manual) 1.310” 4.34”

Festiva (power) 1.645” 4.34”

Aspire (manual) 1.310” 4.83”

03 Kia Rio (power) 1.555” 5.28"

I don't think I understand these numbers...
Is "throw" the distance the rack slides from one lock to the other?