De-Powering the power steering rack

[need RX7]

How did you line up the quill to weld it? Did you just eyeball it, or is there some kind of precise measurements you need to do?

[TitaniumTT]

I welded it while at it's resting position. There was ALOT of tension keeping it in one place and required a decent amout of torque (although I had 0 leverage) to get it to move one direction or the other. I just welded it where it layed.

[SleepeR1st]

I've done this modification also. I recommend it to anyone who attempts to remove the power steering.

The hardest part for me was finding someone in my area who can weld aluminum. Otherwise everything was very simple and literally you take it apart in said order, then put it back in said order. Simple

[Black91n/a]

I've got a welded 15.2:1 rack and I love it. I daily drive it on 17x8, 30mm offset wheels and 225/45/17 high performance tires and I recently did 2 days at the track with 15x9, 20mm offset wheels and 225/50/15 race tires and it was fine as well. I don't mind it at all and I quite like the feel and speed of it, but I'm also a 6'3" tall Rugby forward, so a little effort doesn't bother me.

[TitaniumTT]

I always pictured you as a little guy

So after the first auto-x on the rack, yeah it kicks ass. It was a REALLY tight course and not once did it hinder. In fact, I think the power-steering would've gotten ahead of itself with some of he slalom to tight radius turns so I couldn't be happier with it. Very rec'd mod for anyone with some upper body strength.

[fire85gslse]

Nice!

So who's going to start doing this work and charging? And where do we sign up?

[TitaniumTT]

I'll offer the de-power. No list to sign up for, if you're interested just PM me and we'll work something out.

-Brian

[LuckySeven fc3s]

pm sent

[WE3RX7]

Now that I've completed this myself, I thought it worthwhile to add some additional input and offer up some details.


First off. It is pretty straight forward. If you've got access to a MIG welder, even better.

Following Brian's write-up you should have no trouble at all completing this task. Here are some things I've done different (slightly) for those (like me) who don't have ALL the tools required (TIG for example).

The biggest difference in how Brian did it versus mine was not the modification of the rack itself (I removed all the same bushings and removed the metal spring from the o-ring as well) but it comes when dealing with the quill housing.

I didn't have a TIG or access to one even. The threads are M12x1.25 and M14x1.25. The depth is up to you really, but you will need to order/find set screws this size to plus those holes. I added some teflon tape just to be sure. Its not a pressured system any longer, this is more to keep dust/debri out.

Also, during my rebuild, I had a torn dust cover for the rack. For those who have been faced with this as well, or just want to replace them here are the parts #

Beck Arnley (makes most of Mazda Genuine Parts):
Drivers Side: 103-2689
Passenger Side: 103-2691

They are two different sizes as noted in the image below. The smaller of the two goes on the passenger side. The larger on the drivers side.





Other than that - Brian's write up is spot on. Just wanted to add what little bit I could.

[sen2two]

damn, what happened to the pics on the first page?

[TitaniumTT]

I linked them from TeamFC3S.org and that place has apparently been down for months. I've gotten PM's from a few people asking me to fix the pics from a few threads. I don't have the pics on this computer. They should be on an older machine that I gave to my mother a few years ago, just need to get there and try to find them.

[infernosg]

I was able to get some of the pictures to show up by plugging the URL of the first page into Way back web. Maybe 2/3 of the pictures are showing up for me but that's better than nothing for visual learners like me.

EDIT: So I understand how to keep the tie rods in the correct location for reinstall (measure, mark, whatever to keep toe settings) but what about actually "centering" the rack (steering wheel is straight = wheels straight)?

[Tanj!]

Originally Posted by infernosg

So I understand how to keep the tie rods in the correct location for reinstall (measure, mark, whatever to keep toe settings) but what about actually "centering" the rack (steering wheel is straight = wheels straight)?

Typically one would mark the top of the quill and where it mates to the drive shaft linkage before disassembly to get it all hooked back up basically in the right place. But since we are actually taking apart the rack that doesn't work. You could measure the amount of rack that juts out on each end when quill mark is face up and just reproduce those measurements and mark that as your new up.

Since i'm replacing inner and outer tie rods and updating to a power rack from a manual one and lowering the car I plan on just measuring revolutions from lock to lock and setting it halfway when doing the install and just matching the amount of thread showing for the tie rods between the two sides. I can eyeball it a bit but I already know I'm going to have to go get an alignment done afterwards so I'm not to worried.

[FC3S.USD]

Re-Posting with Pictures TitaniumTTs posts.

This is a great write up and thanks for sharing.

[FC3S.USD]

I put this write-up on TeamFC3S.Org but since that site has seemed to have died, and there are alot of people here that I didn't know there, I decided to take the time and bring it over here for all to enjoy.

Bill can hopefully chime in on the feel of the steering, seeing as how he was in my car and playing with the steering wheel at DGRR.

So, here we go. (I'm linking the pics so if they don't show up someone please let me know as I still have the originals saved)

There have been NUMEROUS debates about the "right" way to go about this. I have heard people say things from, "Meh, just loop the lines and you'll be fine," to "All you have to do is remove the belt" and I've even heard that it cannot be done I see a few problems with all of the above statements. The seals that make the rack a power rack are still intact and there is going to be a bit a fluid left in the rack that you'll constanly be pushing around. There is no way to avoid this unless you take the time to pull the rack apart, remove all the fluid, and even the seals. See the pic below.





That seal on that shaft is one of the enemies. You can also see on the rack above the two different lines entering the rack. When you turn the wheel you are opening valves that allow fluid under pressure to be pumped into one of the two chambers that this particular seal makes. By leaving that seal intact you are needlessly pumping air and fluid around the rack. This effects the response and overall feel of the rack. If that seal is left in place and you cap the lines, you will constantly be fighting pressure and vaccuum when turning the wheel. You cannot escape physics.

Now, mind you the "feel" is all subjective and alot of people will say looping the lines feels fine but I think the only real way to de-power a power steering rack is to remove everything that makes it power to begin with. Novel idea I know but alot of people don't have the time or the patience or the inclining or the tools to do such a thing and becuase of those reasons I think alot of n00blet type mis-information gets spread around.... So lets get started.

Start with a Powersteering rack. They are identified by the lines... that I already took off damnit. This one happens to be a 15:1 from a parts car that was hit in the passenger front. Subsequently the inner tie rods where both spent.




I may be old but I'm pretty hard-core and luckily I have a friend with a true Manual if I hate this one. Actually I do primarily auto-xing and want to get into some road racing so the tighter the better.