Post by enigmas on May 26, 2012 12:19:45 GMT
Neal has been progressing well with the Lexus V8 P5B and has just finished fitting a power steering rack. The rack is from a Celica and is fitted with Holden Commodore tie-rod ends. Interestingly the threads are both metric, being fine thread M16 with the rods ends being a perfect fit. The front clip has also been freshly painted in chassis black as it will now stay in place.
Before getting too excited guys, this rack will not adapt to a factory P5 front end as the rack is rear mounted and the steering arms face rearward not forward as do the original items. Remember this is a Jaguar front suspension!
Neal fabricated the mounts to the front cross-member on a bench and was able to virtually eliminate any bump steer that could be encountered due to poor Ackerman geometry. This can be an issue if the technical aspects and interrelationships of suspension movement and steering arm angles are not properly understood.
If you look carefully there is a threaded bolt near where the steering coupling would attach. This adjustment allows Neal to ‘tweak’ the angle of the rack and so both clear ‘objects’ in the way and optimize the steering column angle.
As the Lexus engine has the oil pick-up at the front…the rear portion of the sump is flat, it easily clears the steering rack.
Neal had a new rear tail-shaft section fabricated and fitted with a new sliding yoke, as the original joint’s case-hardening had deteriorated. If you look carefully, note that it is also fabricated with tubing of larger diameter.
During my visit Neal showed me another piece of his handiwork being a remote controlled buggy (1130mm x 600mm) fitted with a 49cc 2 stroke engine and tuned length exhaust which he also fabricated. You could fit a small baby in this chassis, but I imagine it would probably upset someone.
Before getting too excited guys, this rack will not adapt to a factory P5 front end as the rack is rear mounted and the steering arms face rearward not forward as do the original items. Remember this is a Jaguar front suspension!
Neal fabricated the mounts to the front cross-member on a bench and was able to virtually eliminate any bump steer that could be encountered due to poor Ackerman geometry. This can be an issue if the technical aspects and interrelationships of suspension movement and steering arm angles are not properly understood.
If you look carefully there is a threaded bolt near where the steering coupling would attach. This adjustment allows Neal to ‘tweak’ the angle of the rack and so both clear ‘objects’ in the way and optimize the steering column angle.
As the Lexus engine has the oil pick-up at the front…the rear portion of the sump is flat, it easily clears the steering rack.
Neal had a new rear tail-shaft section fabricated and fitted with a new sliding yoke, as the original joint’s case-hardening had deteriorated. If you look carefully, note that it is also fabricated with tubing of larger diameter.
During my visit Neal showed me another piece of his handiwork being a remote controlled buggy (1130mm x 600mm) fitted with a 49cc 2 stroke engine and tuned length exhaust which he also fabricated. You could fit a small baby in this chassis, but I imagine it would probably upset someone.
