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Rack and pinion for big Healey?

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L

Legal Bill

Jedi Knight
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Not that I'm about to do this, but I was just wondering if anyone has a good conversion kit or a good paper discussing converting a big Healey to rack and pinion steering. To me, it has always seemed to be a good idea, but I have only seen one reference to such a conversion.
 
Bill,

I am wrapping up a handfull of mods on my big Healey 100-8. Among the half dozen mods is a Rack & Pinion unit.

While I really didn't look for a "kit" to install, I did consult with 6-7 big Healey owners, including a British race car builder, who had installed R&P units. I also went to a local shop that builds chassis for circle track cars.

IF anyone is planning to install a R&P unit, "Ackerman Angle" and "Bump Steer" MUST be fully understood, lest you end up with an unmanagable beast.

Rack&Pinion1.jpg


Tim
 
Wholly smokes!!! Look at that thing. I'm not sure I would have guessed it was healey if you had just showed me a picture. Did you mount it directly to the cross member of the car?
 
Thanks Greg. that is just the sort of write up I'm looking for. By the way, I think I asked this elsewhere, but what is the intake set up in your signature line?
 
Bill,

Yes and No... Yes, the R & P IS bolted to the front crossmember, but No, not directly.

The shortened R&P is actually out in front of the crossmember and oriented such that the rack ball ends are precisely ON the centerline of the lower arm pivot bolts.

Rack&Pinion2.jpg


The orange cups hold the bottom of the 24" wide radiator.

MY problem in putting the R&P most other places is that I have a 24" wide radiator, with 2 - 12" electric fans on the back, slanted back at a 15 degree angle. Nearly any other R&P position interfered with the fans and motors.

Radiator1.jpg


Here is an older top view. The engine is a 300 HP Ford 302 with a 4 speed automatic overdrive transmission.

EngineSmall1.jpg


With my distributorless ignition, that red distributor will come out and the plug wires will be fed from the back. They will never show when dressed below the valve covers.


WHY you might ask ? Here is a pic from a few years ago when I was out killing some traffic cones. Now... THAT'S FUN !

19.JPG


Tim
 
Modern, or more correctly current, Morgans have R+P with the off take points in the middle of the rack so easing or removing the undoubted geometry problems.
 
AJAX50 said:
Modern, or more correctly current, Morgans have R+P with the off take points in the middle of the rack so easing or removing the undoubted geometry problems.
Click to expand...

That's true for the Morgan's sliding pillar geometry, with it's infinite virtual swing axle length, but would not be true for a wishbone setup like the Healey. It would pretty much guarantee bump steer.
 
Hello AJAX50,

The positioning of the pinion on the rack has no bearing on the geometry issues faced when installing a rack in a Healey.

It's all to do with where you place the r & p in relation to the lower wishbone inner pivot points as pointed out by Cottontop.

Get it wrong and you're quite literally "all over the place".

Get it right and you wouldn't believe you're driving a Healey.

Best regards,

bundyrum.
 
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