-
Hi Guest!
If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
There are some perks with a member upgrade!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Rack & Pinion Conversion Healey 3000 1964
- Thread starter R&M
- Start date
Share this page
Offline
Michael Salter (Precision Sports Car in Canada) did this conversion from an MG B. An image is attached. More info is available at Larry Varley's website https://www.acmefluid.com.au/larry/ahx12-1.html
Michael did at least think about making a conversion kit available, but I don't know if he did or not. You might want to check with him: msalter@precisionsportscar.com
Hope that helps.
Lin
1960 BT7 in restoration
1959 Bugeye
Michael did at least think about making a conversion kit available, but I don't know if he did or not. You might want to check with him: msalter@precisionsportscar.com
Hope that helps.
Lin
1960 BT7 in restoration
1959 Bugeye
Attachments
Offline
[ QUOTE ]
as my Triumph will out handle my Healey in a heart beat with the rack & pinion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
Not sure how you define "handling". Ability to go around corners quickly, steering responsiveness to small changes, braking ability, general perception of "feel", or what? All are part of handling. It's rather subjective & defined differently by different drivers.
If you are comparing the later model Healey to the Spitfire, the weight & size differences alone will make a huge difference in feel/handling of the two cars. The rack & pinion steering would likely make little difference in the Healey's feel, certainly minimal difference in overall handling.
The steering gear ratios, turns lock to lock, make a tremendous difference in responsiveness to small steering wheel inputs. The Spitfire likely has a faster steering ratio than the later Healeys. Early Healeys had a quicker steering ratio than the later models & combined with less weight, a different feel. Overall handling is not that much different.
Rack & pinion steering is often used on Healey V8 conversions since it has less bulk, takes up less engine compartment room, & the steering column can be easily U jointed to go around engine parts.
For all out, at the limit, driving R&P does give a little better feel, & can be more easily modified for optimum steering geometry in a competition car.
D
as my Triumph will out handle my Healey in a heart beat with the rack & pinion. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
Not sure how you define "handling". Ability to go around corners quickly, steering responsiveness to small changes, braking ability, general perception of "feel", or what? All are part of handling. It's rather subjective & defined differently by different drivers.
If you are comparing the later model Healey to the Spitfire, the weight & size differences alone will make a huge difference in feel/handling of the two cars. The rack & pinion steering would likely make little difference in the Healey's feel, certainly minimal difference in overall handling.
The steering gear ratios, turns lock to lock, make a tremendous difference in responsiveness to small steering wheel inputs. The Spitfire likely has a faster steering ratio than the later Healeys. Early Healeys had a quicker steering ratio than the later models & combined with less weight, a different feel. Overall handling is not that much different.
Rack & pinion steering is often used on Healey V8 conversions since it has less bulk, takes up less engine compartment room, & the steering column can be easily U jointed to go around engine parts.
For all out, at the limit, driving R&P does give a little better feel, & can be more easily modified for optimum steering geometry in a competition car.
D
Keoke
Great Pumpkin
Offline
Yes Patton, I think so.Also, there was a young Chap up in The State of Wasington that put a Wankel Engine and a R&P in a 100 including a BJ8 wooden dash. Can't remember his name at the moment and have not heard from him in years. Test runs indicated the car was very stable and faster than a speeding bullet-no red line on that engine you know--Keoke
Offline
I believe I read that R&P steering was considered for the original AH 100. The designers felt that the R&P units available at the time, although cheaper, would have marginal strength for the application & so went with the other arrangement.
D
D
Keoke
Great Pumpkin
Offline
Probably so Dave. However, you know DMH wanted a V8 engine so bad he could taste it but nobody would sell him one.I think perhaps the R & P thing may be in that same catagory.Contrastingly, Jensen obviously had no problem obtaining the Chrysler Hemi for their cars. Ford also sold V8 engines to other british car makers, so who knows what really went on back there other than a lot of people in the British Motoring enclave made a lot of bad decisions IMOP.--Keoke
R&M
Found this write up a while ago, might be of interest to you
https://members.cox.net/rdgrauman/Healey.html
Found this write up a while ago, might be of interest to you
https://members.cox.net/rdgrauman/Healey.html