Bringing Back the Dead.

[PeteC]

"is there a limit to the angles the u/v joints will work at?"

the following was taken from the IVA link posted on this site:-

"An offset between the steering column and the input shaft of the steering rack or box
In cases where an intermediate shaft is used, it will be connected to the steering column at one end and the steering rack or box at the other, by means of universal joints and/or flexible couplings. The greater the angle through which the joints run, the more effective they will be in preventing movement being transmitted up the steering column. While it is unlikely that joints of this type will work at angles above 30 degrees, they are unlikely to be effective if the angle between the steering column and the intermediate shaft (when viewed from the side or the top of the vehicle) is less than 10 degrees."

Hope this is of some help Pete C.

[rossco61]

Have i got this right?? I would need to mount the end of the first section (from s/wheel) and the beginning of the 3rd section (to rack) but the middle piece of column wouldnt need mounting??

Yes, you have got it right !! The mounting bearing is NOT a Rod End altho it looks a bit like one.
The part that the Rack end rod is held by, is a bearing like a "single ball with a hole thru it".
This allows the rod to take up any angle it needs (within reason, about 30degrees, plus/minus of square )
Will see if I can find further info & post, ASAP.

Cheers, Rossco

[Antnicuk]

many thanks guys. Any further info you have rosco would be helpful

[rossco61]

Hi Guys, Did a bit more research & I have to say I was a bit wrong in stating that the fitting I used "was not a Rod End"
I was thinking in terms of a Tie Rod End, which it certainly is not!
It is indeed a Rod End, the type that is known as a "Heim Joint" or a "Rose Joint"!!
Which I am sure you are quite familiar with.
Mine is a fairly large unit to be able to slide the lower steering rod thru it.
I took the Steering Box & the Str./wheel end shaft to the Wreckers, told them what I needed & he searched until he found suitable shafts.
As I remember, the lower steering rod, came out of a small Japanese Van. Splines matched up fine.
Then took that Rod to a Supplier in Adelaide & bought the required size Rose Joint, which cost me A$45
It is mounted to a piece of tough 1/8th Steel plate, that is in turn bolted via 2 off 1/4" Hi-tensile bolts to the Chassis.

OK ?? Regards, Rossco.

[Antnicuk]

made the manifold in stainless last weekend, also fab'd a new down pipe and centre silencer in 3 inch.

The steering column UJ will now be just outside the bulkhead above the foot tunnel and then its a straight run under the turbo straight to the rack so effectively the same number of sections as before with just the joint in a slightly different, but actually better place, than it used to be. It will have less of an angle but still sufficient to be an SVA Pass. I think the Paul changed the angle when he fitted the cosworth turbo as it was probably in the way.

Hopefully it will back together this weekend and then i will be booking it in at the dyno for a remap but that will be in a couple of weeks as I have my first Ring trip in 2 weeks but not in the stylus







[Edited on 30-4-09 by Antnicuk]

[stylussprinter]

So now when it's all bolted up together Tony , what crazy bhp are you expecting

[Antnicuk]

this turbo should be capable of running 330 at the wheels at 14 psi, but it has small a/r's for a rotary because i want it to spool as early as possible so hopefully 310 - 320 at the wheels which is about 370-380 at the fly, should be around 330 ftlbs still, maybe a little more but hopefully it will be a much longer power curve than before. If i get 300 bhp at the wheels i will be happy, anything over will be a bonus. (so far the car has always given me more than i expected, in all respects!)

My intercooler is quite small so may cap my power a little but that is easy to change if it does.

[stylussprinter]

Phew

[Antnicuk]

its all in and fitted, just got to move my tools out of the way, pull the car out of the garage, fill it with water and start it up. Hopefully the exhaust wont leak. Then i will have to get busy making some heat shields. Its booked in foor a remapping session on the 21st.

[Antnicuk]

got the car up and running and all seems good, well almost all. The new set up is working great and the power is immense, although i have only blipped it as it needs remapping for the new turbo.

Its still nice and responsive and not too laggy so it looks like i will be keeping my diff ratio as it is.

Took it out yesterday and after a bit of spirited driving the gearbox was making some serious grumbling noises, i noticed it was crunching a bit on the last track day, but it only cost me £30 quid so not too bad really.

My mate had a newly rebuilt gearbox sitting in his garage for sale so he brought it round last night and popped around this morning to help me fit it. The car deserves a nice new one and any second hand ones are almost 20 years old now. Took about 3 hours as I had some problems. When I fitted the engine I did it with the gearbox bolted to the engine and slid the whole lot in the whole from the front. I didnt want to take the engine out to do the gearbox so just detached the gearbox in situe but the gear box is so snug in the tunnel that it wouldnt drop out of the bottom of the tunnel as the 1 inch tube chassis rails at the base of the tunnel stopped it coming out! Got it sorted in the end, £150 well spent

Made the rest of the heat shields this afternoon and tidied up some other bits and pieces. Off to the Ring this weekend and then to the dyno next thursday.

[stylussprinter]

Not surprized the box has gone with your sort of power , diff' wont be far behind either ---- or did you tell me it was an Atlas Don't mean to be the voice of doom

[Antnicuk]

the gearboox should take a lot more abuse but i have no idea of the history behind it, it was an ebay bargain to get the car going.

My RX7 which weighed twice the stylus running 460 fly survived 2 years of drifting, trackdays and nurburgring trips with a bit of drag racing thown in and was showing no signs of any problems when i sold it. There are cars running 10 second 1/4's on the stock box with 500 bhp so they can take the abuse.

The axle is an Atlas LSD so will hopefully last, but again not sure of the history of it, but i will rebuild that as and when it dies.

[stylussprinter]

I have no knowledge of RX7 boxes but the ATLAS will take very high torque

[Antnicuk]

off to the Dyno tomorrow, wish me luck

[stylussprinter]

Whatever the figures turn out to be , I'm quite certain your Stylus has the most bhp of any Stylus we know of You really should compete with it , sprints are fairly cheap to enter and a National B Speed licence is £37 from memory . Your aquaintance with a Rotary engine in the FDMC , has now put it in a Westfield to sprint with Let's see which handles best