TA22 + rack and pinion

[Sam_Q]

because for the effort alone of getting any crossmember and chopping the clamping mechanism off for the rack I could of converted a whole ae crossmember to bolt in. It's time consuming but no where as near as hard as it sounds. Also I would need to work out and then make an elaborate jig to hold the rack mounts in the right spot every time to guarantee the right suspension geometry. This would be quite hard to measure up.

[pryorshazam]

im not having ago at your conversion technique. i was just saying this is how i approched it and achieved the disired result.
my only concern about using another crossmember is how do you know that the mounts for the lca is in the same position inline with the struts (backwards or forwards)?

[Major Clod]

im not having ago at your conversion technique. i was just saying this is how i approched it and achieved the disired result.
my only concern about using another crossmember is how do you know that the mounts for the lca is in the same position inline with the struts (backwards or forwards)?

Just need to measure where the LCA mounts sit in relation to the holes on the stock crossmember, then when you go to fab/drill new holes in your KE70 crossmember make sure they are the same position in relation to the KE70 LCA mounts. A jig would probably be a good way to go.

[Sam_Q]

im not having ago at your conversion technique. i was just saying this is how i approched it and achieved the disired result.
my only concern about using another crossmember is how do you know that the mounts for the lca is in the same position inline with the struts (backwards or forwards)?

yeah I didn't come across the way I wanted. Thanks for the suggestion as I always welcome input. Now good point about the lca mounting points being in line. My jig took tare of that and I dare say it would be within 0.5mm of being right.

Major Clod: yes I thought of that after I posted it. Nevertheless it would still take a fair bit of time in the fabrication and the construction of the jig

[TA22 GT]

Well, looks like this thread now has some life in it. Looking forward to seeing some pics.

Failing that I'll be heading down the wreckers and trying to figure something out myself. Sounds like there are more than one ways to do this...

Does the AE71 crossmember bolt straight into the TA22? Chassis mounts that is? How much further out are the LCA points?

Cheers,
Simon

[old_school_jap1]

Have a proper read through this thread all the deatils are in there. You need to cut the AE71 crossmember in the middle and re-weld (making it skinnier)

[Sam_Q]

TA22 GT: the crossmember needs to be shortened and new mounts fabricated and welded on. There are a few ways to do this but I will give you a huge tip. All of them involve using a rack and having some lower control pivot points that are matched to the donor vehicle. So if you get a rack off something you have to make the lower control arm holes the same distance apart. Hence why I just used the whole crossmember.

Another thing is that I found the cross-member part to be somewhat straight-foward the challenging part was for me was the steering column.

What I am aiming to do is buy all the parts I need from wreckers, mod them, source the steering column from the recipient and then mail it all back to them in a box. I do believe that I am allowed to send something that big with australia post. Nothing quite like a bolt on conversion

[Sam_Q]

Have a proper read through this thread all the deatils are in there. You need to cut the AE71 crossmember in the middle and re-weld (making it skinnier)

actually no you can't do that without messing things up, that will cause bump steer amongst other things. It's the lower control arms that need to be shorter.

[old_school_jap1]

Did you do the column like stidnam? Putting the TA22 and AE71 column together?

[TA22 GT]

actually no you can't do that without messing things up, that will cause bump steer amongst other things. It's the lower control arms that need to be shorter.

Yep, thats what I was trying to understand. If you cut the member in the middle and reweld then the LCA points will be different and the rack will be a different length?

Anyway, I think I need to read this thread in more detail as a few things don't quite make sense to me atm.,

Cheers,
Simon

[Major Clod]

I'm pretty sure there are some details in this thread about shortening the actual rack to match the shortening of the crossmember. I'm too lazy to go look for the details, but from memory it didn't look like it was too complicated.

[Sam_Q]

Did you do the column like stidnam? Putting the TA22 and AE71 column together?

yes thats right



Simon yes if it's cut your rack will be mismatched to your crossmember. If your confused about something ask here I will try and answer.

Major Clod: Interesting point, I can't see how would be easily possible but I did plan on taking a rack apart regardless so I can assess that option. Apparently theres some nylon bush thats inside a rack that can't be bought that I was thinking of making on a mass scale.

[old_school_jap1]

The steering column mod didn't seem too hard. What are you using to hold the 2 pieces of the column together? Again have a read through this thread properly, stidnam had the rack apart and was modding it

[Sam_Q]

well theres the trick, lets just say it's welded and looks stock. I will have another look at this whole thread and I am sure I will see it with new eyes now that I have done most of the conversion.

[TA22 GT]

Can you confirm how much further out the LCAs sit on the AE71 compared to the TA22?