litterbox

Alright guys lets get a thread going with information for those who strive for tighter steering.

Here's what I've done to make my steering tighter:

Replaced Worn Tie Rod Ends (routine maintenance. If your balljoints are shot, you'll have tons of play in your steering wheel, not to mention a host of other problems.)

Small Diameter Steering Wheel(I went from stock to a 350mm and it helped alot.)

Polyurethane Bushings(ES bushings really made a dramatic change in steering response. It made the car respond very quickly to any effort put into the steering wheel.)

I'm searching for other ways to make my steering tighter. Assume the car has a fully setup suspension already in place (full coilovers, sway bars, tie bar, traction bar)

Is there a benefit if you replace your steering rack or column with an itr one?

Are there any companies who make products to help promote tighter steering?

Post up some ideas


Modified by litterbox at 7:52 PM 5/24/2005

Chiovnidca

Urethane suspension bushings?

litterbox

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chiovnidca &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Urethane suspension bushings?</TD></TR></TABLE>Oops, forgot to add that, I've got them on my car as well.

Chiovnidca

Heavier springs and shocks?

litterbox

Assume a car with major suspension components done already. Full coilovers, sway bars and bushings.

Archidictus

If you can find a steering box with a smaller ratio, that will make steering much more responsive, but it will increase effort on your end. Just consider the equation for torque and force input http://www.akotorque.com/usefull.htm:

L x F = T

Length of the lever arm can be applied to the radius of a circle as well. When making your steering wheel smaller (and keeping all other componenets of the suspension the same), you're reducing the Length of the lever arm and necessitating more Force input on your end (your physical turning of the wheel) to achieve the same net torque at the steering box. This seems self-defeating, but because the effective radius is smaller, you turn the steering wheel farther with the same torque and, thus, the car turns more responsively.

Move down the steering shaft to the gear that dictates the ratio of your input to the car's output and you can apply the same formula. I'm not sure if our cars accept different steering boxes - or if they're available for that matter - but that would tighten your steering considerably.

Also, pressurizing a wet-rack to some incredible internal pressure will make it hyper sensitive but far more likely to fail . That one there is kind of a long shot as far as applicability to daily driven cars, but if you could do it (or increase internal pressure with an external or integrated valve....hmmmmmm) it would have a great effect.

polishrifle

You are off to a good start with the steering wheel and ball joints, I recommend getting a GSR steering rack next. Go to http://www.importnut.net for some great info and a how to on this swap. I am not sure if the ITR one will work but my guess is that it will be really expensive and really hard to find. The GSR rack has a better ratio than our stock EG one, and I plan on doing this swap to in about a year.

litterbox

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by polishrifle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You are off to a good start with the steering wheel and ball joints, I recommend getting a GSR steering rack next. Go to http://www.importnut.net for some great info and a how to on this swap. I am not sure if the ITR one will work but my guess is that it will be really expensive and really hard to find. The GSR rack has a better ratio than our stock EG one, and I plan on doing this swap to in about a year.</TD></TR></TABLE>Do you know how many turns it'll take to get lock to lock with the GSR rack? You don't need to add PS if you get that box?

Archidictus

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by litterbox &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you know how many turns it'll take to get lock to lock with the GSR rack? You don't need to add PS if you get that box?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I have an RSX-S steering rack if anyone feels experimental .

litterbox

I have a complete JDM ITR steering rack sitting in my garage. Only thing is, it's a '96 and that car had the 4x114.3 bolt pattern which I don't think makes a difference, but I'm not sure. Do you think that swap would work?

808_si

good informative post. thanks guys. I heard a rumor that quaife was making a steering rack, but internet rumors are "reliable"

litterbox

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 808_si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">good informative post. thanks guys. I heard a rumor that quaife was making a steering rack, but internet rumors are "reliable"</TD></TR></TABLE>I heard that too!!! Anyone have info on that. Well ****, it's gonna be hella expensive anyway.

I'm gonna be a pioneer and try my jdm itr steering rack. Maybe.

mike1114

iTrader: (1)

Cusco makes a replacement rack + pinion for honda/acura's, not too price and considerably tightens the steering.

I've also seen someone with an RX-7 machine an extra tooth or two on the steering rack so it could turn more. Don't know if honda could do it.

WildPig

I've been looking for tighter steering on my ek too, it was really weird going from a vw corrado to a civic for me (even though I've had one in the past).

The steering feel of vw's is excellent and also has the steering "snap-back" as I call it, and yet civics power steering seems really "disconnected" from the car and I'm not a big fan. In fact, it's the only thing that I miss a lot about my corrado (other than torque ). I've driven a new GLI recently and it's the same way, smaller diameter steering wheel and that awesome steering snap-back.

Does anyone know what causes that or how I could convert my civic to steer like that? I'm thinking it's the gearbox but I'm not sure.

boostmywankle

is the gsr steering rack better than an eg's? i have a gsr steering rack!

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by polishrifle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You are off to a good start with the steering wheel and ball joints, I recommend getting a GSR steering rack next. Go to http://www.importnut.net for some great info and a how to on this swap. I am not sure if the ITR one will work but my guess is that it will be really expensive and really hard to find. The GSR rack has a better ratio than our stock EG one, and I plan on doing this swap to in about a year.</TD></TR></TABLE>

mike1114

iTrader: (1)

tegra steering rack is a better ratio than civic.

I'm still looking for the site I found the Cusco rack & pinion. Anyone know what site I'm talking about?

boostmywankle

so id i upgraded to the teg's rack, would it make a noticeable diff?

polishrifle

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mike1114 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Cusco makes a replacement rack + pinion for honda/acura's, not too price and considerably tightens the steering.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If this is the one I am thinking of it is for manual racks only, not power steering, but I could be wrong. And I really recommend http://www.importnut.net, the guy who did all of this is a friend of a friend, and he really knows his stuff.

Revolver

I don't think this is the type of thing you're looking for, but stretching your tires a little helps response.

mike1114

iTrader: (1)

yea its only for manual racks, I forgot to mention that.

IF you are really hardcore about it, you can swap out to a manual rack.

I can't believe it, I searched every singe page of the archive that contained stuff about Cusco and not one thread about this rack & pinion upgrade, very strange.

You'd think the auto-xer's would be all over this like a sailor on a $5 dollar *****.

noworldorder

http://www.inlinefour.com./quaifquicrac.html
I was searching their site yesterday and remembered seeing this while I was reading your post.

mike1114

iTrader: (1)

noworldorder U da man!!!

I was kicking the **** out of myself trying to remember what site I saw that on.

neutron91

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by noworldorder &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">http://www.inlinefour.com./quaifquicrac.html
I was searching their site yesterday and remembered seeing this while I was reading your post.</TD></TR></TABLE>

damn beat me to it... i think it was like $260 or so and you have to put it in your existing rack assembly... its not the complete steering rack

litterbox

Does anyone know how many turns it takes lock to lock on a:
EG (I'm inside now, so I can't go see + mine's modified)
GSR
ITR
JDM ITR

?

So in theory lets say the civic ratio was 4 turns lock to lock and the gsr was 3 turns lock to lock, if you installed a gsr steering rack on your civic would you now have 3 turns lock to lock, or would the civic steering column impede the performance gain at all?

litterbox

Also, can anyone confirm that the ITR and JDM ITR steering racks bolt up to civics?