Another transit power steering

[shaginwagin]

Hi All, have been walking around this for months, checking on here looking at the various ways other have made up there power steering brackets.  Ok this is now going to be easy.  Main plate to secure rack to front end  relatively easy  made up of 12mm x 100mm x 670mm,  also made up  a 12m thick spacers as well. Then the angled brackets to secure rack to plate. Ok there seems to be a difference not matching up like it should.  Ford in there wisdom made some slight differences to the transit rack between 1997-8 and 2003.  I bought the later model 2003.  Mounting bolt holes seem closer and  where the steering column hooks onto rack is much shorter and is at a different angle
Steering column shaft on later model is much shorter and not as acute angle.  But this is not a problem everything has a solution.   Using the 45 deg. angle iron others used steering column  didn't line up ? Also I have used the VS steering column, not the beddie one, I don't think that has had any influence in the angles.  Back to the drawing board.  Angle brackets are now 30 deg instead, after a few minor adjustments and it all lines up and turns.   I have the mounting plate and spacers cut out and waiting for me to make up the angle brackets, hopefully will  be later this week. 

Mounting plate all measurements are from the centre out. Length of plate can be longer if you want but can't be much longer.


This should show measurements better.


Hope these last 2 are of some help.  This is for front end with 2 tow hooks on it, if yours only have single hook obviously only 1 cut out.

[shaginwagin]

just adding more pics.

!st pic.   2003 transit and beddie

2nd pic  1997 transit and beddie from Bedfordcrazy

proto type in place.

[BusyKiwi]

I think your rules are different over there but over here the steering must be within original specs; ie bump steer limits.
I helped the engineer set up his kit he sells (jappa rack with cf tie rods), the way to measure the bump steer on a new rack is to jack up the van, remove the wheels and springs/shocks (if not a new refit), bolt some angle iron or similar to the wheel hubs (at least 2m each).
Jack up the bottom arm and measure the full arc of the angle iron, make measurements throughout the arc (or clamp a marker to end and let it draw on cardboard).
Work out your ride height and the arc (actually more an s ) should be about middle and the in and out above /below the ride height should be silimar - within 5mm
To adjust this arc you need to put the steering rack knuckle (where tie rods join) closer or further away from the hub. The height of the rack and back / forward placement also effect the bump steer. 5mm here will only make a tiny adjustment, you may need 50mm here to make 5mm on the arc.
Ideally the knuckle should be as close as original position as possible.

Your rules could be totally different and this wont be of any help - sorry but in NZ this is how we have to do it

[shaginwagin]

Thanks BusyKiwi.   Will have another look at the proto type and see how it lines up with this bump steer thing.   Have been looking on google about bump steer so it will be worth a bit more investigation.  Better to make sure its right before i make the real one and find out its not going to work properly..

[BusyKiwi]

Just check with your engineer if they worry about the bump steer.
Any rack will work, just a lot are limited as far as the original specs go

[Marishka]

Cant you just weld some bump stops in
So the travel is limited?
Its not like you will reach full lock going foward at any speed
Other than at crawling speed.

[BusyKiwi]

Bump steer can happen at any speed, bump steer is basically the difference per angle when suspension is max up and max down