Is shortening the steering arm a good idea for more steering angle and is it really as simple as shortening it or do you need longer tie rods?

like this

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/109/019cv.jpg/

saw on the sr20 360 thread them guys did it but they had a mental steering rack.

I don't know if that will work at all - on a standard rack you'd have to adjust the tracking for both wheels to be straight anyway which means the rack would be in the same position - you don't gain more rack just by making the rod ends have to extend further.

What you want is a non-standard rack with more "length" installed. When this happens you might have to move the arm pictured as these guys have. New racks are fairly easy to make fit due to most racks being mostly the same size.

The point being made is that by shortening the steering arm you change the leverage ratio of the arm around the strut.

Think of the track rod end taper as describing the circumference of a circle around the strut. For a given extension of the track rod (steering rack) the strut will rotate a given number of degrees - reduce the length of the steering arm and you reduce the size of the circle described and hence increase the degree of rotation for the same rack movement.

In principal you achieve a greater turning circle and potentially a "quicker"rack but without "doing the numbers" I can't say what other effect you might have - obviously possible wheel/inner arch fouling but I'm thinking more of the effect on Ackerman, steering weight (which will increase in proportion to the arm shortening)' and self straightening.

As designed the steering will be a compromise - change one element and you suffer elsewhere.

And no, lengthening the track rods will achieve nothing since the "parallel point(straight ahead) length will be the same so longer rods would be "deadjusted" to suit. What would be needed is a rack with longer operating travel, as Speedy has said.

Mac.

And, as well as a longer operating travel, having the ball joints in the same (or calculated different if you know what you are doing and why) place.

Most racks have the ball joints in a completely different place, which when added to a different sized rack (and because the column comes off the end of the rack, not the centre) means the ball joints are relatively different one the left side compared to the right giving a-symmetric bump steer.

Oooh, totally didn't understand. I blame the morning!

it is a good trick but wouldn't recommend it on standard V300 struts, welding cast-iron is allways very tricky, and this is a suspension part that does get quite large forces to endure when you're drifting. plus, if it fails; the car becomes totally uncontrollable.

What do you about tracking when you shortern the steering arms? when shortening them dose it point the front wheels in?


Whats the other options for extra lock on a 300?


Cheers

Main question to ask yourself is do you need the extra lock yet? I'm doing fine with mine!

As for other options, rack spacers would be good, but you'll need to fab them up.

jon if you need extra lock speak to nev, he has some goodies

jon how much did you pay for your shocks off gaz?

Mr firmager has been running shortened steering arms with no problems from what I understand if the Volvo lock is good, more must be better! Haha

Thomas.......

No I'm fine with lock atm. The other guys want it. I paid 400 approx without top mounts. Those were off ebay for 60 quid.

Have you rung Gaz up? Another lad tried and he got told to go through Nev. I went direct through Gaz. I asked about the machining of the top spring cups too for the steering bearing, and the chap said you didn't need to. So I didn't bother.

I personaly dont need extra lock but suppose it depends on the level your at, if you start getting daft angles and more speed then you might start needing extra lock, i dont plan on getting extra lock but you can never have to much lock