Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[chrisgixer]

Had a look a a HSV Commodore at a local car show, any reason why a Commodore rack can be used?

Andy

None at all I suspect. But the problem I'm having though, is getting the engine in the right place to allow the use of any rack, much less a commadore one.
 I think its the height of the transmission tunnel on the omega that's causing the problem. The tremac t56 manual is a huge lump on the commadore, compared to any of the omega gear boxes anyway, bigger than 4l60e auto I'm using, so getting the engine high enough and level is the issue, as the omega tunnel doesn't need to be as high.

 I can probably get the lump high enough, but due to the height of the transmission tunnel the engine and box would be leaning back at a silly angle.

....I should probably check where the drive shaft lines up with the dif, but I don't have the desired dif in place yet. ...or am I using an omega dif for now? It's been so long since discussing that I can't remember.

[aaronjb]

Remember you don't want 0º angles on the prop UJs, so don't stick it all in perfectly level and in line (unless you don't want the prop to last very long, anyway)

(You want complimentary angles of between 1º & 3º at each end)

[Kevin Wood]

Yep, and no real reason why the engine must be dead level either.

[Marks DTM Calib]

That conversion lump uses a rack that is not that dissimilar to an Astra F:

[chrisgixer]

Do those two centre bolts signify the inner track rod mounting points Mark? If so that won't work as the crank will be in the way of those inner tr ball joints.

Those sort of mount points seem common on trucks from what I've seen...?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Yes they do but, by then extending off these with bars which pass through a nylon bush on the outer arms of the subframe, you can then use cranked track rods to get back to the height of the current solution.

[chrisgixer]

Yes they do but, by then extending off these with bars which pass through a nylon bush on the outer arms of the subframe, you can then use cranked track rods to get back to the height of the current solution.

Ooh, I see. I like that idea. Will remember that for the inevitable Mk 2 3 4 5 etc

[chrisgixer]

More fiddlin' around with this today. Got the rack and travel bar loosely in position on stands. Lined up a track rod, held the tr in position ,as the holes aren't drilled yet, and levered the wishbone up and down fully. Perfect. (assuming zero bump steer is desired of course, it might have zero feel? )

The lower rack height also gives more room from the starter motor and clearance for the pas fluid tappings.


Checked the angle of the racks pinion shaft, could go one of two ways. A 90 degree junction box with the pinion pointing forward, or two uj's with the rack leaning back.

However, I noticed the racks full travel pulls the inner ball joint into the pinion body. Ffs. But looking at my car the lock to lock travel laterally, it looks to be about 60mm either side of centre to full lock. Much less than the full travel of the rack however it needed about 5mm more on left lock due to the bulk of material around the pas fluid tapping on the pinion body.

To get that clearance un bolted the pinion body, turned it through 180 degrees and bolted it back up. Does this make any odds re the internals?

[05omegav6]

Might stress it differently under any given load struggling to visualise which bit you mean though

[Phil]

Had a look a a HSV Commodore at a local car show, any reason why a Commodore rack can be used?

Andy

None at all I suspect.
....

The reason a V8 fits over the steering bits in a Commodore and more than likely not an Omega is the floor pan/ chassis or whatever you want to describe it as, is longer and wider in the Holden, this is why side skirts and bumpers are not a direct swap over fit

[05omegav6]

The obvious option would be to use a Holden subframe/front suspension/steering gear... but they have almost nothing in common due to chassis differences, hence the requirement to compromise/adapt the Omega subframe

[Kevin Wood]

The obvious option would be to use a Holden subframe/front suspension/steering gear... but they have almost nothing in common due to chassis differences, hence the requirement to compromise/adapt the Omega subframe

.. or take a plasma cutter to the transmission tunnel.

[05omegav6]

The obvious option would be to use a Holden subframe/front suspension/steering gear... but they have almost nothing in common due to chassis differences, hence the requirement to compromise/adapt the Omega subframe

.. or take a plasma cutter to the transmission tunnel.

Can't possibly do that...

[Nick W]

The obvious option would be to use a Holden subframe/front suspension/steering gear... but they have almost nothing in common due to chassis differences, hence the requirement to compromise/adapt the Omega subframe

.. or take a plasma cutter to the transmission tunnel.

Can't possibly do that...

Legally that would require putting the car in for an IVA test, as you've modified the monocoque. In practice, some careful shaping welding and grinding would ensure that nobody is any the wiser. Not that I'd recommend that, of course

[VXL V6]

Just keep it simple