Pros and Cons of quick ratio steering rack

**suss_the_sitch** · 19-10-2010, 07:13 PM

The steering rack in my 1987 AW11 MR2 is worn out, and I can either replace it with OEM or a Quaife quick ratio steering rack. What are the pros and cons of using a quick ratio rack?

I only do spirited driving on the roads, it isn't a track car -- so it would need to be usable outside of a racetrack. Would the increased ratio would make thinks like parallel parking and other slow speed manoeuvres too difficult?

**oldcorollas** · 19-10-2010, 07:35 PM

it will increase the force required by the proportion of increased "quickness"
ie, from 4 turns to 2 turns lock to lock = twice as much force reuired.

bumps for the road will also require that increased force to resist them..

too much? depends on your castor etc, but the MR2 is not a big heavy car..

**ToyTA22** · 19-10-2010, 08:01 PM

Hi. I have used a 2.2 turns lock to lock quick rack in a prior rally car, which was also my daily driver and it was no harder to park than with standard rack.
Standard rack was 3.65 turns. It was amazing to other people who drove my car how easy it was to steer in normal driving, also had 13" instead of 14" steering wheel.
Depends a lot on wheel alignment as to how hard it is to steer.

Hope this helps.

**roadsailing** · 19-10-2010, 11:50 PM

The downside of a quaife rack is you will have more lock one way than the other, but maybe that's just the old AE86 racks.

i wouldn't worry too much about effort, my car has super shitty hard steering and it was much easier after i put a smaller steering wheel on as i didn't have to move my hands as far, or something. If the quick rack is much more expensive i wouldn't bother though.

**thechuckster** · 20-10-2010, 12:44 AM

There's also the cost of a quaife rack versus a rebuilt factory unit.

**86-Sh*tter** · 20-10-2010, 01:22 AM

bump steer may be more noticable

**roadsailing** · 20-10-2010, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by 86-Sh*tter

bump steer may be more noticable

as a result of just changing the rack ratio? don't think so.

**lexsmaz** · 20-10-2010, 10:30 AM

Whats the cost of the Quaife over the OEM price, if the Quaife is a fair bit dearer i dont personally see why would bother as you mentioned that you dont do any track work & as OC said the steering would definately be heavier ..

**Hiro** · 20-10-2010, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by 86-Sh*tter

bump steer may be more noticable

Bump steer is related to suspension geometry and wheel alignment, has nothing to do with the ratio of the steering rack. It may be more "noticable" only because the quick ratio means that any movement of the road wheel is amplified to the steering wheel, much in the same way that adjusting the gain on a microphone (analagous to the steering rack ratio) will make the recorded voice louder (the movement of the steering wheel) but the actual spoken voice stays the same (the movement of the road wheel). The physical effect that bump steer has on the vehicle will remain exactly the same.

**suss_the_sitch** · 20-10-2010, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by lexsmaz

Whats the cost of the Quaife over the OEM price, if the Quaife is a fair bit dearer i dont personally see why would bother as you mentioned that you dont do any track work & as OC said the steering would definately be heavier ..

I'm not sure where else you can get it but I've seen it for $272NZ + shipping from http://www.palmside.co.nz/product_pcid_15195.html