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[ngrainqey]

Hello,
I've got a ZF steering rack sat doing nothing, has anybody swapped to a steering rack on an omega on here  ?
thanks
alex

[ngrainqey]

....just thinking in the land of V8 conversions 

[feeutfo]

So was I, on reading your title. Not heard of anyone doing it though. V engine would loose the servo tronic, as we know it anyway. Is servo tronic fitted to other vx models?

[ngrainqey]

think its possibly on such as insignia
but yeah i have a rack and tierods spare

thanks
alex

[ffcgary1]

throwing a spanner in the works here guys, but omegas dont have a steering rack.
Steering box and link rod to wheels via steering idler arm.

[Nick W]

think its possibly on such as insignia
but yeah i have a rack and tierods spare

thanks
alex

I don't want to make this too complicated, but you are aware of the steering geometry that a rack requires? It's not just a case of bunging a rack under the car and making some mounts.

The distance between the track rod pivots is critical to avoid bump steer, and is directly related to the suspension geometry.
The position and angle of the pinion is important for actually getting it in the car.
Racks are different for fitting in front of/behind the axle line. Get that wrong, and you turn the steering wheel left, and the car will turn right!
Power steering? You'd want it on an Omega.
Is it robust enough for a heavy car?

And they're just the obvious things!

[ngrainqey]

the rack i have is off an ex plod S60 T5 so about same weight as an omega and its also mounts rearward of the axle like the omega
thanks
alex

[dbug]

More trouble than its worth mate   

[Kevin Wood]

As said, there's an awful lot more to it than chucking on a rack from a similar sized car.

If the geometry isn't perfect (and that means the exact length of the rack and its' exact location, in all 3 planes) it will be undriveable. Of course, that correct location might have the rack passing through the engine, so it could turn into a bit of a headache.

[feeutfo]

Rats omega used a wrack from a Nissan Almera.
http://www.rats.no/omega_tg.html

Left hooker and a Lexus v8 though.

[feeutfo]

Ps, if you translate that lot via google you'll see they searched high and low to find a wrack suitable.... presume it had to sit lower to clear the sump...

[aaronjb]

And for all we know it might drive like a bag of bolts and have frightening bumpsteer issues..

[feeutfo]

Your joking right?

[feeutfo]

Suely you've seen this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N__PXqzuyB0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[05omegav6]

Fwiw, whilst under mine changing the oil filter, I noticed a slot and hole on both chassis rails. They are diagonally up and back from the tie rod and look like they could be used for mounting summat

Ford did a similar thing with the Granada and Scorpio: the Granada had the roll bar mounted behind the sump whereas the Scorpio had it mounted in front of the subframe. Ford were that lazy they forgot to tell the factory not to weld the captive nuts into the chassis rails