steering rack

[spridget]

Salut,

After considering the electric disaster on my car, I have decided to dismantle all the dashboard and to convert the car from RHD to LHD. It?s a big job, probably very long but as the electrics need to be overhauled and the pedal box to be refurbished ?
So this is my question (probably a lot of others will follow)
Do you think that a Spitfire steering rack can be use on the 2 ?
Moss is currently offering for ?169 and a free delivery a steering Rack Kit, LHD, Quick Rack with 2.5 Turns, Includes solid rack mounting kit, (Track rod ends not included)

Thanks for your advices

Cheers
Franck

[bcmc33]

This has been discussed many times - you need to look in the search folder. e.g.
elan-f15/steering-rack-baby-elan-t13004.html

[spridget]

You ?re right Brian but with my poor English I?m not sure to understand all the subtleties, so I wonder if someone can affirm : YES or NO or YES but ?..

Franck

[ardee_selby]

You ?re right Brian but with my poor English I?m not sure to understand all the subtleties, so I wonder if someone can affirm : YES or NO or YES but ?..

Franck

Hi Franck,

Look at this thread on +2's :

elan-plus-f13/steering-rack-t15686.html

In there, Peters' answer was "Yes, but..." No doubt he could give you more detail.

HIH Salut - Richard

[bcmc33]

You ?re right Brian but with my poor English I?m not sure to understand all the subtleties, so I wonder if someone can affirm : YES or NO or YES but ?..

Franck

Sorry Franck,

There are problems in fitting a Spitfire rack to an Elan/+2 in that the tie rods are too long. Assuming that Moss is selling genuine Alford & Alder racks, you can remove the tie rods and fit Elan (or MG Midget) tie rods, and then add the +2 extensions.

However, be warned, a lot of racks made and sold today have swaged inner ball joints and are not serviceable, and therefore, you cannot take them apart.

Make sure that the rack you buy a genuine rack - which I guess will be a refurbished part.

I know Matty (and I guess the other suspects) sell Elan LHD genuine Alford & Alder refurbished racks - and my advice would be to go this route.

[stugilmour]

Don't know much about the details Franck, but I used a new rack from Spyder. They should have what they supply on their web site. I believe from other posts they use a Mini rack turned upside down; i.e. for my LHD car the part is from a RHD Mini. I had to use my existing rod extenders for the Plus 2. One minor problem was the rod ends they sent were metric fasteners, which Andy told me was just a mistake which we sorted out easily. Note I was installing in a Spyder frame. Thinking the rack would work in the stock frame, but would be good to ask/confirm if ordering.

HTH

[spridget]

OK, thanks for your replies.
After reading the archives, I understand there are several solutions:
- To buy a new rack from the usual suppliers: more easy but expensive (the first time I had a look, SJ Sports car sold it for ?58, and the price is now ?216 !)
- To use a Spitfire/Herald rack but, they need to be modified to limit the lock
- To use a Mini one fitted in the opposite driving side

I have found a Herald one for a few Euros, so I think the best is to clean it and to watch what I can do with it, maybe I can use the limiters from my rack to modify the Herald one ?

Thanks again

[blacklotus]

Hi Franck, just jumping right in here, I am in Canada and am looking for a RH rack, I have a LH pedal box for a +2S which after looking at a friends RHD +2 is totally different. My parts manual only shows the LH pedal box which has the reversed master cylinders as opposed to the RH which has them mounted reservoir forward below the footwell top deck to clear the carbs. (just like a RHD Elan ) If you are serious about converting please let me know as I am in the process of parting out the +2. (no chassis just what ever is in the body structure.)
Thanks very much
Robert

[spridget]

Hi Robert
Many thanks for your message
Are you converting a LHD car to a RHD one ?
I read somewhere that the pedal boxes are different. It may be true for S cars, not sure for earliest ones. Who can confirm or not this ?
My car is an early +2 (50/302) and the pedal box seems to be fine to fit on each side of the car. Anyway the pedals need to be overhauled especially the throttle pedal which is twisting around the axle.
I could be interested by your parts if you?re planning to sell them,
please write at this address: [email protected]
In those days the garage is very cold so I don?t work very much on the +2 !
Franck