thanks everybody for the feedback.
I have a design now and I have asked a machine shop with CNC tools to make me a prototype, pending some measurements.
anyway the machine shop has xmas and new years now, they are a little bit closed for a couple of weeks.
My design is made to mount on the car without removing the upright. This is important because, from what I have heard, it is difficult to remove the ball joints on our NSXes. So removing the upright is not necessary.
There is 1 bracket and 1 arm (per side).
the Bracket:
The bracket is mounted on the car in a garage, mounting of a few bolts, drilling of 2 holes (per side). No thread tapping anywhere is required, the 2 holes to be drilled do not have to be precise, anybody can do it. And these holes are not in a strength sensitive area so there will be no loss of strength to the upright.
The mounting of the bracket is in a clean and professional way. It looks like Honda made the kit. Dare I say …um …..a Type R steering kit?
After the bracket is mounted to the car upright, the steering arm bolts to the bracket with 2 bolts then the steering tie rod end cone bolt is mounted into the steering arm just like the original. Would probably take 30 minutes per side.
the Arm:
The arms can be removed / changed at the track or anywhere, no need to have a garage. Changed easily, while the bracket stays on the car permanently.
If the bracket can be aluminium (I think so) and passes the testing for strength, then it will be anodised in blue or red or whatever.
The steering arm bolts to that, I will start with a steel one, so black.
Then an aluminium one. If the aluminium one is strong enough, then that will be anodised too so it will look nice. But the design allows for a thick steering arm, I am leaving room for that, so probably it can be aluminium too.
The aluminium arm would have to have an insert in it, like the NSX has, that will cost more.
The shorter arm idea solves all the problems for all people:
-Different steering ratios from easier to park longer arm to original length to sporty to drift. Can be easily changed on site, back an forth, depending on what you like.
-Fits Left Hand Drive and RHD cars.
-Fits power steering and manual steering cars.
-Allows different heights of the arm/tie rod end (for playing around with the bump steer and for lowered cars- this is for the circuit racers).
-It is all the same product, just slightly different length arms need to be mounted. Easy to change for quicker or slower steering depending on what venue you happen to be at. Can be changed on site. If you accidentally ordered arms that you don’t like the feel of, then I can send you different length ones. The actual arms are the lesser cost items in the kit so it will be easy and cheap to play around and find a nice steering feel for what you want.
-It will be manufactured and shipped in the States to keep the price down.
-Maybe your choice of colors (anodising).
-Some of the strengthening ribs will be machined with diminishing sizes of holes, so it looks like it was lightened. This is for looks mostly. The design allows this according to the FEA tests I made.
-Will cost much less than the original estimates of the steering rack. Maybe around $500-$800 per car (but give me time to cost this thing properly, I’m not there yet. I am still in the prototype phase).
-Will be strong enough for me, I tend to beat the hell out of cars.
-Will be tested on the circuit.
-Will be tested to destruction in various ways (hydraulic press, really big hammers, and fatigue and vibration tests – we have the tools here for that because of the engineering business)
I have also looked into the new end stops (as you may have figured, these may be needed), so far I think they will be easy too.
I will post an image of the kit when I have made some final measurements and spoken again with the machine shop.
merry xmas and happy new year!
peter
