Crossmember modded to raise steering rack?

[ezzzzzzz]

I was wondering if anyone has done this. When the LCA pivot point is moved up shouldn't the rack should also be to eliminate bumpsteer due to angular differences? I've got a spare crossmember that I will mod to correct the LCA angle. I know that bumpsteer should be calculated prior to lowering (too late..damn it) so a reference is there. I was thinking of cutting off and raising the rack mounts too. Input? Flames?

[JMortensen]

Actually the stock setup has lots of bumpsteer engineered into it straight from Nissan. I think car manufacturers use this as a safety mechanism so that when you push really hard the car plows. Understeer is "safer" than oversteer, and it's easier for Nissan to win a lawsuit by saying "He went too fast for the turn and understeered into the wall" than to try to explain why the car spun into the wall.

 

You can get rid of it by moving the LCA pivot up the right amount. If you moved them both up then you would keep the bumpsteer as it was designed from the factory. There are some reasons that you might want to raise the rack, such as raising the pivots a whole bunch. If you raised the pivots 3" (not actually possible on the stock crossmember, just an example) then you'd need some LONG bumpsteer spacers at the outer tie rod end to compensate. But if you could raise the rack some, then you wouldn't need as many spacers at the wheel end.

 

There's also the idea that Cary brought up a couple weeks ago of moving the pivot and the rack together. So basically you could set your bumpsteer, then raise the pivot/rack assemlby together to change your roll center without having to mess with the bumpsteer again when you're done.

[ezzzzzzz]

Has anyone considered bolting the crossmember to a sturdy bench, cutting the center section out to either side of the LCA pivots and relocating the entire center assembly upwards? Only the motor mounts would need to be reworked then. I understand that understeer is built into every car for the masses. It is done because natural reaction is to steer tighter into a curve when losing traction. I prefer a neutral feel myself and have move rear leaf spring mounting points to acheive this in applicable vehicles.

[tube80z]

Has anyone considered bolting the crossmember to a sturdy bench, cutting the center section out to either side of the LCA pivots and relocating the entire center assembly upwards? Only the motor mounts would need to be reworked then. I understand that understeer is built into every car for the masses. It is done because natural reaction is to steer tighter into a curve when losing traction. I prefer a neutral feel myself and have move rear leaf spring mounting points to acheive this in applicable vehicles.

 

I don't see why the motor mounts need to be reworked when cut out the center. The only problem with your plan is there isn't that much room to the oil pan. If you're going to do this it would be far easier to make the entire thing from scratch. Then you'd probably make a k-member that bolts into the TC boxes and servers to reinforce the bottom of the engine compartment, then you could lengthen the lower control arms, change the ackerman ... No, never thought about it

 

Cary