DeTomaso Mailing List: August 97, Message #28
     



From: pantera@shiseis.com (Shane F. Ingate)

Subject: Re: Rack and Pinion ?

Date: Fri, 1 Aug 97 10:35:08 PDT



Mike Drew wrote:



    >Well, you think your arms are tired NOW?  Realize that a quick ratio rack

    >(one that results in more movement at the wheels for a given amount of

    >steering wheel rotation) would mean even MORE effort at the wheel.  Think

    >about it, in exaggarated form:  if it took 10 turns lock to lock, you'd have

    >lots of mechanical advantage, and it would be easy to turn the wheel, but

    >you'd have to turn a whole lot to get any results.  Sort of like riding a

    >ten-speed bike in first gear.  Now, if you installed a quick-ratio rack, one

    >that went lock-to-lock in only one turn, then you'd have very little

    >mechanical advantage, imagine climbing a hill on the same ten-speed in tenth

    >gear.



A nice description, but hardly appropriate for a thoroughbred car like the Pantera. 

Unless you spend a lot of time cruzin' the malls in your Pantera,

2.5 turns lock-to-lock (LTL) will make life so much more pleasant.   I'm not a big guy like

the two Dan Jones' on the list, but my TR6 with its big tires and 3.5 turns LTL

requires more strength to steer at low speeds than the Pantera.  Pam, my 5' constant

companion has no problems.  Moving to a 2.5 turn LTL rack on the Triumph elicited

some "mmmm, its seems to be harder to turn" but soon became accepted as the

norm.  Believe me, it is still a LOT less effort than a 4x4 without power steering.

In other words, NO PROBLEMS.



    >The Pantera's rack is probably as close to an ideal compromise between

    >steering effort and speed as you'll ever find.



Again, I dont agree.  The Pantera steering rack is an abomination, a piece of junk, and clearly

a cut-price feature.  No other car of the Panteras breeding has such poor steering

response.  The rack was designed for Americans who had grown soft raised on power steering.

British steering racks, as old fashioned (designed before WWII) and poorly made as they are,

have a much better response.  Before we talk about tires being a contributor here, my

TR6 has 215/60x15" with a cast-iron block up front - nearly the same footprint as most Panteras

and a weight distribution biased over the frint wheels.  The Pantera has a LIGHT feel already.

My Pantera steering rack is tight, but steers like a piece of soap tied to the end of a piece

of string compared with European cars.  There is NO excuse for such a poorly designed feature

on this car.



    >However, Wilkinson has addressed this by producing a quick-steering power

    >steering system.



This sounds like the ideal system for you Mike, to go with the "soft clutch"

feel that you want  ;)>



As an aside, let me reprint an article from the June SDP Newsletter, on how

"Real Men Drive Real Cars".  Its a sobering though for those raised on modern "soft" cars...



"The national racing color for Germany was originally white until the early 30's. 

Around 1934 (don't recall the exact year) the formula for Grand Prix racing 

was called the 750kg formula. Basically, grand prix cars could weight no more 

than 750kg less consumables such as fuel, oil, water, tires etc. That was 

basically the only rule. Back then, bigger was faster so large displacement 

supercharged engines were used which, with the then current technology were 

rather heavy. Cars were built right up to the max weight and even tricks such as 

extra light weight wheels were used for the weigh-in. Well, during scrutineering 

for a race, the all conquering Mercedes were found to be barely over weight. 

Alfred Neubaurer, the Mercedes team manager, quickly had the team 

mechanics stripe off the white paint from the cars allowing them to make 

weight. The now bare metal Mercedes dominated the race and gained the now 

famous nickname "Silber Feile" Silver Arrows. The cars of the 750kg  formula 

were incredible for their day. Power outputs were close to 900hp with two 

stage superchargers and running on exotic fuels. The Mercedes team had a 

full time chemist who would blend the fuel depending on the altitude and 

weather conditions. At the high speed Avus track outside Berlin, the Mercedes

and Auto Unions ran with enclosed bodywork and had top speeds over 200 

mph. The Avus track was a section of autobahn, two lanes each way, 

separated by a median. At each end was a 180-degree banked turn. The banking was 

parabolic, being steeper at the top and surfaced in brick! Imagine barreling 

into the banked turn at better than 180 mph in a car with 4 inch wide cord tires! No 

wonder one of the surviving team drivers recently called the current crop 

of GP drivers a bunch of overpaid nancy-boys!"



    >Mike



	Shane Ingate lookin' for the Real Thing in San Diego



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