The short: I think it fits, but just barely.

The packaging wasn't too hot. It was just shoved in a box. The rack cut holes in the box and some of the hardware was missing. The whole thing was nicked up pretty good.

I did still have the bolt, so I test fitted it into the bracket that holds the universal joints and column onto the rack. Backing it out stipped the threads, as it did with every subsequent bolt I tried. Others have said 3.5 and 3.6 turns lock-to-lock; mine was 3.9.

Prepping the car for installation is a pain in the ***. The steering lock nut takes an eternity to remove. Breaking the nylon locks on the steering column is very hard, also. I used a tie rod puller and a hammer; it took me about 15 minutes of pounding. I don't see how people do it by accident. The column tube has to be cut with a dremel, and it's tough to reach. But everything is doable, just as CP says.

There is no way that the lower half of the steering column could be reused if it is removed in this way.

The first thing you'll notice when you test fit the kit is that the front driver's side bracket has to be notched to clear the protruding bracket that holds the motor mounts.

The next thing you'll notice is that it's going to rub on the passenger's side of the oil pan. This is just like what everyone else who has installed it has noticed. I guess I'll try spacers under the motor mounts.

Next, installing it like CP says is very, very difficult. Following the directions exactly is <I>possible</I>, but I had to notch a second bracket and use a pry bar and hammer to get the last bolt through the second hole on the column bracket.

The problem is pretty simple: the steering column/universal joint thing is <b>too short</B>. Once the rack is installed, it's impossible to slip over the spline. If you slip it over, then install, you'll find yourself prying on every corner to get the rack on, then prying like an SOB on that last bolt, but it will go on. Here's where I stopped, because it's only slipped over the spline 1/2". This is as far as I could get it.

I'd appreciate it if anyone else who has installed this kit could let me know how far down it's supposed to go. I asked tech@cpracing.ca, and though they replied quickly, they didn't actually answer the question, and now they've gone home for the day.

I don't want to put anyone off on this too much. The instructions are doable; they're just really difficult. The fit is not great, but it seems to fit. CP Racing is always very prompt in their replies to my e-mails. I'll save the praise for another thread: after I get back on the road!

 

I can't help you with your problems as I have not purcahased one, but I appreciate your honesty about the install, as I was wondering just how "bolt in" it is. Lucky for me the car its going in is my totally stripped project, so it shouldn't be too tight. Good luck, if you can get any pics that would great.

 

Well, after spending another couple hours on this thing, I can say that I definately recommend installing it -- to rapists, murderers, terrorists, and masochists.

Thing I noticed but failed to mention:

1) The bolts holding the rack to the bracket were finger tight, loose really.

2) It's hard as hell to drill a 1/2" hole in the steering column because there's the upper shaft in there and you don't want to damage it. I drilled it until it started to open then cleared it with this mean-looking, cone-shaped thing I found in my dad's tools . I think it's used for widening holes.

3) You can't follow cp's advice if you have A/C. You *have* to put the UV joints/bracket in seperately.

4) Having a partner really helps.

5) You can't center the steering wheel to the center of the wheels, as far as I can tell. Maybe it can be done by removing it. I'm not going to **** with it tonight.

6) You'll want to mark the center position with masking tape or white out so you don't lose it.

I honesty think I've got it this time. I'm going to go clean it up and get it ready for alignment tomorrow.

Edit: I'd like to take pictures, but I've got so much to do this weekend. I'm going to be liberally spraying black primer and undercoating to clean up all the scratches and nicks, also, so it wouldn't be pretty enough to show off here. Maybe I'll take some pictures later.

 

By the way, the u-joint thing slips over the spline to the obvious position. This is about 3/4". Just make sure that you put the bolt in it before you install the rack completely, otherwise you'll never get it back in right.

 

Man, I just realized how jumbled this turned out be. You poor folks probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

 

Also, if your car is an automatic, you might have to remove the trans oil cooler lines to get this all in there. I don't really remember where they all go, but the one bracket I left in my car from when it was an automatic (on the driver's side motor mount) was in the way.

 

Yet another thing: I think it would have been easier in the long run to remove the steering wheel and the entire steering column before beginning installation. This is a real pain if you have A/C, of course.

Removing the engine and transmission would also help immensely.

Sigh.

 

UPS fucked mine up... I have the rack and subframe assembly... But my u-joint/bearing carrier/lower column section is gone for repair.

I ******* hate UPS. Every package I get is smashed in some way.

The ones I get anyhow. Some of em I don't even get... Like a $400 head unit that got "left on my front step" Well guess it suprised the UPS guy when it turned out to be a Minidisc player.

 

Well, mine wasn't packaged worth a damn, so it's not fair to blame UPS. They toss packages around like toys; you're supposed to know it and prepare accordingly. I once shipped a $1500 21" monitor by fedex for repair and had the lady drop it 3' off the scale. Fortunately I had pre-fitted styrofome and it wasn't damaged.

Yet another note: the steering rack went in very easily the second time I installed it. It's either lessons learned, or it's just permanantly bent to fit my car better. I don't care either way. All I have left to do is drill that 1/8" hole through both columns and tap in the pin. I'm debating the best way to go about this.

 

Okay, kids, here's the deviations from CP's instructions that I used to successfully install it.

1) Mark dead center using masking tape or white out on both the spline, and the base of the rack.

2) Slide in the shaft/u-joint/spline thing, bolt its bracket up fully, and tuck away the u-joint end.

3) Replace your control arm hardware with longer bolts.

4) Notch the upper-left corner of the front, driver's-side bracket and the upper-right of the rear driver's-side bracket enough for them to fit.

5) Bolt the rack up and fully tighten all hardware. Start by placing the front mounts on the control arm hardware. You may have to slide your new bolts in about halfway for this.

6) Now, remove the rack. Yeah, this sucks.

7) Hold the rack up and slide the bracket/ujoint/thing over the spline. Fully screw the bolt into the spline to keep it from slipping off during the next procedure.

8) Place the rack on the control arm hardware and slowly tighten, making sure to notice when the rear brackets pass over their respective holes. Push the bolts through when this happens (duh).

Bolt everything up real tight. You might also want to put a small spacer between your steering wheel and your column cover when you're putting that pin in so they don't scrape. You might also need to install spacers under your motor mounts for clearance. Don't go overboard here.

Good luck and Godspeed.

 

it seems to me like this is a mod someone would do while they're building up a project. ie with the engine out.

 

No, it can be done with the engine in. It's just "a real bitch."

 

sometimes "can be" and "intended to be" are two different things.

 

Well, cp racing's advertisements say that it can be done in an afternoon. A really long, lucky afternoon.

 

...in a well-tooled garage?

would it have been easier if you could hoist the engine just a little bit, even if only an inch or so (w/o unhooking the mounts)?

 

I could have done that with a block of wood and a floor jack, but it wouldn't have made any difference, really. Now, if I could have removed the A/C compressor CP racing's directions might have actually worked. The biggest thing I think is bolting the rack up by itself first so the brackets can be "personalized" for your car and to put the bolt through the spline BEFORE installing the rack. Don't ask me what they were thinking in telling you not to. It'll move too far up the spline to get the bolt back through if you do it this way.

 

Ok, the tools you'll need include:

* A hammer and chisel.
* A pipe wrench.
* A tie-rod end puller or similar long fork.
* A pry bar.
* A dremel with cutting wheels.
* A drill with 1/8" and 1/2" bits.
* Gear pullers or tie-rod separator press.

That's all I can think of right now.

 

Let us know how the R&P performs! Interested to see if it is worth the pain

 

Bouis, it didnt sound like you had much fun installing it.

Hope it turns out to be awesome to make up for the pain and suffering. lol

 

and let us know about the lock to lock turn problem? if u figured out why ur getting a 3.9

 

sounds like a pain in the ****

 

yea it sounds like it really blew, makes me thankful mine is going in a project car with no engine or interior...

 

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...&highlight=UPS

Couriers suck.

 

yea pretty much, I've been fucked my share of times by those retards. Seriously, being a jerkoff must be one of their requirements for employment

 

mee too.. ive been ordering alot of stuff online recently, gotte them all, im surprised because they all leave them on the door in my appartment complex. but one package that i paid for that cost 400 bucks. i ask the company for the tracking number because it had been two weeks. and i look up the number, and it says its already been dropped off. then the next day, they fedex guy shows up at my house and talks to me, "Ya i deliverd your package, right to this door" soooo where is it? then he went on to tell me that if i file a claim with fedex, they will take it out of his pay. i was like that sux man. later. so i called up the company i purchased my shyt from and they had no questions at all, they even overnighted me anoter one no extra cost to me. they said "we'll just put it on our Fed'ex tab" so i guess fed'ex ended up paying for replacement product and to have the package overnighted from CA to SC.

does any1 know if that is tru that if the post man leaves the package he is responsible for it if some1 files a claim?

Carl.