Steering Racks: Stiletto, Titan, etc...

[JR]

Was wondering if we could get a fresh thread going on commerically availiable steering racks. Previous threads are a bit sparse on the real advantages/disadvantages of the various brands. Not having these racks in hand, we would all benefit from hearing more personal experiences.

Currently the top two options that I have found are...

Stiletto Racks: Available directly from a small buisness called Woodhaven Industries (phone #: 815 732-2806). Little information is on the net, although Strange Engineering has a picture or two. These racks come in many different configurations from dragster style mini-racks to wider racks that are gripped in clamping blocks out at the ends. They will build to your specifications but its best to give them a call before hand. Slop is taken out of the pinion/rack interface by a set screw which bends the rack toward the pinion. Depending on options these cost $200-500.

Titan Racks: Available at Pegasus Auto Racing, and a bit more information is available at the manufacturer webpage titan-motorsport.com These also are made to order, and can even be had in a magnesium casing. These use a helical gearset, and an eccentric housing which allows the pinion gear to be lowered toward the rack to take up slack. This configuration is claimed to have less friction/wear than the Stiletto method of taking up slack. These seem to be more in the $600-700 range.

Are there other good quality options for FSAE? How has your experience been with the racks mentioned above?

MAKE-YOUR-OWN-RACK ADVOCATES: Please don't hijack this thread. We all like to build parts. We all believe we can do it better, faster, cheaper, etc. Hearing information about what's out there commercially can only improve your personal designs.

[Kenny T Cornett]

I'd like to add a question to this. Does anyone know about the racks found in the Chassis Shop catalog? The price is right and they are competition legal for NHRA and Bonneville Salt Flat time trials... it just makes me wonder if they would hold up under road racing...

[JerryLH3]

We used a rack from The Chassis Shop last year. No problems here.

[Alan]

Its been a few years but I'm almost positive the Chassis Shop racks are Stilletos.

[Parker]

Im pretty sure they are also. We have used the same rack(same unit) in our Mini Baja buggy for a few years, as well as last years formula car. the rack has held up fine and all that was needed was to repack it and clean up the seals.

[Ian M]

I have been doing the same research you have as we are planning on replacing our homemade monster of a rack with something a little smaller. If we had the manpower we would design/build one, but looks like we will have to buy. Just to throw another one into the ring. BRT makes one that is around 9.5" center to center. A little smaller than Stilleto's and it has 3 mounts on the housing instead of 2. Made of 7075 with Steel pinion gear. I have heard of a few problems of premature wear with the aluminum Stilleto racks, but the steel pinioned ones are supposed to be fine. That's all I know right now because my faxes from BRT and Stilleto wouldn't come through because our fax machine was screwed up. I'll update when I see the drawings.

[LU-Bolton]

Hey guys,
We have used a BRT rack similar to the one Ian mentioned in the above post for the past three years. Three bolts to mount to the chassis that are on the pinion housing. Ours was aluminum rack and steel pinion. Huge problems with it. There is just not enough support for the rack in these designs. I can go back to our '06 car today and there will be about a 0.100" of slop just by pushing on the rack with my hand. Imagine how much it will deflect under cornering loads.
The racks which are supported out at the ends are the way to go. They will last longer and won't deflect as much. I know that Stiletto and Titan both make these racks with very wide supports. Good luck guys.

[Korey Morris]

University of Kentucky has run the chassis shop rack in both of our fsae cars, and plan to next year.

The first two cars shared many parts, the rack included, and the second of those cars is still running today. The chassis shop rack was bought in 2001 (says he receipt in that car's cost binder) and still work like brand new (used it last night). Man I was still trying to find ways to ditch high school gym in '01!

When we had the car at a local formula car shop (www.sracing.com - sponsor plug) we compared the chassis shop rack directly to a stiletto. Aside from these minor details the rack where exactly the same:
1: no logo on the chassis shop rack
2: different ratio
3: larger set screws on the new Stiletto

I am convinced that the chassis shop rack is either made by Stiletto, or a very close copy of a stiletto. If it where actually the stiletto, seems as though they would advertise that brand in the catalogue (I haven't looked at it in their new book, I only have the old one, so don't flame me here if they did put a brand on it).

I will be ordering another rack exactly like this for next year very soon

Hope this helps.

[JR]

Are you sure about the Chassis Shop rack's being Stiletto's? The center housing does not look the same as the Stiletto pictures in the Strange Engineering catalogue.

Also, as LU_Bolton was mentioning, for those of you running mini-racks (supported only near the center) don't you find that there is a lot of slop in the fore-aft direction at the tie-rod/rack joint?

[Korey Morris]

Originally posted by JR:
Are you sure about the Chassis Shop rack's being Stiletto's? The center housing does not look the same as the Stiletto pictures in the Strange Engineering catalogue.

All I can be sure of is:
1: The two that I compared in my hands where very very very similar
2: The one from the shop was marked Stiletto, and I have the receipt from when the one in our car was bought from chassis shop.

There very well could have been model changes since '01.



Originally posted by JR:
Also, as LU_Bolton was mentioning, for those of you running mini-racks (supported only near the center) don't you find that there is a lot of slop in the fore-aft direction at the tie-rod/rack joint?

Yes. My solution will probably involve our own nylon (or similar) supports. Still in the works though.

[RacingManiac]

us in Toronto have used Stiletto's rack for as long as I've been on the team(that is since 2002/2003 at least), we've used their fast-ratio special with various length of rack over the year, as dictated by the rack location. Following a switch to top-front steer from lower-rear in 2005 we went from a pre-cut short rack to the long one that we chop ourselves, and the material also changed from steel to 7075 aluminum. We make our own modified stiletto housing for mounting on the chassis by keeping the stock rack and pinion housing and weld on custom sleeves and mounting. This year we are doing the whole housing with their internal....