US Steering Rack Swap

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
By all means if you want to change the diff. and box and swap out the softer factory suspension fine, but then draw the line...... and it isn't even a necessity to do that to enjoy the cars anyway, a nicely set up factory standard US car is still a great drive.

Mr Tenno asked a specific question about rack ratio, so I'd say his interest in that aspect of the cars has been somehow piqued.

The phrase "softened up and dumbed down" originated as a response to the somewhat 'USA Uber Alles' bias of much of the data and opinion on these cars set down over the years, some of the most prominent voices of which insisted that only the USA (not even the Canadian...) market models mattered, and that the cars were 'Made For The USA'. This is - of course - nonsense.

Sure, a nicely set up and mechanically correct north American market car is a nice thing (especailly if you happen to be selling one... ;) ) and I own an example of one myself, but what we are talking about is the differing character of different market cars as packages.

That's the important thing. If you modify your car, you want all the parts to work together as a package. I don't know about anyone else, but I rather prefer a Sports/GT car to have a fairly quick steering ratio. Adding a slightly smaller diameter steering wheel is the quickest way to do that, but the second easiest is shorter steering knuckles and Nissan thought so too because they fitted them as standard equipment to the 432-R and offered them as Sports Option equipment for other models. Yes they make the steering 'heavier', but that's one of the compromises I'd expect in a sports/GT car of the period. The difference in driving character is very noticeable.

chrisvega said:
I have driven LHD American and European, RHD British, Japanese, Australian and South African S30s.

I'm interested to hear what specific model(s) of Japanese market S30-series Zs you have driven (and why you didn't notice any difference...)?
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
Sure, a nicely set up and mechanically correct north American market car is a nice thing (especailly if you happen to be selling one... ;)
Low blow Mr.T tut tut you old cynic and not correct assumption as to why made the comment ;)

I'm interested to hear what specific model(s) of Japanese market S30-series Zs you have driven (and why you didn't notice any difference...)?
1973 Fairlady 240Z-L HS30
Driven in California. large roads with no tight bends maybe the reason I didn't notice a difference or maybe because it must be very difficult unless you are an F1 driver on an empty Stelvio type road to notice a 3% difference in rack ratio ie 2.7 turns lock/lock on ROW car against 2.8 turns on US.

Agree a quick ratio is a nice feature to have on a sports car but the factory option on US or ROW spec. car is just fine for everyday road use in my opinion/experience :driving: and I wouldn't personally replace/upgrade unless more serious competition use is envisaged

Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons if you want to spend money on steering then put it towards a power steering upgrade :D
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
1973 Fairlady 240Z-L HS30
Driven in California. large roads with no tight bends maybe the reason I didn't notice a difference or maybe because it must be very difficult unless you are an F1 driver on an empty Stelvio type road to notice a 3% difference in rack ratio ie 2.7 turns lock/lock on ROW car against 2.8 turns on US.

15.8:1 then. Must have been those long straight roads?

Thing is, Nissan (despite what the 'Made For The USA' boys might want us to believe) put a lot of effort into testing and development of all the different market models and sub-variants. I reckon they probably knew better than me, so I have to believe there's something in them choosing to make and fit different rack ratios rather than having a one-size-fits-all approach.

chrisvega said:
Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons if you want to spend money on steering then put it towards a power steering upgrade :D

If power steering is chosen I'd say that the perfect companion to it would be the shorter knuckles. Faster response with less effort. Hopefully not much *feel* lost in the process.

Mr_Tenno said:
HS30-S I think?

'HS30-S' = Fairlady 240Z
'HS30' = Fairlady 240Z-L
 

Mr Tenno

Digital Officer
Staff member
Site Administrator
See - I try to act all knowledgeable and then get it wrong! :D Hats off to all the insight from you guys.
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
I wouldn't want to loose the lovely standard wheel.

PS is for the French/girls.

He's managed to keep out of this thread so far, now you've done it :lol:

I used to think that too but coming round to the idea and added bonus that Mrs.Vega will be able to drive it home from the pub :D
 

Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
17.8:1 was North American market ratio.

All other markets got (faster) 16.4:1 initially, but it changed in later production.

You have the (factory) option of fitting shorter steering knuckles if you want to improve the ratio.

Humor me as I seem to repeatedly seem to keep seeing your name pop up along with extremely detailed and informative responses in pretty much every area. What's your background with Z cars?

Most of us only drive the cars for leisure, a few hundred miles a year, maybe a few thousand for the lucky ones and almost all will have been modified from standard whichever country they originated from ( no-one say Japan ;) :smash:)

Is that really the only kind of distance people put on their cars generally? We've managed a good 1200+ miles since October and I'm sure there must be quite a few well ahead of us....
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Humor me as I seem to repeatedly seem to keep seeing your name pop up along with extremely detailed and informative responses in pretty much every area. What's your background with Z cars?

I'm not sure I understand the question. A few weeks back another forum poster was (rather worryingly...) asking what was going to happen to all my 'stuff' (eh???) should I happen to cark it in the near future, so it's all starting to get a little strange...

Are you asking me for a self-assessment of my bona fides, my full CV, or for a one-liner?

I'm not sure there's anything particularly special about what I post here. In the case of the subject of this thread - the steering rack ratio data was provided by Nissan in their technical literature for the cars, so it's bread and butter stuff really.

What can I say? I like S30-series Z cars and I own a few. My area(s) of particular interest in the subject may be a little off-centre, but basically I tend to focus on the Japanese side of the story because they are Japanese cars...
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
You have heard of 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' ?

Alan is 'Encyclopaedia Nissanica'

Sensei Z, cross swords at your peril :lol:
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Alan is 'Encyclopaedia Nissanica'

Hardly. Only a fool would claim to be any kind of 'experten' on these cars.

There's always something new to learn about them and that's one of the aspects to all this that keeps me interested. The deeper you dig, the more you find you don't know...
 

chrisvega

Well-Known Forum User
Alan, you mentioned earlier in the thread that you have an example of the North American spec. S30 in the collection.

Have you kept it true to original factory spec. ( if indeed it arrived in that condition ? ).
If not, interested to learn what changes/upgrades you yourself have made ?
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
Alan, you mentioned earlier in the thread that you have an example of the North American spec. S30 in the collection.

Have you kept it true to original factory spec. ( if indeed it arrived in that condition ? ).
If not, interested to learn what changes/upgrades you yourself have made ?

It's been sitting on a rotisserie - somewhere down towards the back of a queue of other 'jobs to do' - for quite a while now. I've got other stuff to finish first, but the plans are to include a lot of quite rare and unusual parts I've gathered over the years. No sense them sitting in the loft or hanging on the wall. So almost nothing left 'stock' really.

General theme: Oppama works rally team test car...

 

Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
I'm not sure I understand the question. A few weeks back another forum poster was (rather worryingly...) asking what was going to happen to all my 'stuff' (eh???) should I happen to cark it in the near future, so it's all starting to get a little strange...

Are you asking me for a self-assessment of my bona fides, my full CV, or for a one-liner?

I'm not sure there's anything particularly special about what I post here. In the case of the subject of this thread - the steering rack ratio data was provided by Nissan in their technical literature for the cars, so it's bread and butter stuff really.

What can I say? I like S30-series Z cars and I own a few. My area(s) of particular interest in the subject may be a little off-centre, but basically I tend to focus on the Japanese side of the story because they are Japanese cars...

Haha I wasn't quite probing for a full CV! :rofl: Just take it as a compliment :cheers:

I was just curious as to where your extensive knowledge of the S30 came from, on other forums I've seen equally knowledgeable individuals in their chosen marque and sometimes they've got a past with the manufacturer or race teams etc so I wasn't sure if that was your connection or if as it turns out you have an intimate knowledge from your research and passion of your hobby was all.

Always refreshing to glean knowledge for those in the know, how many examples have you got?
 
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