Rx7 Turbo Street/Track Build - Rack and Pinion Conversion

[@kcrotary5198]

If you decide to create the CAD files for the RESpeed rack, I'll cut them on my 4x8 CNC Plasma for free and ship the raw parts back so you can experiment. I have a 1979 and 1985 RX-7 along with a 1977 REPU.

[@travisgrover7163]

I’d buy a rack and pinion conversion if you ever get something together that you’d feel comfortable selling to the public.

[@thyone2669]

I read an article (or maybe it was a comment.. this was years ago) somewhere that drilling holes into the upper bushings helps free it up like you said in this video. Also using new stainless bolts with poly lock nuts and lock tight. Tighten it down so it doesn't come fully tight to allow the trailing arms to be freed up and not have that stock spring tension in them. Grease the hell out of them too. It works good. I ended up doing this with my rear end. It definitely helps. Great videos as always!

[@MichaelHybrid]

Jamming out to polyphia working on rotary cars. A man of culture I see!

[@RADPotential]

Their new song Ego Death!! So good! Have been listening to them for awhile.

[@DownwardFlame]

What about doing an FC subframe swap for the front. Rack and pinion and 5 lug 🤷‍♂️

[@soloracer1]

On 4 link. I met the owner of Mazda Trix a few times. He shared his thoughts on rear end binding. Follows what your saying. I came up with my solution for my limited improved AUTOCROSS/ street car CSP class. Cut off the ends of the 4 -link that bolt to axle.weld on 2 inch Johnny Joint End Rods from Currie. Even looks stock. ( polyurethane Heim joint)It gave me more articulation. I went back to a stock rear sway-bar that I ground down to make softer. Softer then a rear adjustable bar.

[@soarersan1]

I used a Gtech trilink and panhard rod setup to tame the rear end snap oversteer on my gen 1 track car. It works very well and is totally tunable for under/over steer.

[@RADPotential]

Do you have a rear sway bar?

[@soarersan1]

@@RADPotential The sway bar was removed . Gtech was an American company set up by Jim Susko , he has written a manual about how to solve the RX7's handling issues. It was based on his experience with racing the Rx7 in the different classes that existed in the USA . It includes all the theory , including the unequal swing arms and angular disparity to which you have referred to in your video . He's a very clever man .

[@seaturtle828]

Really good description for the suspension

[@JamesSmith-lb4hv]

I actually have lots of the respeed rack reverse engineered and drawn up/CADed. I used to work for the first owner of respeed. I'm also legit building a similar 79 12a, gsl-se rear end, and will do a blow through setup

[@patrickd.7880]

The problem with the rear axle when u start to make more HP is axle wrap. The pinion will dive down in the front as the tires grip. Lowering the car makes it worse. Wearing the u joint and pinion bearings. 3 link solves that problem. Far better r&p kit is the rear steering kit sold on ebay. Forgot the guys name. Keeps all the stock steering geometry. Work far better than respeed kit.

[@petergracemeguide1280]

With the four link and watts link I have found to delete the rear Sway Bar or make it on a cam and secondary hand break lever . It get rid of that awkward wobble or kick snap back out of corners. Your right to delete the Sway Bar about articulation. The Sway Bar if left in place it lifts an already stressed and loaded wheel before it pulls in the Sway Bar duties and not ideal. On Australian V8 super cars of the early 2000 they had a fourlink and watts link and the Sway Bar was on a cam cable lever to let it slack in tight corners and then pull it in in big sweepers. Another is make the watts linkage adjustable , it must be level. I had an Australian group G rx2 coupe rally car like UK gr.b. the 4 link extended up into the body work (back seat area) this allowed big travel and awesome handling with the watts link all adjustable and had a Detroit locker 9in disc rear. The rear was half an inch lower than the front so on power the car would lift to a neutral level. And squat to hook into corners. The rx2 had longer idler and Pitman arms to effectively increase steering ratio like a quick rack . This will work in a std Rx 7 first gen. I will be doing this to my group C rx7 track car . Rally is the ultimate proving ground

[@zachoover3534]

Love that Polyphia in the background!

[@kameronwalch3253]

Put me down for the Respeed rack and pinion conversion kit when you have it available. I am sure it would sell.

[@rimianperkins6533]

Would using rose joints on those linkages fix the issue?

[@twotone_ra6558]

Very informative, nice video! Is it possible to just make a straight upper link or is there an interference? I have a 1980 SA22C as our club car and I’m the only one that gives it some attention, so I’m down to test a whole bunch of ideas on it. Especially any that require fabrication (as I need the practice). Also, I have a question about carburetor’s. Would it be a good/cool idea to run bike carbs on a stock 12a? I was thinking a set of zzr1100 40mm carbs. I thought 40mm might be small, but it’s 4 carbs, so two for each rotor. Is that too much? Should I just stick with getting a 45 weber kit?

[@pilotohernandez1569]

How about to put in tank fuel pump better or not do it need the cup in the tank?

[@laxstar16w]

Did you ever finalize your updates to this rack and pinion conversion? I would be curious to see what you change.

[@RADPotential]

Yes I will. I've got the table running. And have some plans.

[@dirtyjedi718]

Hey rad would you sell a set of the le 14” fb wheels ?. Lol

[@お金-j6q]

Can you make a video on how to remove the full front bumper along with rear?

[@RADPotential]

On what year car? Turn signal plugs are under the headlight. On an FB chassis front, remove the two vertical bolts thru the aluminum bar and slide that off with the bumper cover on it. Then pull the bumper mounts. Sa you have to unbolt the bumper mounts from the chassis. The rear is simple. 4 nuts on the chassis. And then two nuts under a cover in the trunk floor. Slide it out

[@お金-j6q]

@@RADPotential 81 rx7 fb

[@お金-j6q]

@@RADPotential would you be able to make a video on the front? I’ve tried sourcing videos but can’t find any, im sadly a visual learner. Thank you

[@klink388288]

Pls do it! I need to update my 84 gsl steering

[@christerhavn6163]

Where to Get poly bushings for this car ?

[@johnnyc7009]

I used a rack. Off of a Chevy chevette along with the master cylinder

[@michaelhartman851]

I can definitely say the steering box has its issues, the first one I've found is eventually you run out of adjustment which leads to the second problem of the play becoming more and more until the car actually becomes dangerous to drive, mine was at the dangerous to drive point, had the steering wheel get ripped out of my hands on multiple occasions driving around corners and hitting a bad bump, this conversion should really help handling and make the steering much more precise.

[@austingage7209]

I noticed that you said the axles were redrilled. I've got a bone stock '80 ( stock rear end, etc.) do you think I could redrill the axle/hubs to a more common bolt pattern in the front and rear? Finding 4x110 wheels has proven quite difficult.

[@RADPotential]

Hard part is that the 1980 uses a smaller axle housing and axle. So the flange is too small to re drill bigger. You could re drill the axle to a 4x100 pattern. And run honda/miata size stuff

[@austingage7209]

@@RADPotential sweet. Thank you for getting back to me. Now to start looking for a machine shop that'll do it haha...

[@nickyannucci8226]

Rx7 front subframe and rx8 rear subframe car fixed

[@michaelhartman851]

Also I've found you can completely stop axel hop by taking the rear end trailing arms the 2 on each side and wrap a piece of L iron around the tube and weld it every few inches really helps keep the rear end planted.

[@RADPotential]

The lower or upper arms?