new rack plate approved

[knoxracing]

There is a new replacement steering rack plate available, the new rack plate is 1/4 inch steel. It looks just like the current plate except it is twice as thick. I for one have felt the rack plate has been a weak point for years. Yes sometimes weak points are good, but too weak is not and the current rack plate bends when you breath on it.

[igotmylegend]

Yep, and it throws your toe and bump steer off.

[Legends57x]

You have any of these new plates in stock?  How much? 

[knoxracing]

It only throws your adjux=stments off if you do not kno how to adjust them. how many people bought rack straightening plates and used the heck out of them. Seriously the racxk plate is a weak point and needed to be strengthened

[Winterracing]

Finally they've strenghtened them up.  An 1/8th thick steal plate bent at a 90 degree angle is going to break over time unless you weld a bead along the seem, hopefully this will fix up the problem.

Dan
Www.winterracing.net

[igotmylegend]

How do you adj it in the middle of a race?

[slack11]

I absolutely hate this plate.....  Doesn't take but a slight push to bend it into a pretzel.....  Touched a bumper with the rf and bent the plate so badly that the tie rod bolt on the rack side was hitting that loop bar where the plate connects, that small bit of contact ended my night......

Does the second added plate they will let you put there really help?  I know they will let you now weld on a thicker plate, but really don't want to tear this all apart to weld that on....  Would have loved to see that update over the winter when we all had these  cars in pieces anyways....

Just venting a bit, but how many of you are running the added plate there and does it really strengthen it up a bunch?  Just curious.....

[justfreaky]

As I don't have mine installed yet; I am wondering about the gussets to help strengthen the steering rack plate.
I know these things are thin. Perhaps adding an extra plate or the thicker plate that Dennis is talking about.


Steve

[justfreaky]

Were you using washers under the head of the bolt and nut?
Are the holes in the plate too large for the bolt?
I understand that the stock plate flexes, hence my question about adding the gussets. Was wondering if the gussets supplied necessary added strength to the stock part.
As my deal will be running pavement, my thinking is it will flex (in stock form), but gussets would not allow as much flex. It would not take as much punishment as a dirt track car. I wonder if a combination of thicker plate and gussets would be a solution?
Perhaps I should look into the thicker plate.

Steve

[justfreaky]

Very true that the flexing of the thin material causes the material to become brittle. I guess that slowing the process is better. Not a cure-all.... but better.
I can also see where trying to heat treat the metal would make it more brittle. The constant flexing of the thin plate is very much like trying to heat treat the material.
Heat cycles on metal take their toll one way or another. Eventually the metal will fatigue and eventually fail.
Hmmm! Food for thought.

I think that I am going to merge this thread with the thread that Dennis posted about the thicker plate. Try to keep the topic together, as such

Steve

[Racinjj]

I make my own rack plates and never had any cracking issues or problems with the bolts pulling through.  you guys must be really rough on equipment!

[VMS Motorsports]

If anyone is rough on equipment, it's me.
I've bent rack plates before , but never had one pull through or crack.
I run Jeff's though, not USLC