Lola steering rack

[Berry]

Does anyone know if the steering rack used on the Lola 340/43 series is the same one for the series of
Lola FFs that preceeded?

[bob darcey]

Berry: Not sure, but if you'd send over a sketch, I could match itup with the rack in my T200. bobdar29@msn.com or 303/238-8803 fax.

[Fred Yoshimura]

I have a Lola T202 and a T340 Formula Ford and the steering racks are NOT the same. they are completely different.

[Bud Byrnes]

Fred,

This is one of the great Lola mysteries. Murray thinks the 200 series rack came out of the center section of an Austin America or similar car. I am indeed interested in what you discover. I've got to replace mine sometime.

We could always have a custom one made by Lee Mfg. in Sun Valley but that wouldn't be vintage.

Nice seeing you at Fontana. Are you coming back in August?

Bud

[timos]

Slightly off topic, but I had a T340 rack that was really bad (would skip teeth mid-corner!) and had the housing rebushed and the rack and pinion from a T440 put in. It required shortening the T440 rack and thus new threads for the Renault-style ends, as I recall.

tim

p.s. I'd rather have a non-vintage rack than a modern accident, any day.

[Bud Byrnes]

Tim,

Very well put. Our accidents are modern, even if we drivers are "vintage". Circa 1950s driver heal more slowly than our 1970s vintage cars. I don't want to find out first hand.

Bud

[Rick_M]

I have a set of Lola blue prints that were passed down with my T340. There are several Renault part number call outs on the rod end fittings, but the rack itself seems to have part numbers in line with the Lola unique p/n system in the rest of the drawings. I am guessing Lola had the rack and pinion made??

Rick

[Berry]

I'm sure the rack was a special part. The end caps, springs and little ball joints were some renualt thing. The rack on my lola 340 is the orginal casting but I replaced the rack and pinion gears, but I don't remember if I got them from Lola.
The new rack I have came from Billy Syphers (sic?) back in the late 70's.

[Wayne]

The little Renault things are available from me at dogrings.com. I have remade them for about 25years since they became impossible to get from The French. Wayne Mitchell.