As well as looking daft this causes some clearance issues at the extent of the travel. The rack extensions touch the lower wishbones, and the track rod end skims the inside of the wheel. I suspect I'd have futher problems with the brake lines and cycle wings were they fitted too:
The Sierra version of the car doesn't have this problem, so I can only assume the MX5 uprights have a shorter steering arm.
I'm guessing this will mean I'll have quicker, but heavier, steering than the Sierra version.
To reduce the steering travel I decided to fit some kind of extra lock stops to the rack.
After pulling the gaiters back and measuring the diameter of the rack I figured a trip to B&Q was in order.
Verniers in hand I went round measuring things until I found something with a suitable diameter, and this is what I settled on:
They're plastic couplings for overflow pipe.
I cut one into two sections (each ~20mm in length), then put a split in them.
I also warmed them on the hob to allow me to open them up enough to slip over the steering rack:
They fit on the rack nicely and I used jubilee clips to hold them in place:
The amount of steering travel is much more sensible now, and things don't touch that shouldn't!
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EDIT: Turns out this was a crap idea!
The jubilee clips have taken quite a battering, and have worked loose, and the bits of pipe sort of got embedded in the end of the rack tube (or whatever it's called?) .
I've stripped it all out, and come up with a better solution which will get it's own post shortly.
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