Lol still havnt installed mine yet. But its getting closer...

fourgsixty3 said:

Sorry I meant few. Lol.

Click to expand...

the nut on the rack was just adjusted which was brandons resolve. Brandons not involved in this round so will be down to the customers to simply swap over the parts as its not hard at all and mostly ALL dsmers these days can do this and some grease!

or find a DSM shop who can help and machine the housing at the same time. this will reduce waiting times and also end costs doing it yourself. Those are the main issues I know about that happened to only 1 or 2 from memory

I've been having problems with this rack for a long time now but I only just got time to get under the car and check it out. And it's bad news. The entire pinion has 1/4" of up/down play, giving the steering wheel A LOT of play. Looks like I have to pull the rack and best case scenario replace the pinion bearings. Idk if there's risk of damage to the housing or the rack/pinion but I'm certainly afraid of that. Without power steering I've regretted this rack since I installed it, and it would be the ultimate irony if I have to revert back to stock anyway. Here's to hoping that this is just a matter of new bearings...

randman2011 said:

I've been having problems with this rack for a long time now but I only just got time to get under the car and check it out. And it's bad news. The entire pinion has 1/4" of up/down play, giving the steering wheel A LOT of play. Looks like I have to pull the rack and best case scenario replace the pinion bearings. Idk if there's risk of damage to the housing or the rack/pinion but I'm certainly afraid of that. Without power steering I've regretted this rack since I installed it, and it would be the ultimate irony if I have to revert back to stock anyway. Here's to hoping that this is just a matter of new bearings...

Click to expand...

Mine is still in a box since this group buy. I had been nervous about the lack of power steering and lightly researched the options including the EPS option presented during this group buy. What were your thoughts having used this rack? Obviously the lack of PS you didn't like. How was it otherwise?

I have been very pleased with mine so far. I added the EPS and it's an absolute joy to drive.

MindBlowin03 said:

I have been very pleased with mine so far. I added the EPS and it's an absolute joy to drive.

Click to expand...

The EPS Bobby recommended initially or a different option?

llxkevinxll said:

Mine is still in a box since this group buy. I had been nervous about the lack of power steering and lightly researched the options including the EPS option presented during this group by. What were your thoughts having used this rack? Obviously the lack of PS you didn't like. How was it otherwise?

Click to expand...

The ratio is MUCH better than stock. I would say that's how the car should have been from the factory, but honestly I'd like it to be even faster. I'm sure that with power assist I would have been very happy with it, but without, the car is completely undrivable on summer tires. On winter tires the car is drivable in a pinch, but I find myself taking any other car to avoid the difficulty in parking. Parallel parking is an absolute nightmare. I haven't put my summer tires on in years because of this.

I've had an EPS motor and controller for as long as I've had the rack installed but every time I line up a welder to install it, they back out. So the Eclipse has been a backup car for years.

It's also worth noting that I'm no stranger to manual steering. My old NA Miata had its lines looped, my van is unintentionally depowered, and the AZ-1 and Jimny were manual from the factory. This is entirely different.

Why didn't I go with the EPS that was offered by Cole? No idea. But I definitely regret it.

EDIT: I should add that, for a track car, I think it'd be fine as manual. The feeling while driving is really nice and low speed maneuvers are generally fine. Nothing that would be problematic in a competition setting. But for a road car it's awful.

randman2011 said:

I've been having problems with this rack for a long time now but I only just got time to get under the car and check it out. And it's bad news. The entire pinion has 1/4" of up/down play, giving the steering wheel A LOT of play. Looks like I have to pull the rack and best case scenario replace the pinion bearings. Idk if there's risk of damage to the housing or the rack/pinion but I'm certainly afraid of that. Without power steering I've regretted this rack since I installed it, and it would be the ultimate irony if I have to revert back to stock anyway. Here's to hoping that this is just a matter of new bearings...

Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. The bearings would all be old stock bearings by now so may just be worn out. The loads wont differ from stock form so may of just got a bad one that had a worn bearing.

Being a tigher ratio it is workable on the roads and the average would be a 235 tire but even then it depends on camber etc. its why EPAS was an option as its going to be tricky to be perfect for all and is the best way forward for you to keep the quickness. You wont regret going to epas at all. Infsct more and more are going this route even with stock ratio racks

Any thing i can assist on please do let me know

MindBlowin03 said:

I have been very pleased with mine so far. I added the EPS and it's an absolute joy to drive.

Click to expand...

You and many others love the speed of the rack so I am happy those who got in on this could get good use out of it. Epas does seem the best option moving forward. Only a few this far dont mind manual still but they rarely drive on the roads so parking lots are not an issue

EC17PSE said:

Sorry to hear that. The bearings would all be old stock bearings by now so may just be worn out. The loads wont differ from stock form so may of just got a bad one that had a worn bearing.

Being a tigher ratio it is workable on the roads and the average would be a 235 tire but even then it depends on camber etc. its why EPAS was an option as its going to be tricky to be perfect for all and is the best way forward for you to keep the quickness. You wont regret going to epas at all. Infsct more and more are going this route even with stock ratio racks

Any thing i can assist on please do let me know

Click to expand...

Do you have any photos or diagrams or info on the stock bearings? I've been checking pictures of people's rebuild/depower threads and was just about to declare that there aren't actually any bearings in the pinion housing and mine might be destroyed. I won't have the ability to pull mine out of the car until Friday or Saturday to check for myself.

randman2011 said:

The ratio is MUCH better than stock. I would say that's how the car should have been from the factory, but honestly I'd like it to be even faster. I'm sure that with power assist I would have been very happy with it, but without, the car is completely undrivable on summer tires. On winter tires the car is drivable in a pinch, but I find myself taking any other car to avoid the difficulty in parking. Parallel parking is an absolute nightmare. I haven't put my summer tires on in years because of this.

I've had an EPS motor and controller for as long as I've had the rack installed but every time I line up a welder to install it, they back out. So the Eclipse has been a backup car for years.

It's also worth noting that I'm no stranger to manual steering. My old NA Miata had its lines looped, my van is unintentionally depowered, and the AZ-1 and Jimny were manual from the factory. This is entirely different.

Why didn't I go with the EPS that was offered by Cole? No idea. But I definitely regret it.

Click to expand...

We cannot go higher ratio without a redesigned housing from scratch! Then we are taking a bigger jump into the next sector which is out of reach for alot of people. I really looked into a PS rack system but it was alot so It ended up being more cost effective to do manual and then add epas in.

randman2011 said:

Do you have any photos or diagrams or info on the stock bearings? I've been checking pictures of people's rebuild/depower threads and was just about to declare that there aren't actually any bearings in the pinion housing and mine might be destroyed. I won't have the ability to pull mine out of the car until Friday or Saturday to check for myself.

Click to expand...

I do have a rack apart so I can nab those for you shortly.

randman2011 said:

Do you have any photos or diagrams or info on the stock bearings? I've been checking pictures of people's rebuild/depower threads and was just about to declare that there aren't actually any bearings in the pinion housing and mine might be destroyed. I won't have the ability to pull mine out of the car until Friday or Saturday to check for myself.

Click to expand...

The upper bearing (as there is only one) is this one. Its a koyo. 83A733 is the number and can be bought in sealed and unsealed.

Other thing to check is the lower nut that keeps it in as that might of gotten lose meaning it moves up/down more

llxkevinxll said:

The EPS Bobby recommended initially or a different option?

Click to expand...

I used the guy who was originally doing the EPS conversions.

I had a nice long reply typed out but Tuners ate it, so here's the gist. The bottom nut had indeed backed out and I suspect that it wasn't properly torqued from the beginning because the rack had always felt notchy and that finally went away when I torqued it myself. The play problem is resolved for now but I suspect I'll need to take the rack apart to clean it and cover that nut in threadlocker at some point.

Now on to my long list of other problems with the car....

randman2011 said:

I had a nice long reply typed out but Tuners ate it, so here's the gist. The bottom nut had indeed backed out and I suspect that it wasn't properly torqued from the beginning because the rack had always felt notchy and that finally went away when I torqued it myself. The play problem is resolved for now but I suspect I'll need to take the rack apart to clean it and cover that nut in threadlocker at some point.

Now on to my long list of other problems with the car....

Click to expand...

Glad that is solved for you, SORRY it came off on my behalf. its NOT normal at all. best thing to do is to use a nyloc or locking type nut and then you wont have to worry about it again.

HOPEFULLY no metal is present as i doubt there will be anyway as its a slow moving gear online a trans but still worth a peek to check it out

So with the Electronic assist how does it feel now? I'm in group buy 2 and drove the car looped last night and yeah if the new manual rack is just as tough I hate it. No more arm out the window one hand cruising would have me just taking the BRZ all the time. so I contacted Chris I'm I'll have him do the Electronic assist. So question is do I need a can bus controller and how does the weight of the eps feel? Chris said canbus is an option. I also have haltech so I wonder If I can use that as a controller. I'll call them and find out.

dwdsm said:

So with the Electronic assist how does it feel now? I'm in group buy 2 and drove the car looped last night and yeah if the new manual rack is just as tough I hate it. No more arm out the window one hand cruising would have me just taking the BRZ all the time. so I contacted Chris I'm I'll have him do the Electronic assist. So question is do I need a can bus controller and how does the weight of the eps feel? Chris said canbus is an option. I also have haltech so I wonder If I can use that as a controller. I'll call them and find out.

Click to expand...

Hey there. 1st group buy participant here, so my review is mostly positive AFTER the EPS kit (versa eps). I tried driving it around without the EPS and it felt harder than running oem without the power steering. I sent my rack back to the company that assembled everyone's and they said it slightly had play so they reset it and sent it back to me and that feeling was still rough. Sent my steering column out to Mr.Cole for the eps kit and although that experience was very uhhh interesting to say the least but thats another story. After installing the steering column back on and wiring everything up (no controller) my only beef is its still a bit rough trying to turn at a dead stop but move the slightest and its back to being easy. I thought the versa motor may have been too small for this but had a friend install a prius motor and compared the stock rack vs the quaife and the stock rack even his child can turn the steering wheel at a dead stop but not the quaife rack. So thats my experience, I haven't seen too many other review there experience but I also havent followed up in a while either. I feel like maybe tire size/compound would play a part as well. But I dont road race or anything as i was only looking for driveability mainly.

josh408 said:

Hey there. 1st group buy participant here, so my review is mostly positive AFTER the EPS kit (versa eps). I tried driving it around without the EPS and it felt harder than running oem without the power steering. I sent my rack back to the company that assembled everyone's and they said it slightly had play so they reset it and sent it back to me and that feeling was still rough. Sent my steering column out to Mr.Cole for the eps kit and although that experience was very uhhh interesting to say the least but thats another story. After installing the steering column back on and wiring everything up (no controller) my only beef is its still a bit rough trying to turn at a dead stop but move the slightest and its back to being easy. I thought the versa motor may have been too small for this but had a friend install a prius motor and compared the stock rack vs the quaife and the stock rack even his child can turn the steering wheel at a dead stop but not the quaife rack. So thats my experience, I haven't seen too many other review there experience but I also havent followed up in a while either. I feel like maybe tire size/compound would play a part as well. But I dont road race or anything as i was only looking for driveability mainly.

Click to expand...

At cruise say 45 mph is it tedious to one arm it? In my desperation to get away from failing power steering and cleaning up the bay more I feel like I just jumped right in without my due diligence research wise. I'm going Prius EPS from the start and will probably let it run full out and not use haltech. I run a stock Evo size 235 summer tire so nothing crazy.

dwdsm said:

At cruise say 45 mph is it tedious to one arm it? In my desperation to get away from failing power steering and cleaning up the bay more I feel like I just jumped right in without my due diligence research wise. I'm going Prius EPS from the start and will probably let it run full out and not use haltech. I run a stock Evo size 235 summer tire so nothing crazy.

Click to expand...

The tire width can be a problem and sticky compounds also. Im on a race epas system (non prius or other) and 275 / 295 and at slow speeds its doable with 1 finger but ultimately it is not designed for that. Prius is more suitable for those kinds of effects and most are speed sensitive so slow speed it increases power and higher speeds it reduces it.

Using the smaller epas kits never works wellas their chassis and motors are not designed for the larger tires or motor strength. Either way you will likeoy prefer epas over no epas as the quick rack does make standing still movements slightly harder (without epas) but once you get a few MPH it feels much nicer.