Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.

New Posts Contact us

Just Commodores Forum Community

It takes just a moment to join our fantastic community

Register

VS calais steering rack swap

Lebonz

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2018
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
54
Location
NZ
Members Ride
Break commodore
Hello Team, has anyone swapped a steering rack from a Calais (it has the speed sensitive steering /electric plug) to a standard steering rack? If so please let me know if there's anything I need to watch out for or any problems with doing so. Thanks in advance
 

Lebonz

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2018
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
54
Location
NZ
Members Ride
Break commodore
Hello Team, has anyone swapped a steering rack from a Calais (it has the speed sensitive steering /electric plug) to a standard steering rack? If so please let me know if there's anything I need to watch out for or any problems with doing so. Thanks in advance
Sorry it's a 1996 VS Calais.
 

_R_J_K_

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2008
Messages
6,723
Reaction score
1,856
Points
113
Members Ride
Zenki S14
problems with doing so
The racks are dimensionally different and won't interchange without a bunch of other dicking around, might be possible if the VS steering shaft is able to extend out, otherwise the steering shaft is too short to attach to the rack. Talking from experience on a VP Calais, there will also likely be a difference in the valving (or something) on the output of the power steering pump which makes the steering dangerously light when using a variatronic pump with a standard rack.
 

Deuce

Super Stock
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Messages
4,456
Reaction score
4,669
Points
113
Location
Snobs Rock (or so the locals say)
Members Ride
'94 VR SS V8
The racks are dimensionally different and won't interchange without a bunch of other dicking around, might be possible if the VS steering shaft is able to extend out, otherwise the steering shaft is too short to attach to the rack. Talking from experience on a VP Calais, there will also likely be a difference in the valving (or something) on the output of the power steering pump which makes the steering dangerously light when using a variatronic pump with a standard rack.
Yeah my understanding was a standard rack has the flow restrictor in the back of the pump body. The pump for variotronic has no restrictions as the rack does all that electronically
 

Lebonz

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2018
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Age
54
Location
NZ
Members Ride
Break commodore
The racks are dimensionally different and won't interchange without a bunch of other dicking around, might be possible if the VS steering shaft is able to extend out, otherwise the steering shaft is too short to attach to the rack. Talking from experience on a VP Calais, there will also likely be a difference in the valving (or something) on the output of the power steering pump which makes the steering dangerously light when using a variatronic pump with a standard rack.
Hello, thanks heaps for the advice, I learnt some of that earlier today, sadly. I've removed the rack and put it next to the standard one. Please correct me if I'm wrong, I have 3 options, buy a replacement (non for sale at the moment) rebuild my current one to stop the leak, order the repair kit and slowly swap all seals, option 3, the racks themselves seem identical except for, the unit where the solenoid /shafts part that connects to the steering column? Do you know if these are interchangeable? My concern is the previous owner told me at purchase time a couple of weeks ago he had packed the inner parts with silicone to stop the leak so wondering if it would be better to swap bits and rebuild the other unit... Sorry for the long story. Cheers
 

vc commodore

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
10,651
Reaction score
12,331
Points
113
Location
Like the Leyland Brothers
Members Ride
VC, VH and VY
Get a recoed rack, either yours or buy a one that way...Saves a heap of head aches
 
Top