Steering Rack Stiffener Brackets

[jamesakers]

Just seen this on the Vanagon Facebook group. Not heard of this issue before, thoughts? Want to go out and measure mine now.



Designed by Jason Newton, master VW and Vanagon specialist for 25 years. The 2WD Vanagon has an inherent weakness in the design of the steering rack mount. Under load in turns, over bumps and in windy conditions, the steering rack mount flexes causing bump steer and poor steering feel. 75 percent of all vans I see have a distorted mount due to age and rough use. These brackets install easily and allow you to stiffen the mount to correct and prevent further damage. Installation videos show ease of installation and what they do. There are no holes to drill, no special tools needed. These are lasercut and precisely bent to be a perfect modification free fit. Powder coated with new hardware. I do recommend an alignment check due to possible toe setting changes. I have partnered up with Branden Floyd at VanGuy.net for manufacture and sales of these great products.

[maxstu]

Waiting for the video, James

[ZsZ]

A wery long topic evolved on TheSamba about it.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... p?t=750784
Some say it helps a lot.
I said that two palm sized reinforcement bracket being welded on the line would not bankrupt VW so it is flexible by design. However I don't know why that flexing is good.

[maxstu]

Good find, Zoltan

Last year l fitted poly bushes to my camper steering rack. If it wasnt for that bit of flex in the plate, and with solid PAS pipes, it would have been a struggle to fit new parts between rack and mounting point.
Would never have tried with standard bushes.

[Aidan]

Is the Syncro version of the panel stronger ? by design ?
I haven't read the Samba thread btw

[silverbullet]

iirc SA buses have a pair of flat reinforcing plates spot welded to the backnof the rack panel, which Hannover vans do not have?

Probably easier to fit some bits of tube between the two skins and use longer bolts, although tacking a panel across the bottom of the channel to make it into a box section would be good for reducing chassis flex.

And they do flex. Quite a lot.

[silverbullet]

samba screenshot: Insanely heavy plate welded in, then some bolted in brackets. Why it's not all welded I do not know.

[ZsZ]

Is the Syncro version of the panel stronger ? by design ?
I haven't read the Samba thread btw

Isn't syncros have the steering rack on the subframe?

. Why it's not all welded I do not know.

Poster said something about local MOT restrictions and colsulting with MOT engineer

[silverbullet]

Probably some NL thing

[Aidan]

Is the Syncro version of the panel stronger ? by design ?
I haven't read the Samba thread btw

Isn't syncros have the steering rack on the subframe

no they have a panel on the main body above the subframe, it is different to the 2wd and in a different position

[ZsZ]

Is the Syncro version of the panel stronger ? by design ?
I haven't read the Samba thread btw

Isn't syncros have the steering rack on the subframe

no they have a panel on the main body above the subframe, it is different to the 2wd and in a different position

THX!
It looks much more rigid than the 2wd version