Converting Pas Rack To Manual - Opinions Required

[Gibbo GTI 0]

The shell I bought a few months ago has a pas rack fitted and I was thinking of converting it to a manual rack since it's quicker steering than my normal manual rack.

 

After reading through some old posts about it, there seemeed at the time to be a negative feeling about doing it with mention of too mch play in the rack. Those people who have driven cars with this conversion, what are your thoughts? I know the steering will be slightly heavier at very slow speeds.

[Anthony 1,000]

For what it's worth, on all the various de-PAS'd cars that I've driven, I've never noticed the play around the straight ahead position that is mentioned occasionally. I can thus either deduce that the play is nigh-on non-existant and thus not really a concern, or that some racks are worse than others and all the ones I've driven have been good.

 

Certainly it's a worthwhile mod and the car feels much better for it - going back to a standard non-PAS rack afterwards makes it feel like driving a bus, despite the difference on paper only being about 0.6 turns lock-to-lock or so.

[Gibbo GTI 0]

Thanks Anthony, will start converting the rack after christmas

[All Praise The GTI 3]

i used to have one on mine and loved it much better than standard. just blank the holes. easiest way but abit bodged is cut the pipes leaving 10mm or so and jus bend it over to keep the dirt out the rack done

i now run a vts rack with electric pas as i have a tran x plate

[tomcolinjones 26]

i used to have one on mine and loved it much better than standard. just blank the holes. easiest way but abit bodged is cut the pipes leaving 10mm or so and jus bend it over to keep the dirt out the rack done

i now run a vts rack with electric pas as i have a tran x plate

what do you make of the vts rack? how did you get it to fit the uj? my 205 is spline type. i have a vts here, its the later type with 2.6 turns, and i want to use electric power steering on it, with a plate diff eventualy.

[jackherer 543]

Certainly it's a worthwhile mod and the car feels much better for it - going back to a standard non-PAS rack afterwards makes it feel like driving a bus, despite the difference on paper only being about 0.6 turns lock-to-lock or so.

 

I fully agree with that...

 

i now run a vts rack with electric pas

 

...but I agree with that more. An assisted VTS rack is the way to go, it makes going back to an unassisted 205 PAS rack feel like driving a tractor.

 

You do need PAS with a VTS rack though IMO, it is too heavy without, I think it actually slows you down on tighter turns as you just can't wind the lock on fast enough.

[All Praise The GTI 3]

love my setup now it turns soo quickly!!

but you do NEED pas with the early vts rack. i lost the alternator belt on my last trackday so tried unplugging the pas as it seriously drains the battery and i couldnt turn the wheel

i came across a uj on a rack in my garden lol that went on and fitted straight to the car no messing about! paul13 pointed me in the right direction think he discovered them.

[jackherer 543]

You would have been fighting the fluid in the system too, it isn't that bad with the PAS stuff removed entirely, still not a good idea IMO.

[tomcolinjones 26]

i came across a uj on a rack in my garden lol that went on and fitted straight to the car no messing about! paul13 pointed me in the right direction think he discovered them.

 

does anyone have the correct u.j to fit the ph2 vts rack to my 205? i have spline drive colum. anything will do as long as it works,except cuting and welding up the steering colum.... not too keen on this option to be honest.

[Vili 17]

does anyone have the correct u.j to fit the ph2 vts rack to my 205? i have spline drive colum. anything will do as long as it works,except cuting and welding up the steering colum.... not too keen on this option to be honest.

Best way is to take both 205 and VTS(or any xsara or 306) lower columns. Dismantle the uj's from both. Then rebuild one lower colum with xsara/306 lower part and 205 upper part. It fits perfectly, doesn't need weldin or cutting.

 

 

205 vs. 306 Don't mind the finnish. It only says that the sleeve is too long in the 306 column and the lower part is too long in the 205 column.

 

205+306

Edited December 26, 2010 by Vili

[tomcolinjones 26]

Best way is to take both 205 and VTS(or any xsara or 306) lower columns. Dismantle the uj's from both. Then rebuild one lower colum with xsara/306 lower part and 205 upper part. It fits perfectly, doesn't need weldin or cutting.

 

 

205 vs. 306 Don't mind the finnish. It only says that the sleeve is too long in the 306 column and the lower part is too long in the 205 column.

 

205+306

 

Super. thanks for a proper reply!