Steering rack on a Toylander 2

[Tore]

Hi,

The steering rack has a "native" ratio of approx 1 1/4 turns from lock to lock.  This gives 70mm of travel. 

HTH
-Tore

[Robert]

Robert,

Is that a hydraulic brake pump I see in your render?

That's correct. I am using the braking pump and caliper from a gas scooter.

[Tore]

A few more pictures from my ever so slow progress...

Managed to get the "under car" pieces in place today.  The welds aren't exactly beauty contest material, but they usually hold.  (Note to self: learn to weld someday)



A bit more detail, showing the soon-to-be-retired thingy that all these shiny new pieces replace:


Next up is cutting the steering column.  Then there is no way back.

-Tore

[Tore]

Today was the day for the initial test drive.

The 2-year old and the 6-year old took turns driving (I got to try too).  The steering is definitely... different.  Approx 1 and a half turn from lock to lock, and the steering requires very little force.  The 2-year old has no problem turning the wheel, even when the car is stationary.

The 6-year old, who has been driving the Toylander quite a lot found the new steering quite confusing at first.  But after a km or so, he seemed comfortable.  When we got home, he did not hesitate to drive the car into the garage - through the side door, with only 2 cm space on each side.  He has never done that before.

I'd say the steering rack conversion was a success.  The goal was to make the Toylander easier to handle for a person with little arm strength.  I am, however, concerned with the added complexity.  Where the old steering had *one* weak point, there is now several potential places where the steering can slip or break.

I am considering this a prototype and will let the test pilots do their job.  When somethings break, I'll just repair and reinforce it...

Pictures will follow, someday soon.

-Tore

[markh15]

Hi Tore,

I am really impressed with the conversion to Rack and Pinion steering, Well Done!!

Not only does it look neater, it looks made for the purpose too.
As you say, the steering lock has increased to a more 'realistic' ratio, and is easier for all to handle, which is what we were all striving towards with our various modifications.

What's next, Four wheel drive, Turbo power boost, jet pack   .

Keep up the excellent work, you lead, we'll follow.

Take care,
Best Regards,
Mark.

[Tore]

Picture time!

I promised pictures of the "finished" project.  Here is what I got:

The unit that connects to the steering axle to the chain:


I do not have a TIG welder, so I opted for JB-Weld to attach the angular brackets to the unit.  It will be held by the bolts too, I do think it is strong enough.

Attached to the steering column:


I used the router to cut a slot in the body for the chain, it is only 12x50mm:

I really must remember to seal this to prevent moisture from ruining the MDF before we go driving in the wet.

Installed on the car:




This is how it looks inside the battery compartment:

The horizontal battens are there to carry the weight of the batteries.  That way, I can use thin plywood for the false bottom.

Finally a picture of the battery compartment with the support for the batteries in place (but without the false bottom):


Next, I need to fabricate some sort of adjustable chain tensioner to take up the slack.

-Tore

[brian]

That is beautifully engineerd Tore, very well done.

Can you tell me, is JB weld some kind of epoxy resin??

Carry on with the excellent build, this site becomes more fascinating post by post.

Regards,

Brian.

[Tore]

Thank you, Brian.

Yes, JB-Weld is an epoxy resin/glue.  I believe it is said to be well suited for gluing metal, but really - it was what I found in the drawer...

-Tore

[jimmyybob]

JB weld is what was always known as chemical metal.