Local would be driving to my place from your place on one tank of gas in a Miata? Unless you could hypermile a tank about 3500 miles then you would be local!

 

I can't imagine four solid tack welds breaking in such an application, and even if they were to break, you'd just be back to where you started in the first place. I see no reason to fully weld the thing, IMO.

 

I remember seeing some pics of someone in here that had tacks and thoses cracked.

Best thing is tack, cool it and complete the seam. Can't go bad with a good welder.

 

I like that option of putting pins in instead of welding. I looked at the post that was referenced and I wonder if they used a taper reamer and taper pins to ensure a very snug fit. If you were really concerned about the pins coming out, you could also plug weld the hole/end of pin.

 

If you're gonna weld the pins why wouldn't you just weld the pinion.

 

A .499"-.500" pin,cryofit in to a reamed hole of say .498" to .499",is in no danger of backing out.
Greg

 

half to a thou is typical on that diameter press fit, and it would certainly never come apart, no cold/hot assembly or welding necessary.

 

So, Ben have you swapped in the welded pinion? Notice any difference? I think people are thinking too much here. Twibs welded mine 360*, no issues, a good weld isn't going anywhere. Have a good welder do the job, just have it welded completely, why bother with a 3 or 4 tacks when a full weld is obviously better support.

 

Here's the photo in the thread.

The amount of play that is removed by doing this was immediately noticeable. It makes steering more precise and much less busy.
Check out this video if you haven't.
https://vimeo.com/15245486 Right Curly?
That's right at the pinion, so the larger diameter of the steering wheel increases this however many times.
Ok, sorry for the thread jack.

 

Yeah look at that slop...

Isn't there one more pin at a 90* angle to the one pictured? Or did he only do one pin? I forget.

Whether or not it makes any improvement is definitely negotiable, I imagine it would also magnify any bump steer issues.

 

Those Lazfab/CSTG bumpsteer rack spacers though...

 

Sorry to bump this old thread, but I just want to be clear with this. So if I weld this thing, I can ditch that sealing part and clip ring in middle of this pic below. I just put the bearings back there and put it together?






[/noob]

 

No, I have a driving and aligned car. I don't want to mess with it now. I'll weld it when I set it into the Exocet chassis.