Technical steering rack or box

[Help help]

Has anyone here converted from steering box to steering rack, my car is RHD, I see you can buy a rack for LHD I have an old rack from a RHD 126 including steering column and pondering the conversion. My car is in bits and in a very long restoration but hoping to make progress soon.

Would like to know what is involved additional parts required, or better to keep the steering box, I see you can get refurbished LHD steering boxes but not RHD, seems the RHD cars are quite rare!.

 

[the hobbler]

Has anyone here converted from steering box to steering rack, my car is RHD, I see you can buy a rack for LHD I have an old rack from a RHD 126 including steering column and pondering the conversion. My car is in bits and in a very long restoration but hoping to make progress soon.

Would like to know what is involved additional parts required, or better to keep the steering box, I see you can get refurbished LHD steering boxes but not RHD, seems the RHD cars are quite rare!.

You CAN fit R + P steering to RHD 500s, but it is NOT a simple"swap-parts" job. The best way to mount the rack is to obtain one of the 'rack-mounts' from Lukasz at L.P Garage in Sudbury (Suffolk).This mount fits straight onto the 6 studs normally used by the steering-box and the Idler---it does for both RHD and LHD. This mount will correctly align the rack, with no welding required. Some welding WILL be required in order to lengthen the central part of the steering column--Lukasz can also supply that part. I have a number of photos showing how the new arrangement needs to be fitted together---they are all on paper, so drop me a line if you would like copies of those pictures (and remind me of your address). Having said all that, set up properly, there is not a lot wrong with the standard 500 steering-box. I was able to get an over-hauled box (RHD) from Mark Jayes at Motobambino---he might still be able to obtain them. When I fitted the "new" box onto my 500, I was amazed at the difference it made---hadn't realised just how bad the old box was! If you DO manage to get an over-hauled steering-box, check that the steering-arm is located correctly---mine was a couple of splines out which initially made me scratch my head and wonder what the heck was going on.

 

[Help help]

You CAN fit R + P steering to RHD 500s, but it is NOT a simple"swap-parts" job. The best way to mount the rack is to obtain one of the 'rack-mounts' from Lukasz at L.P Garage in Sudbury (Suffolk).This mount fits straight onto the 6 studs normally used by the steering-box and the Idler---it does for both RHD and LHD. This mount will correctly align the rack, with no welding required. Some welding WILL be required in order to lengthen the central part of the steering column--Lukasz can also supply that part. I have a number of photos showing how the new arrangement needs to be fitted together---they are all on paper, so drop me a line if you would like copies of those pictures (and remind me of your address). Having said all that, set up properly, there is not a lot wrong with the standard 500 steering-box. I was able to get an over-hauled box (RHD) from Mark Jayes at Motobambino---he might still be able to obtain them. When I fitted the "new" box onto my 500, I was amazed at the difference it made---hadn't realised just how bad the old box was! If you DO manage to get an over-hauled steering-box, check that the steering-arm is located correctly---mine was a couple of splines out which initially made me scratch my head and wonder what the heck was going on.

What an incredible wealth of knowledge you are, It might be at this point to stick with the steering box and look at the rack conversion once the car is up and running as this can be tackled as a separate project.
i have never driven my 500 and so have no idea what the current box is like in terms of wear, but will contact Motobambino to see what is available.

I saw in another thread from you that you had bought an Abarth type instrument cluster, I have seen these and they vary hugely in price where did you source yours from please.

Regards Gary

 

[the hobbler]

What an incredible wealth of knowledge you are, It might be at this point to stick with the steering box and look at the rack conversion once the car is up and running as this can be tackled as a separate project.
i have never driven my 500 and so have no idea what the current box is like in terms of wear, but will contact Motobambino to see what is available.

I saw in another thread from you that you had bought an Abarth type instrument cluster, I have seen these and they vary hugely in price where did you source yours from please.

Regards Gary

Hi Gary; I bought my "Abarth style instrument cluster" sort-off from " Middle Barton Garage" some years ago (actually,I bought it from a guy who HAD bought it from MBG, but never got round to fitting it)---but I don't know if they still sell the kit. There are a number of the suppliers, both in the UK and on the Continent who can supply these instrument clusters. My "ex-MBG" kit has an electronic speedo, and it was only down to a very generous offer from somebody that I was able to acquire the correct electronic sensor/sender. I would therefore suggest that you make sure that any kit that you buy has a MECHANICAL speed which just connects to the car's speedo cable. Alternatively, purchase just the instrument-cluster casing and then obtain your own instruments,but again, obtaining a speedo which is compatible with the 500 will mean that probably you will have to buy a "forun" speedo. There are "Instrument repair" companies who would be able to replace the KMH speed-range face with a MPH speed range face. I have noticed that there are 2 sizes of instrument cluster (and make sure you get one that is compatible with YOUR car---they are slightly different shape on the bottom of the cluster where they go round the steering-column)---I have the larger size, which has allowed me to fit 4 gauges (100mm speedo and tacho + 52 mm oil-pressure and oil-temperature) AND 4 x 'idiot' lights (ignition + oil-pressure + low-fuel + high-beam). There was no more space for a "lights on" idiot- light, but I found a switch on which the end illuminates, to use as a "lights-on" indicator. My son (who helped with the electrical side of the operation) and I realised that some modern 'multi-plugs' match with the Fiat 'multi-plugs', so he worked out what-did-what on the CAR side of the multi-plugs, and then he wired up the instruments so that it just became a matter of connecting up the multl-plugs---very neat and simple. In the end, I seem to remember that there were only 2 "not multi-plug" wires (and one was an additional earth). Lastly, if you have a 500 "L", take BIG breath (I did!) before you decide to fit the instrument-cluster---it is the only model with the BIG instrument-cluster, and unlike ALL the other 500 variants, the instrument-cluster fits onto a small plinth (built in to the dash facia). A very LARGE percentage of that plinth has to be (permanently) cut away in order for the instrument cluster to fit properly.Again, if you want to contact me, I can take some pictures of the cluster for you, and I still have my son's sketches as to where the wires go to in the multi-plugs---you are welcome to a copy of those sketches. Hope this is all of help to you

 

[lazylobster]

Hi Gary, I went down a different route. As I wanted to retain and revert to the original round speedo config. I installed a digital dash as per pics. Unplug it and remove it in less than 1 min.

Shows revs, oil temp, oil pressure, batt charge and would show water tmp too if required Also a handy clock.

More info on this thread about parts and setup.

I've gone digital . . | FIAT 500 (Classic)

"I've engineered a solution to a problem I didn't have" :D When friends came round to dinner 3 months ago, they were shown Valentina. They liked her so much that they are having their own 500 restored by the same people I used in Italy. They are going red on white interior but with...

www.fiatforum.com

Regards
Rob