355 Ferrari F355 Challenge Steering rack

According to the part numbers, all 3 are standard. Probably why they all have 3.25 turns to lock.

A Fiorano/Challenge rack starts with “17.”

 

176036 is the LHD challenge rack part number

 

The challenge car had the factory fitted roll cage mounts in the floor, so it was the real deal.

Who knows, maybe the original owner preferred the road rack, or the factory reverted to such for the 96 spec challenge cars but kept it quiet.

Has anyone actually seen the tag on a challenge version to confirm the different number is stamped on the tag, as maybe it may just be an internal number change and the tag number remains as standard?

 

Just had a look on eurospares website and it seems it the was the 99 spec challenge cars that had a unique rack and number, no listing of a different to standard rack for the 96 spec challenge examples.

 

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https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/355-challenge-steering-rack.564410/

 

Thanks, Just had a look on the Japanese advert and they clearly show the different part number on the tag, but the body appears to be the same.

A shorter ratio rack will simply have broader teeth on the same base size rack and pinion components, so it would be straight forward enough to have some blank items machined up to such by a specialist. Given most of the trw racks from that era are basically the same internally, there may well be an off the shelf option from another car that also used a similar trw rack. My cosworths had a 2.75 pas trw rack that looked very similar. I used to rebuild them using a kit from Ford at the time

May still have such a spare rack kicking about, will take a look.

 

I’ve tried to compare them as much as I could through pics and body does appear to be the same. We just need the damn rack and pinion made with quicker specs. It should all go in the same.

I did contact TRW trying to see if i could buy a Fiorano rack and pinion. No success. It doesn’t seem like TRW has off the shelf internals for rebuilding. If we can get lucky and find another rack and pinion from another car model that just slips right in and readily available on the used market, even better!

 

The only sporty car I can think of from the mid 90s with a TRW PAS rack would be the escort Cosworth, they came in lhd and the Group A rally examples used an uprated version so kits for such may still be available, its finding someone who has one stripped down to compare dimensions, but again a specialist may have such if a 355 standard one was sent to them.

No doubt similar BMW. Mercedes, Alfa etc also had such trw racks, but not my field of knowledge.

 

Here is a pic of a lhd 2.75 lock to lock pas trw 4x4 cosworth rack I rebuilt many years ago, its long gone, but I still have the old replaced bushes etc somewhere that I would be able to measure to compare to the 355 rack if anyone has one stripped? I don't really have the time to take one of these 3 apart at the moment.

As an aside, I also checked the front anti roll bar from that 96 challenge against a standard road one, and they have the same tags also, so it seems not a lot was uprated on the 96 cars, it was the 99 versions that had all the upgrades.
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Any pics of that rack’s teeth?

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/how-to-rebuild-a-power-steering-rack-f355.505342/#post-144318663

 

That is the only pic I have, if you zoom in you can just about see the edges. A google of cosworth racks may show the gauge of the teeth on them.

 

Will do over the weekend, prepping them for end of month runs
If you dont put more weight over the front wheels less in the rear I would not go any quicker.
My cars are not stock challenge specs.

 

Firstly rack speed is not measured in lock to lock, it is measure in mm travel per rotation, for example my gt86 race race has rack spacers to clear the brake cooling so it has less turns lock to lock than a stock car but still has the same rack speed.

The company did the engineering and they where 53.5mm per revolution as that's what the quickest later OEM bmw rack was as I had one in my e30 M3 and was happy with the feel

 

@SOstergaard



This is an FHP 355 with the quick steering rack? Possible to get from them?

 

Do they still have possession of the car? The car has the Fiorano Handling Pack ECU, which is located in the passenger foot compartment. Should take a few min to unplug. Should at least get that.

Pulling a steering rack from a crushed car is probably an impossible task.

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The car was broken up and no parts were allowed to be sold on that car. It was just a shame really. They mention it in the YouTube clip as people were asking why?

 

Had to remove ANY doubt that the bureaucrat responsible was a petty moron.

 

Pretty disgusting if you ask me. That car regardless of the circumstances was worth money and valuable the proceeds could have went to great causes but no.

 

Its often a result of future ownership and warranty issues if parts are sold on from such seized cars, so they have to be crushed complete to avoid such future legal risks.

 

Meanwhile us 348 guys are just here enjoying some of the best steering feel of any car made. I'm surprised more 355 folks don't go that route tbh.


I don't find its lack of power steering a problem ever.

 

Early manual racks are unobtanium. And it was still 3.25 turns lock to lock from what I’ve read. It’s not the same rack as 348’s. Different part number.

What’s the lock to lock on a 348?

 

According to the WSM.... 3.0 turns.

 

Any reason why we couldn’t run a manual 348 rack in our cars? I need to drive one to see what it’s like.