Steering rack speed

[uacghost]

my 93 foxbody is 20:1 and I feel it is fine. Maybe I am just behind the times because that is the newest car I ever owned but I do not see how 16:1 is that bad.

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[S550Boss]

You can modify that as well, it's just an optical sensor that detects steering wheel position and outputs a command to turn the wheels. You can set that to even be exponential like the steering on the LaFerrari, such that you can make u-turn without overlapping hands.

No you can't, there is no such part on the Mustang or Focus. What you are talking about is a steering system for a future Ford, unannounced, and it's not on the 2015 Mustang.

The 2014 and 2015 Mustang use the same mechanical gear steering rack; the electric motor is only an assist. Short of having new gears fabricated somehow, there is no way to change the steering ratio.

 

[w3rkn]

You don't have to take my word for it, but seeing how I am an electrical engineer working in the auto industry, I'd hope I'd know what I'm talking about...

I think you are missing the point, nobody denies that it can, we have not seen it in the Mustang's options.

 

[Whiskey11]

Exactly... Ford of Europe has their dynamic tuning act together in a way that Team Mustang and SVT have never had. Team Mustang should have had their European team do the steering.
I was comparing my Boss and ST this morning and wondering what the heck the Dearborn people were thinking... what a dog. Giant bumper car steering wheel, slow ratio, lurching response. And the 2015 has the same rack and shaft, but a slightly smaller wheel (not small enough).

Is there anything about your car you like because everyone of your posts about the S197 chassis has been 100% negative.

Quite frankly... I autocross a 2009 Mustang GT which has essentially the same rack ratio as the 11+ cars with EPAS, it also has the ridiculous steering wheel size. On a real autocross course the rack speed is not an issue. On the tight, postage stamp lots some places use and tout as the best site in the world it is a tad slow. For National level autocross, it's definitely quick enough. It DOES take getting used to but once the suspension is done right the car changes directions very easily and the rack ratio isn't an issue.

That said, you want a slow rack? See the new Charger racks. We got the "privilege" of driving these cars in anger on a "mini" roadcourse at the Academy and they set up the straights with super tight slaloms to get you to slow down and shuffle steer (which I hate)... that rack took AGES to get from one direction to the other and then there wasn't enough caster in the suspension or there was enough bind in the suspension that the wheel didn't straighten out for shit. Contrast that with the Crown Victorias which just sailed through those sections and would straighten out if you goosed the throttle during the transition from one direction to the other.

Quite frankly, the S197 chassis's EPAS and Hydraulic racks are lightyears ahead of that crap.

The smaller steering wheel is going to help a lot but I'm sure the big "wow" factor with the new Mustang is going to be front end communication through the steering wheel and the ferocious dive in that the car has. The Mustang has had that feel since 05 and I'm sure will continue the trend.

 

[Grimace427]

Don't forget about the double ball joint front suspension. I can't say for sure on the S550 but the DB can increase the gain from the steering angle to the knuckle. This was discussed in the S550 chassis school thread during the M4 comparison. The change from the S197(15.8:1) to the S550(16:1) might have been due to the DB front suspension and could yield an actual improvement in steering agility. Time will tell for sure.

 

[w3rkn]

The ratio in my BMW is too slow... waiting to feel the s550's.

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