Steering
The entire steering system has been upgraded. There isn’t a single stock part that’s used.
Steering Rack
SL-C racks on the left and Aero racks on the right
The steering rack has a slow ratio which is evident even when pushing the car around the garage. Lock-to-lock steering requires 2.6 turns and even then the SL-C seems to have wider turning radius than most cars. I assume that the slow ratio was chosen because SLC’s have big, sticky tires and almost none have power steering — there’s typically no room in the engine compartment for a power steering pump and electric assist systems aren’t cheap. Without power steering a quicker ratio would require Popeye arms to park the car.
Based on their experience endurance racing SL’Cs, Agile Automotive has developed a steering rack for the SL-C and the Aero which they are installing on all of the Superlite cars they build/maintain. The race rack is 42% faster, the street rack is 25% faster and they can provide custom ratios as well. While the stock rack is robust enough for the street, Agile doesn’t think it’s a good fit for a car running slicks so they significantly beefed up their rack.
Key benefits include:
Faster steering ratio
Manufactured in Europe by a motorsports manufacturer
CNC-machined cast aluminum housing
Considerably more robust pinion and rack shaft (tested and validated in professional motorsports)
Designed to withstand the stresses of column-driven electric-power-assisted steering
Larger, stronger inner tie rod ends for increased load capacity and longevity
I just received my rack today and it’s in keeping with the rest of the car — well engineered and made of CNC-machined aluminum. The diameter of the housing is larger than the stock rack which minimally means that I’ll need to drill a couple of new mounting holes in the monocoque. I’m pretty sure that the mounting blocks will collide with the welded steel plates that mount the structure, but that’s the way these things go. You change one thing and it has a ripple effect… in this case one ripple colliding with another ripple… LOL
Agile suggested that I enlarge the ???” holes to ???” which was easy to do. The stock rack comes from the factory backed with washers. To better spread the load, I fabricated backing pates from 1/8” ???.
| Qty. | Part Number | Description | Unit Price | Ext. Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | n/a | Custom Steering Rack (49 mm per revolution) | $1,499.00 | $1,499.00 |
| 1 | EPAS102 | Pro Height-Adjustable Steering Column | ||
| 1 | EPAS100 | Pro MGU Shortened Power Steering Motor/Gearbox | ||
| 1 | EPAS108 | Pro Street Power Steering ECU | ||
| 1 | n/a | Custom Slide Yoke | $231.46 | $231.46 |
| 1 | n/a | U-Joint 9/16"X 36 TO 3/4" X 20 | $74.79 | $74.79 |
| 1 | n/a | U-Joint 5/8 X 36 TO 3/4 W | $74.79 | $74.79 |
| 1 | QR-03-22P | Krontec Quick Release Steering Wheel Boss With 22 Electrical Connection | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| 1 | QR-20 | Krontec 20mm Steering Wheel Spacer | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| 1 | QR-03-ST22-PN | Krontec Steering Column Side Connector | $118.00 | $118.00 |
| 1 | QR-03-ST22-SN | Krontec Steering Wheel Side Connector | $126.00 | $126.00 |
| 1 | OMP Non-A/Bag Steering Wheel Boss Kit For Renault Clio MK II/2 98-2014 | $91.13 | $91.13 | |
| Total | $2,790.17 |
Electric Power-AssIST STEERING (EPAS)
STEERING WHEEL BOSS & QUICK RELEASE
| Qty. | Part Number | Description | Unit Price | Ext. Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | n/a | Custom Steering Rack (49 mm per revolution) | $1,499.00 | $1,499.00 |
| 1 | EPAS102 | Pro Height-Adjustable Steering Column | ||
| 1 | EPAS100 | Pro MGU Shortened Power Steering Motor/Gearbox | ||
| 1 | EPAS108 | Pro Street Power Steering ECU | ||
| 1 | n/a | Custom Slide Yoke | $231.46 | $231.46 |
| 1 | n/a | U-Joint 9/16"X 36 TO 3/4" X 20 | $74.79 | $74.79 |
| 1 | n/a | U-Joint 5/8 X 36 TO 3/4 W | $74.79 | $74.79 |
| 1 | QR-03-22P | Krontec Quick Release Steering Wheel Boss With 22 Electrical Connection | $500.00 | $500.00 |
| 1 | QR-20 | Krontec 20mm Steering Wheel Spacer | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| 1 | QR-03-ST22-PN | Krontec Steering Column Side Connector | $118.00 | $118.00 |
| 1 | QR-03-ST22-SN | Krontec Steering Wheel Side Connector | $126.00 | $126.00 |
| 1 | OMP Non-Air Bag Steering Wheel Boss Kit For Renault Clio MK II/2 98-2014 | $91.13 | $91.13 | |
| 1 | n/a | M12 - 1.75mm x 25mm Screw (Zinc-Plated Alloy Steel) | ||
| 1 | n/a | M12 Washer (Stainless Steel) | ||
| 4 | n/a | 1/4"-20 x ???" Screw (Stainless Steel) | ||
| 4 | n/a | 1/4"-20 Nyloc (Stainless Steel) | ||
| 8 | n/a | 1/4" Washer (Stainless Steel) | ||
| 6 | n/a | M5-0.8mm x ???mm Hex Drive Flat Head Scew (Stainless Steel) | ||
| Total | $2,790.17 |
Steering Wheel
The kit comes with a 13" (330 mm) quick-release steering wheel. It's functional, but it makes the interior look like a kit car. The plan is to use an OEM wheel and retrofit it with a quick release. I can't use an air bag and its cavity provides a fair amount of space to to add switches.
| Qty. | Part Number | Description | Unit Price | Ext. Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CSB | Cosworth CAN Switch Board (CSB) | ||
| 2 | T1-CA2121 | OTTO Trim Switch, Threaded, 2-Way Jog, IP64 Dusttight, Logic Level, Red | ||
| 1 | T1-CA2128 | OTTO Trim Switch,Threaded, 2-Way Jog, IP64 Dusttight, Logic Level, Gray | ||
| 4 | n/a | OTTO P9 Normally Open Momentary Switch | $15.00 | $60.00 |
| Total | $60.00 |
Paddle Shifters
Cosworth CAN SWITCH Board (CSB)
From the INDYCAR Rule Book: “14.18.1.2.1. All input switches on the steering wheel must indicate their position directly through the Cosworth CAN Switch Board (C"SB) without any control interruption of the physical position of the switch.”
USB to Serial Port:
Gearmo USB 2.0 RS-232 Serial Adapter with LED Indicators; User Guide
Appears As: FT232R USB UART [USB Serial Port (COM5)]
115k2 Baud, 8 data bits, one stop bit and parity.
LinKs
Otto Momentary Push Buttons
P1’$28 each
P9; Most of our application use the P9, raised dome, threaded with solder terminals; $18 each
P9 Flush Dome; For stuff you don’t want to push by accident
Already purchased: 21649
F1-Style Parts
http://www.simdisplay.net/products/all
https://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19394
https://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9781
http://www.f1simgames.com/f1simgames-custom-push-buttons-rotaries-labels/
http://www.pitlanes.com/f1simgames-custom-button-box-labels/
Steering Wheel Companies:
APSIS USA (Will used them)
3-Position and configurable rotary switches: Rotary Switches, Rotary Limit & Isolator Switches | RS (rs-online.com)
OTHER STEERING WHEELS
Driven wheel that came with the kit:
Diameter: 13”
Center spokes: .16” (4 mm) thick aluminum
Rim: .07” steel bent into a .43” wide x .46” U