Following on from my lack of caster post I've been thinking. If it all comes down to the crunch and I can't get anywhere I was wondering instead of cutting off the top brackets to relocate them could I just cut one side of the bracket off and weld a wider L shaped piece in? A bit like this:

Image deleted by owner
How do you think this'd be looked upon at SVA? It's just the quickest and easiest thing I could think of.

Easier to just cut down the bush on the wishbone, and pack out the difference with washers, then you also get some adjustment.

What happens if you leave the steeing column disconnected at the rack and the wishbone bolts all loose?

Perhaps easier to cut the bushes down a bit but they would need machining I guess and I don't know who'd do that around here.
Anyhow, the bracket idea would be the last idea before buying newly designed brackets.
I haven't tried disconnecting the column and loosening the wishbone bolts. I've re oiled and greased the rack today, the slipper was tight but still not got anywhere.

For sva pump the tyres up and give it toe out that should sort it for you.
then modify it to your liking later
What do others think to this idea ?

Do you particularly want self-centering? My car has none. And I really couldn't give!! I know you need it for SVA but after that does it matter IE does it matter if its a bodge?

Perhaps you're right Ben and I'm moaning over nowt. I'm confident that it won't pass SVA first time, I just want to get it in and see what gets pulled.
It's just annoying that I built it to self centre and I can see that there is a caster angle there but it's not playing.

When i first built mine the self centering was very poor, almost non existant. The SVA tester said that as it "tried" to center he would pass it. Since the car has been on the road it now centers quite well, I think that as everything is new and tight, it has to wear in to be any good. Not a lot of help, but just an observation. Cheers Ray

I'd agree with Chippy on that, mine had very little.

But after 4 miles of, ahem, test track and a 20mile or so backroad trip to the SVA centre and it was all ok.

Cheers,
James

Fingers crossed then. I'm glad you commented James as I set the brackets up according to the drawings in your photoarchive