74weld steering rack coming!

[Tex]

The market is extremely small for a extra heavy duty and expensive rack so the venders are staying away from investing. I for one am looking forward to someone stronger. It hasn’t stopped me from running on big rocks but always looking for improvements.

The market is probably much larger for a plain old heavy duty and more affordable rack that doesn't require programming, something that everyone in this thread is probably looking for right now. Seems like we're kind of in a chicken and egg situation right now, nobody is designing really capable suspensions because the rack is incapable of handling tires that make use of them, and nobody is designing heavy duty racks because there really isn't a good suspension out there to properly utilize big tires.

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[SS Bronco]

The market is probably much larger for a plain old heavy duty and more affordable rack that doesn't require programming, something that everyone in this thread is probably looking for right now. Seems like we're kind of in a chicken and egg situation right now, nobody is designing really capable suspensions because the rack is incapable of handling tires that make use of them, and nobody is designing heavy duty racks because there really isn't a good suspension out there to properly utilize big tires.

I haven’t thought of that way, but I think you 100% correct. Its definitely holding up the evolution of modifying the platform. Unfortunately we have gotten so use to being able to get almost any thing imaginable for solid axle vehicles we have grown impatient. Hopefully 74weld will make some good progress.

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

Sounds like 74Weld may have a prototype on display at KOH, so if anyone is planning to attend go check it out, chat them up and report back.

Another comment / screenshot from IG.
Edit: I posted a question.

edit #2: further clarification from 74Weld posted below. All new components.

 

[TeocaliMG]

Sounds like 74Weld may have a prototype on display at KOH, so if anyone is planning to attend go check it out, chat them up and report back.

Another comment / screenshot from IG.
Edit: I posted a question.

Nice, so that answers the big question. Use the 3.0 for the mechatronics and then put all the fancy shmancy parts in some beefed up chassis. Curious if they will reuse the rack/ball nut assembly and just beef up the housing.

 

[cyberfalco]

Sounds like 74Weld may have a prototype on display at KOH, so if anyone is planning to attend go check it out, chat them up and report back.

Another comment / screenshot from IG.
Edit: I posted a question.

I will track them down and try to get the poop

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

Nice, so that answers the big question. Use the 3.0 for the mechatronics and then put all the fancy shmancy parts in some beefed up chassis. Curious if they will reuse the rack/ball nut assembly and just beef up the housing.

Potentially yes. However some simplified programming / plug in “how to” would still be advantageous. As it stands the programming voodoo to force non-Wildtrak trims to accept the H3 rack is beyond me.

tie rods is a question also. If true, and 74Weld plans to refurbish the H3 rack what’s their plan for tie rods? 74Weld had previously commented on IG that their design plan included tie rods, but as we all know this is all subject to change. (Edit, see below feedback from 74Weld on IG)

To be honest, the fact that 74Weld is communicating with us now is above and beyond standard SOP. I work in product development and our status quo is no public chatter before go to market launch. So thanks to 74weld for being cooler than I am.

 

[Razorback]

Potentially yes. However some simplified programming / plug in “how to” would still be advantageous. As it stands the programming voodoo to force non-Wildtrak trims to accept the H3 rack is beyond me.

tie rods is a question also. If true, and 74Weld plans to refurbish the H3 rack what’s their plan for tie rods? 74Weld had previously commented on IG that their design plan included tie rods, but as we all know this is all subject to change.

To be honest, the fact that 74Weld is communicating with us now is above and beyond standard SOP. I work in product development and our status quo is no public chatter before go to market launch. So thanks to 74weld for being cooler than I am.

If we have a WT with HOSS 3.0, think they could just take our exisitng HOSS and gut it vs getting one from Ford and gutting to save costs?

 

[Tex]

Sooo...the 3.0 rack isn't $1900 unless you want to buy two of them. That leads me to think they're priming the market for an even higher price than that, I'm betting their rock bottom target price is going to be at least $3500, with $4500-5000 being my guess as to what they'll actually charge. That's fair, but for that I'd expect something above and beyond the 3.0 in performance, something professional racers would actually rely on in their vehicles, as opposed to CNC parts and an explanation on how small business economics works for a niche customer base. $3500-5000 is hydraulic power rack territory...

If we have a WT with HOSS 3.0, think they could just take our exisitng HOSS and gut it vs getting one from Ford and gutting to save costs?

If they're cannibalizing 3.0 racks to make theirs, sure. You'd be out a rack and a bronco for who knows how long in the meantime though. Maybe they'll offer a core exchange instead.

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

Clarification: new components

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

If we have a WT with HOSS 3.0, think they could just take our exisitng HOSS and gut it vs getting one from Ford and gutting to save costs?

Good question. If I was running the show I’d say no, because I’d want to start with new components, eliminating unknown wear & tear variables. Total speculation of course.

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

 

[Trooper19]

A must watch, as a fabricator I see why they went in to the details. They said the 2 current ford Racks are good for every day use . The smaller tie rods are made to fail so the rack can survive. They are a fuse , any time you replace them with stronger parts you move the fuse to somewhere else.

 

[mpeugeot]

Sounds like they plan on offering a 6061-T6 housing (they should be making it out of 7075-T6/651 because cost is nearly the same and strength is way better (like more than 50% stronger, albeit with a slight compromise in elasticity 11% vs 17%).

It also seems that you could gut the 2.0 or 3.0 for the same internals (rack and pinion). While the 2.0 motor is weaker, that might not be a big deal.

 

[mcinfantry]

Sounds like they plan on offering a 6061-T6 housing (they should be making it out of 7075-T6/651 because cost is nearly the same and strength is way better (like more than 50% stronger, albeit with a slight compromise in elasticity 11% vs 17%).

It also seems that you could gut the 2.0 or 3.0 for the same internals (rack and pinion). While the 2.0 motor is weaker, that might not be a big deal.

Is one material easier to machine than the other?
Just a thought

 

[Tex]

The smaller tie rods are made to fail so the rack can survive. They are a fuse , any time you replace them with stronger parts you move the fuse to somewhere else.

That logic is about on par with using a starter from a Geo Metro on a 7.3L powerstroke, but protecting that starter with a 20A fuse.

Sounds like they plan on offering a 6061-T6 housing (they should be making it out of 7075-T6/651 because cost is nearly the same and strength is way better (like more than 50% stronger, albeit with a slight compromise in elasticity 11% vs 17%).

No, you're right, 7075 is the better choice. The only time you'd choose 6061 over 7075 is if you plan on welding a lot of stuff to it and you're not a tigmagician (nobody is going to be tig welding their racks back together on the trail regardless). There's really not that much difference in machining the two unless you're doing it on an industrial scale, it's not like you're going from aluminum to steel or titanium. Elasticity is a negligible factor if the housing is designed well enough to not approach its tensile strength at any point. If you shift that tensile strength way up, elasticity doesn't come into play as much, and it's virtually eliminated if you over-engineer the part (it seems they're doing just that based on their models). It's also probably a good thing to have less tensile strain manifesting in something like a steering rack. I mean, you give too much credence to elasticity and you'll start making plans for a polymer steering rack lol

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