Golf Steering Rack

[GS guy]

This is a little off the beaten path (I always seem to wind up there!), but does anyone have or can get access to Golf Mk1 and Mk2 steering racks? I'm trying to find some technical info on these racks as a candidate for setting up R&P steering on a Ball Joint front end. All I can find on the 'net is general info like turning radius, lock to lock turns of the steering wheel. I need more in-depth information about the rack itself, specific dimensions, turning ratio, etc.
It appears the old VW steering box actually has a fairly fast turning ratio, ie: 1 turn of the input shaft yields 2" of inner tie rod travel. In conjunction with the steering arms (at the spindle), this winds up being 2-7/8 turns lock to lock of the steering wheel. What I'm finding is most OEM manual racks don't have near this ratio, tending to be much slower but making up for it with shorter steering arms. FWIW, with the quick steer adapter on the VW pitman arm the ratio works out to be 2.5"/turn - so ideally a rack with somewhere around 2.25"/turn should be near ideal.
Any info you guys could provide will help the cause.
Jeff

[oasis]

Gosh, now you've given me yet another reason to wish I still had my '81 Pickup and '86 GLI.

Anyway, I have no info but a couple of suggestions. One is to find a repair manual -- perhaps at a local library -- specific to Mk1 and Mk2 Golfs. Those things sometimes supply stats like dimensions and the lock-to-lock figures you want.

Another is to go to a reputable VW repair shop. I don't know where in Maryland you are, but I've been going to Desmond's in Parkville (Balto. Co.) since 1988. Give them a call. If they can't help you directly, they might be able to point you in the right direction. Rick and Phil's in Essex (also Balto. Co.) enjoys a good reputation as well.

You said OEM, so this suggestion may be unwanted. I would check into places which make racks for racing applications. When I was looking to buy a '75 Super, I had found two or three places nationally which may have made racks I could have used.

I will check this weekend to see if I still have that info. I'm afraid the buying of my '71 and the need to move stuff into storage (or the trash) when we had our house enlarged may have been the doom of those files. I was only in the preliminary stages of investigation, but it may be useful nevertheless. (I know now I selfishly wish I still have/had it since buying a '75 in a few years has re-emerged as a desire.)

[GS guy]

Thanks for your thoughts Oasis. I'm a little South of you, just South of Balto.
A custom rack is a possibility, though I'm sure an expensive one. Unisteer is among my "steering" links. There are race car racks (Ive found) that could meet my needs - but these typically run upwards of $350 and up. Fitting a Golf rack is a much more affordable route if it works, but very difficult to find out those simple numbers! The W/C boys just simply remove and replace, with little thought to actual rack dimensions, ratios, etc. Only someone crazy enough to try and adapt this rack to something else would be interested in these numbers, and then only someone thinking enough about it to determine what installing it would change. I originally thought I'd found the near ideal rack to use - from an X19 Fiat. Dimensionally, it was near perfect. Some issues adapting the input shaft and mounting, but finding out the steering ratio killed it. All this, after hearing from several sources how responsive the X19 is in the steering dept (~3 turns lock to lock). Burned about $35 in shipping charges finding out that info.....
May check out a repair shop as suggested, they can sometimes be helpful, also maybe a couple of local bone yards - maybe be able to check out several racks there. Have to admit though - if some one had an old rack sitting on a shop shelf and could take a few quick measurements, that would quickly weed out usability or not.
Jeff