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TCP R&P... manual or power, that is the question...
- Thread starter steveh326
- Start date
I have had TCP manual R'n'P since 2002. I like the direct feel at the track. I also like the direct feel on the cobblestone streets, because what the street does to my hands, it does to my car, Wheel bearings, ball joints, differential, sheet metal fatigue whatever. I have worse cars to sacrifice to stupid city planning "oh, the cobblestones are so elegant" ideas.
I haven't had any shimmy but of course I feel everything that the tires have not absorbed as it is all metal to metal contact between my hands and tires. I wonder how tight you guys have adjusted the slack in the rack.
I should have taken the power version then as it was $1500 and manual was $1000 because we run very tight autocross track 1st gear, sometimes 2nd gear and layout is about one minute. I can feel my muscles if I drive the pylons back to back. But otherwise manual is fine and at track wonderful. Parking can be sweaty because of turning circle is larger, so you have to manouvre several times in parking hall for example.
Desingwise, I like the TCP over the rest R'n'P. Some others have incredibly long "tie rod" assemblies which do not look right to my eye. I also liked the bolt on -desing, only had to cut steering column tube and drill two holes into it, otherwise just bolt on. It didn't took more than couple of evenings to tear old stuff out and in with the new.
I haven't had any shimmy but of course I feel everything that the tires have not absorbed as it is all metal to metal contact between my hands and tires. I wonder how tight you guys have adjusted the slack in the rack.
I should have taken the power version then as it was $1500 and manual was $1000 because we run very tight autocross track 1st gear, sometimes 2nd gear and layout is about one minute. I can feel my muscles if I drive the pylons back to back. But otherwise manual is fine and at track wonderful. Parking can be sweaty because of turning circle is larger, so you have to manouvre several times in parking hall for example.
Desingwise, I like the TCP over the rest R'n'P. Some others have incredibly long "tie rod" assemblies which do not look right to my eye. I also liked the bolt on -desing, only had to cut steering column tube and drill two holes into it, otherwise just bolt on. It didn't took more than couple of evenings to tear old stuff out and in with the new.
Chris Kennedy
Member
Thanks for the description of your experiences with the TCP! You will see from my earlier post that I noted that the road vibration (different from shimmy, which seems now to be thankfully gone) was less when it was cooler out. Well, last night and today in Houston, we got a blast of cold air and the road vibration went way down, as well. Before anyone suggests tire pressures being lower because of the cold, be advised that I experimented with tire pressures previously several times, and found that everything actually performed best at about 35-37 psi., not lower pressures (I went down to about 27 or so) So....I don't think it's tires. Again, the TCP is a re-engineered product, and takes a good bit of tweaking, driving, adjusting etc. to get it right. The Borgeson vibration-dampening upper u-joint will take care of much of the harshness you note over city streets, and I think it's a beefier unit than the one supplied by TCP as well (so far no play has developed). Also, I find that with the harshness reduced you actually can "feel" the road surface better. You might want to try one.
Regards,
/s/ Chris Kennedy
Regards,
/s/ Chris Kennedy
steveh326
Active Member
"buening" said:
yeah I saw that, thanks. I may have missed it, but the return-to-center issue seemed to be associated more with the newer cars like 69-70, not sure tho. I already have the system in hand and will just have to work thru it when the car goes back together. I guess R&P will still be an option at some point in the future if this thing gives me fits going down the road, I'd hate to have to spend the $ again but it is what it is.