Hi all,
I just got turned down in the roadworthyness test ;-(
There is to much play on the steering column. The right front wheel bearing has 1mm, the rack rubbers 1mm and the steering house itself 2mm. Adding this all makes the wheel extreem loose (can be max 1mm now 4-5mm). Any tips how I can easily fix this and pass the test (and make the car safe). Thanks.
Late '67 S1,5 FHC 4.2
This is going to seem facetious but all you can do is adjust and replace/rebuild the parts listed.
Wheel bearing: adjust or replace.
Steering house: adjust or rebuild.
Rack rubbers: replace if needed after performing above.
No easy fix, sorry.
Cheers… Ole
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Does the cabin column/steering wheel also feel sloppy ?
Patrick
'66 FHC
It does indeed feel sloppy
I’d check the column ujoint clamps before anything else. Although other components can go bad, it always seems to be the ujoint clamps.
Don´t the steering mounts have designed play installed? Mine seem to move around more than 1mm when steering - or should they not move at all? I thought that was the scheme of racing -solid- blocks to get rid of movement at the mounts?
The rubber doesn’t stretch easily though. I think when they’re testing for safety they just lightly wobble the wheel to feel for dead space. If they’re actually measuring when the tires begin to move on the ground that would be bad.
I’m about to tackle my steering column bushings to rid the sloppy steering wheel action. Maybe your tester driver freaked out when he / she felt steering wheel feel way too sloppy.
SNG sent me what looks light plastic bushings; years ago they were felt bushings. I’ve read on another UK forum Wilkinson machines brass column bushings but the usuals over here don’t sell them for some reason. As an aside, over there, some are using brass bushings instead of roller bearings in their hub arms/irs. But they’r keeping the outter and inner roller bearings.
Patrick
'66 fhc
Does Wilkinson sell the bushings separately? I was under the impression they want you to buy an entire upgraded upper/outer column from them with the new bushings.
My understanding is their column is designed to accept their bushings.
A couple of years ago, I got sick and tired of the silly felt bushings in my Mk1 MGB column, and machined a couple of simple, delrin bushings on my friend’s lathe that slipped right in, provide perfect stability to the inner column, and will out-live me. I have to imagine the same could be done for the E-type.
Back to the OP, it sounds like a thorough assessment of the steering system is in order, and likely some part replacement and/or component rebuild.
What the tester did was lift the car and feel the play of the wheel on the hub by tilting it. I agree there is significant play. We pinched the rubber sleeve when tilting the wheel en it moved inside. I wonder if greasing the nipple will fill the space between inner and outer tube and eliminate play.
I just renewed both front rotors (SNG) and had white post rebuild the brake pistons that reside on their calipers.
Also renewed the wheel bearings and all three ball joints; now it’s tight except cabin steering column is loose and SNG sent me rubber plastic looking column bearings. And centered calipers using shims.
Patrick
'66 fhc
So this was testing your wheel bearing. It might be a bad bearing, but it also might simply need another flat rotation on the big nut. It’s a simple thing to check. Remove the big cotter pin, and remove the nut. Remove the caliper yoke, and slip the hub off. Clean and inspect the bearing race and bearing. If no major defects are found, regrease and assemble and this time turn it dead tight, then back off enough to get the cotter pin through one of the two holes.
This is a good enough test to fail someone, but may not good enough to diagnose the issue. Instead of moving the tire (which is connected to the rack via inner and outer tie rods) you want to turn the rack so the inner rack gear is protruding and grasp that part through the boot and yank on it directly up/down,back/forth to feel for movement. If true then you’ve isolated it to the bronze bushing in the end of the rack and it will have to come out for replacement. Grease will do nothing.
If it doesn’t move there then the issue is with your tie rod, possibly severely worn or more likely just not adjusted properly.,