TR2/3/3A tr3 front end alignment

Well I got back to working on the tr3 front end alignment and Banjo and Randall were right on, I was able to get very close. My problem was I read the ruler wrong. Now I am wondering if anyone has a suggestion on how get the steering wheel centered and the tires straight. I have it really close, but I need to bring the wheel back to center a couple of inches. It looks good to the eyeball , but when I drive it the wheel is off center.
Steve

If the toe is correct, then simply loosen the tie rods at the steering ball joints and turn one tie rod out (lengthen) and the other one in (shorten) one turn.

The way to know which goes in and which goes out is to determine which way the steering wheel is positioned. If the steering wheel is turned to the right when going straight, then turn the right front wheel out and the left in. This should make the car turn right which will be corrected when you straighten the steering wheel.

Adjust the tie rods in this manner until you get the steering wheel position you want, then check and adjust the toe, if necessary.

Make any sense?

If it's not fresh in your mind you might want to study the threads of the rods on each side to decide which way to turn each -- after that it is a matter of trial and error -- as suggested, start with one turn of each and see where that gets you, then back up or add more as required.

Thanks you guys for some reason I like to make things more difficult.
Steve

why dont you un bolt the steering wheel and repostion it correctly? on the TR6 you unscrew the large nut pull the steering wheel off, its on a splined shaft and put it back on centered and screw the nut back on.

Hondo

On a TR3, the steering box has a definite center position, which is where the clearance is the least. Having the box off-center also messes up the steering geometry slightly (although perhaps not by enough to worry about). So it's best to set both the tie rods & the steering wheel to match the box.

I'm not that familiar with the TR2-3 column, but I suspect that the turn signal cancellation could also be thrown off if the column itself is not in the "correct" position. This definitely is true of the later (Herald-style) column.

So -- From the top...

FIRST: The steering wheel needs to be centered on the box. The box turns 2-1/4 turns, lock-to-lock, so, starting from center, it should turn 1-1/8 turn in each direction. Put the wheels up, and try this. If, from center, the wheel turns approximately 1-1/8 turn each way, with the spokes winding up at opposite, but reasonably equal angles, the wheel is centered on the box. If you don't get this result, remove the wheel and adjust it on the column splines until you do.

THEN: Adjust your tie rods so that the wheels are straight ahead when the steering wheel is centered.

Andrew Mace said:

I'm not that familiar with the TR2-3 column, but I suspect that the turn signal cancellation could also be thrown off if the column itself is not in the "correct" position. This definitely is true of the later (Herald-style) column.

Click to expand...

Not a problem with the TR3 arrangement, due to its "inside out" design. The cancellation cam is effectively just clamped to the steering wheel (so it can be in any position), while the switch mechanism is located by the stator tube.

On the later designs, the cam is in a fixed location on the shaft and the switch is located by the outer column, so the shaft does need to be in a particular position for "straight ahead" or the signals won't cancel properly.

To find center on the box you'll need to undo the limit stop eccentrics ( on the lower trunnions.first to find the box's true center which I think is closer to 2 1/2 turns. This is where the steering wheel should be. Mine's a two piece column so I just readjusted it at that point to center. Adjust the front wheels individually by stretching a line across both faces ( rear and front) of the rear tires to form a straight line to the fronts. Adjust each front to straight ahead. You should be at zero toe if you measure accurately and your wheels do not have much side to side run out. I used a Manco toe guage ( Moss) . A lot of fiddling around but mine drives nicely and the wheel is dead center with the turn signal cancelling working fine. I think I'm toed in slightly , maybe 1/16" of an inch. Kevin