TR2/3/3A Steering

[Alfred E. Neuman]

Macy's Garage also has a good tech article showing a steering box rebuild.

https://www.macysgarage.com/stg-box-1.htm

https://www.macysgarage.com/stg-box-2.htm

https://www.macysgarage.com/stg-box-3.htm

 

[pawpace]

Randall,

I am not sure which bushing you are talking about.

Mike

 

[TR3driver]

There is only one inside the steering box. It's down at the bottom, the one that the rocker shaft turns in. If it lets the shaft tilt at all, the peg will bind in the worm.

Item 2 in this diagram

 

[sp53]

Glad you pulled the top off and found fluid. Heck yes set the adjustment down on the peg go for a drive and see if that helps. How about the idler arm is that free? If you pull the box, the best thing to do would be a total suspension rebuild at that point because you would be in there pretty deep. Do you have the 2 or 1 piece column?

 

[CJD]

You should have tried the adjuster before breaking the box open. Start easy and then get big as required.

Your initial description was for a loose adjuster on the box lid. If the adjuster does not fix it...then the entire box will have to come out to get any deeper into the issue.

 

[sp53]

Well as long as you have the top off there are a couple of things you might be able to check. The good news is there is no leak so your shim pack is probably adjusted and unmolested. The peg often comes lose in the shaft and is basically just sitting there going around and around as it travels on the worm gear creating slop. You should be able to feel that movement with your finger if you very gently move the steering wheel with you finger pushing down on the peg. Just move it an inch or 2 it will be clear if that is case and yes do not get your finger pinched.

Another thing to look at and again if you can see it is the arm of the shaft is a at perfect 90 degree angle in all directions. I posted some pictures of shafts where the peg has fallen out and the shaft is bent like 10 degrees after 90 in the center pic. The force those boxes experience when they are out of adjustment or the car is an accident or perhaps high speed turning can bend the arm.
steve

 

[2liter4cyl]

After all this talk about stiff steering (me too), I still wonder about setting the steering lock stops. I did a complete tear down on the whole car and never knew how to reset the little cams on the lower trunnions. The book (red) says 31 degree "back lock" and 28 1/2 degree "front lock". Not setting properly will allow the peg to hit the end of the worm. Except at an alignment shop, any ideas as to how I may set the angles?? LeT.

 

[TR3driver]

You could probably do it using a large protractor, or even a smaller one clamped to a straight edge. One of those digital protractors with the long arms that pivot would probably work best. Use the old string & stand method to get a line to compare the wheel angle to. But what I found was that the peg didn't reach the end of the worm even with the stops turned to allow the maximum angles, so I just set them to maximum.

Until I installed a front sway bar and found that my (wide) tires would rub at full lock. Then I adjusted the stops so the tires wouldn't rub so hard.

 

[sp53]

If the obvious stuff in the box feels good like the peg not being loose, what I am saying here is if the steering box is ok and especially a one piece box, I would look at other things before I tore the box out and see how it drives after those. Like new tie rods and ball joints maybe replace the trunnions and A arm bushings and idle arm before I took the box out. Sure it all depends on the car. I replaced a bushing in one steering box that really needed it and then this last one I did I would have been better off leaving the steering box alone. But again it all depends, if you are going to do high quality rebuild of the car by all means rebuild the steering box. But again, it can wait until the last thing especially if it is not leaking and if you have to pull the apron off the get at it. IMHO the stock 155 tiers make the car handle better also.

The upholstery guy "tr3 Tim" talks about how most tr3 have less than 40K on the clock because they end up in a carport in Ohio or field in Texas after they quit running, some. Anyways so some of the stuff is often still good on them.

 

[pawpace]

Thanks to all those that offered their help to discover why my steering is so hard. I got everything back together and it is better than before but has a little more free play than I like. This winter I will try some more ideas but with the good weather, I just want to drive and enjoy.

Thanks again.

Mike

 

[pawpace]

Darth, I installed the "Magic" kit from TRF about 2 years ago so everything is new except the steering box.

Thanks

Mike