TR2/3/3A Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cover

[Got_All_4]

Sounds like a neat concept. Not a perfect fix for everyone though. I have a lot of drift going straight down any road but particularly secondary roads. In fact it would instantly pull to one side or the other and is getting dangerous. Tried adjusting many times but when I'd get it perfect for a straight line it would be hard to turn and the car would groan like my old lady!! Hope she doesn't read my posts. I bought what I hope is a good used box from Team Triumph and hope that will cure it. Someone also suggested going to radial ties should help too. Any thoughts there?

 

[prb51]

Sound like it may improve things in your case.
My 3 tracks straight presently so I suspect it would just harshen up an already tight situation.

 

[jdubois]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

I have a lot of drift going straight down any road but particularly secondary roads. In fact it would instantly pull to one side or the other and is getting dangerous.

My car had the exact same symptoms when I got it. Would wander around, and then suddenly and dangerously jerk to one side or the other. I had the whole steering unit rebuilt and the jerking and wandering is gone. But it still has a big flat spot in the steering when straight on, or if I adjust it so it's fine in the middle, it becomes impossible to steer at the ends. I was hoping the improved cover would help, but no such luck.

 

[Don Elliott]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

After 60,000 miles, the amount of wear on the sloped sidewalls of the groove in the worm, plus wear on the pin that fits into this groove, will cause this wandering effect. Mine was like that. If you dismantle the steering box, you can rotate the tapered pin by 90 degrees to the point where it is no longer worn on the tapered sides where it sits in the groove of the worm.

About 95% of the steering takes place by small corrections on straight (or almost straight) roads. That's why these wear at the center. Tightening down the original peg to prevent this means that the peg is down too far (hence too tight) near the extreme locks of the turning circle.

After putting in the spring-loaded peg in my steering box, it has been fine for the last 90,000 miles. I had to re-adjust the new peg twice during those 16 years. It tracks like it did when new.

The spring-loaded pin in the improved design is tightened down to the point where it is just tight at the center. This eliminates the wander. At the extreme locks where the original one it gets tighter, the spring compresses and it doesn't get tighter.

No TRA concours judge ever docked me points because they can't see it. It is concealed behind the air deflector panel that surrounds the radiator.

 

[Tinkerman]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

Just for grins I went through the Concours manual. Saw nothing that would cause a judge to take off points for the steering box upgrade. I would guess that even if a judge could see the box its change over looks so normal that nothing would be said.

Cheers, Tinkerman

 

[Twosheds]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

Sounds like a neat concept. Not a perfect fix for everyone though. I have a lot of drift going straight down any road but particularly secondary roads. In fact it would instantly pull to one side or the other and is getting dangerous. Tried adjusting many times but when I'd get it perfect for a straight line it would be hard to turn and the car would groan like my old lady!! Hope she doesn't read my posts. I bought what I hope is a good used box from Team Triumph and hope that will cure it. Someone also suggested going to radial ties should help too. Any thoughts there?

If your steering and front suspension all check out O.K. and you still suffer from The Wanders, check your rear end and rear suspension. These can cause wandering, too.

See if you car darts one way when you get on the accelerator and darts the opposite direction when you lift. If it does, the problem is in the rear. Mine was a bent rear.

 

[Don Elliott]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

The round blind hole that centers the assembly where the rounded bolthead "nests" into the blind hole - well that hole had worn. It was oval in shape - about 1/4" longer than a perfect circle. I could imagine that the rear axle could move 1/8" forward and 1/8" back from the correct center position - depending on whether I was accelerating or braking.

I MIG welded the hole where it had worn and bored it round again to correct the ovality.

 

[Adrio]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

Does anyone have a picture of the R&P conversion installed on a TR3. One that shows enough of the steering column to see where this 'joint' is?

I am haveing some thoughts and I want the picture to wipe the thoughts from my head.

Thanks in advance.

 

[martx-5]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

I have the rack in my car, but not the column yet. There are two joints. One is down by the rack...right where it attaches to the splines on the pinion. The other u-joint is up by where the first section of the later split column ends...the section that has the steering wheel attached. I'd mock it up for you to see, but unfortunately, my photoshop isn't working so I have no way to resize the pics to show here. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer.gif

 

[Got_All_4]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

It sounds like the concept of this spring pin is designed like the material screw on a paint spray gun. If you ever had one apart the screw is hollow with a stout compression spring inside that keeps constant pressure against the tapered needle that meters the paint volume.

As you would screw the adjuster in it would compress the spring which in turn would push against the top of the peg shaft and the more pressure applied the tighter the peg to the cam. As the cam turns and the peg travels to the extreme ends it would rises naturally. I sure the grove the peg rides in also is narrower towards the end because of less wear and that adds to the lift too and binds the spring. That's why there is a lot of complaints about hard turning to the extreme locks. Am I right? Also is there a pin that the spring rides on or does the spring ride directly on the peg shaft?

Sounds like a tedious but easy fix. Just would take a lot of time making small adjustments to get it right. You may have to give up some comfort at the ends. Maybe a set of weights or a Bow Flex over the winter could prepare you for the spring drive. Or do I hear power steering conversions anyone???

 

[TR3driver]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

I sure the grove the peg rides in also is narrower towards the end because of less wear and that adds to the lift too and binds the spring. That's why there is a lot of complaints about hard turning to the extreme locks. Am I right?

The original configuration has the slot narrower in the middle. My (now wrecked) TR3A has somewhere north of 200,000 miles on the original worm, which is now worn enough in the center that the high spots are no more than 1/4 turn away from the center (with a new peg). After that, the clearance increases again (as it should).

Can't prove it, but it's my belief that those who are complaining about the box being tight at the extremes of travel have pins that are worn into ovals. Towards the ends of travel, the oval turns until it's crosswise in the slot rather than along it, resulting in less clearance and binding. Or there may be binding elsewhere in the steering; for example Herman van den Akker reporting going through 6 vertical links to find 2 that didn't bind with new trunnions.

But with the peg being so easy to change, and only costing $12, might as well change it and be done with it, IMO.

 

[Got_All_4]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

May be best to make the adjustment at the extreme ends of the cam and let the spring do it's job when in the center. What ever the results are. If still too lose then like what TR3Driver said it's easy to change the pin. So with that done and setting up at the end, that may be the ticket.

 

[Tinkerman]

Re: Looking for the improved TR3 steering box cove

When I took my steering box apart the peg fell off the shaft! It had not been staked at the factory or whomever was supposed to do that operation. Needless to say the worm gear, peg and shaft had to go. Found NOS parts on eBay. PO had told me that the steering was giving him problems, no wonder.
Tinkerman