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TR2/3/3A Rebuilding suspension

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Hi, If your car has a split steering shaft, try locking vise grips on the steering shaft coupler. Hold it tight and try turning the steering wheel. If you have any play at all, the nut on the steering wheel might be loose or the splines are worn. I was putting new bushings in the steering column on mine when I found it. The slop I was fighting along was at the steering wheel, not the steering box. Mine is now slop free.

Good luck, Roy
 
Designed before the recirculating ball, the old worm and peg box was obsolete when new.
At this point a carefull rebuild is good but you must know the tricks.
1 don't lose the original peg, it is worn only on the sides, turn it 90 degrees and press it back in.
2 even with a new bushing and seal, expect it to leak. Pack the void below the worm with heavy grease
then top up with Lucas oil stabilizer and synthetic 75/90.
3 Delrin bushings replace the cudgen pins in the drag shaft.
4 the idler arm must be refreshed .Grind off the welds on the pin, press it further into the arm.
When you have gotten a nice tight fit and good rotation of the arm ,weld it back. Use synthetic grease.
5 increase your arm strength by lifting a cold malted beverage to your lips !!
Mad dog
 
I must not be communicating well. All steering box parts were replaced with new ones. Arm, cam, screw, shims, etc.
 
Hi,
Did you check to see if the steering wheel is loose on the shaft? See my response at the top of the page. I replaced they same items you did, and I had the teflon silent block bushings. When I was putting new bushings in the upper steering column, I found out the steering wheel was loose on the steering shaft. That's what was causing the 1-2" of slop I had in the wheel. Not the steering box.

If its tight, I would check the front wheels to see if they are bent. I think the spec for TR-3 wheels is .06" runout, the TR6's is .03".

I still have no slop after 1000 miles.

Good Luck!

Roy
 
Bocaray , I have seen a lot of "rebuilt" boxes over the years. Not once have I seen one that was "perfect".
It is one tough nut to crack . Start with the worm. Who pressed it onto the shaft and got it perfect.?
I want to meet this guy. None of these replacement parts are NOS ,so which ones are causing issues?
Does the peg fit perfectly into the worm ? With no tight spots?
In summation , the best box is often a good used unit that gets the peg rotated 90 deg. new seal fresh grease,
and NOT stripped down with a mess of questionable parts stuffed in it.
Just MHO.
Mad dog
 
In your previous post you did say that the "cam arm and screw were replaced." So without a comma in between the cam and arm my belief was that they replaced the arm with pin ( cam arm). But not the cam itself. Sorry I have misunderstood your comment.

So here is another question to help narrow down the problem.
Does the slop you have in the steering wheel occur in all positions of the wheel? That is does it occur when the wheel is turned to the very right and very left? Is it worse at any one position such as straight ahead, right or left?
Charley
 
Arm with pin is new, and Screw is new. Shop pressed new screw on and may have tacked it to be sure it did not move. Slop is at all positions. They said if they adjusted the shims any tighter, then the steering got too stiff. We agreed to drive it for a while this spring and the reevaluate if it needs adjustment. I just wanted to ask others how much slop is acceptable.
 
Bocaray said:
Arm with pin is new, and Screw is new. Shop pressed new screw on and may have tacked it to be sure it did not move. Slop is at all positions. They said if they adjusted the shims any tighter, then the steering got too stiff. We agreed to drive it for a while this spring and the reevaluate if it needs adjustment. I just wanted to ask others how much slop is acceptable.
Click to expand...
Considering the size of the TR3 steering wheel, I would say 2-3" max and 1&1/2" more ideal.

What confuses me is that you refer to the shims. But if your slop is consistant across the full movement. Then I would believe that the adjuster screw on the top plate would be the place to adjust.
Charley
 
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