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I have a 1967 Austin Healey BJ8 that has a wobble in the steering wheel. There is no wobble between the steering shaft and the tube that it resides in. The wobble is in the steering wheel itsself when it is on the splined steering shaft. Is there a spacer or something that goes in there that I am missing? I think that the felt bushing that is shown on parts catalogs probably goes in between the steering shaft and the steering tube before the steering shaft exits the steering tube. Am I wrong about this? The wobble is REALLY annoying!
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Steering Wheel Wobble
- Thread starter 67BJ8
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Keoke
Great Pumpkin
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67BJ8 said:I have a 1967 Austin Healey BJ8 that has a wobble in the steering wheel. There is no wobble between the steering shaft and the tube that it resides in. The wobble is in the steering wheel itsself when it is on the splined steering shaft. Is there a spacer or something that goes in there that I am missing?
The steering wheel adjuster is the locking device here if it is in the fully locked position and the wheel wobbles it is worn, Has bottomed out before gripping or otherwise damaged.
I think that the felt bushing that is shown on parts catalogs probably goes in between the steering shaft and the steering tube before the steering shaft exits the steering tube. Am I wrong about this?
Nope!! you are correct in your thinking.
However, if the felt bushing is severely worn it will allow the wheel to wobble.
A maybe quick check and fix here:
Is to feed a little clean motor oil into the felt bush which should cause it to swell and either reduce the wobble or eliminate it entirely. --Fwiw--Keoke--
The wobble is REALLY annoying!
Cottontop
Jedi Warrior
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I hate to always be the "outside-the-box" guy, but for my 100-6, I went to the local hardware store and bought 6 "O" rings 1.0 OD and .75" ID and with a profile of .125". ~ 50c each.
I greased them all up with Moly-Lube and slid them over the shaft and into the gap between the steering shaft and the shaft outer tube.
Because there is grease between the rings, and the rings are tight to the shaft and tube, the action is smooth as silk and it'll NEVER dry out, get stiff, or leak.
Tim
Originality doesn't hold me back from improvement.
(Especially when it'll never be seen).
I greased them all up with Moly-Lube and slid them over the shaft and into the gap between the steering shaft and the shaft outer tube.
Because there is grease between the rings, and the rings are tight to the shaft and tube, the action is smooth as silk and it'll NEVER dry out, get stiff, or leak.
Tim
Originality doesn't hold me back from improvement.
(Especially when it'll never be seen).
I think that the felt bushing is fine as there is no wobble in the shaft; it is only the wheel itself. When I tighten the wheel lock it seems to tighten down fine and holds the wheel in the position that I want it in. When looking at the lock it seems like the lock clamps down only on the steering shaft behind the steering wheel and does not support the wheel in the area where the wobbling occurs. The lock tightens down OK on the steering wheel, but does not offer any support at that point. Is there usually play in between the splined area and the wheel when the wheel is installed on the splined shaft?
Keoke
Great Pumpkin
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When looking at the lock it seems like the lock clamps down only on the steering shaft behind the steering wheel and does not support the wheel in the area where the wobbling occurs.
The lock tightens down OK on the steering wheel, but does not offer any support at that point.
Yes I purchased a wheel off E Bay some years ago and it did the same thing:
I ended up making a soft brass sleeve that fit over the steering wheel's splines then put the wheel back on, this tightened it up for me
Actually, this sleeve is captured inside the steering wheel's adjustable housing.
Is there usually play in between the splined area and the wheel when the wheel is installed on the splined shaft?
NO!! it should be a very close fit.---Keoke
The lock tightens down OK on the steering wheel, but does not offer any support at that point.
Yes I purchased a wheel off E Bay some years ago and it did the same thing:
I ended up making a soft brass sleeve that fit over the steering wheel's splines then put the wheel back on, this tightened it up for me
Actually, this sleeve is captured inside the steering wheel's adjustable housing.
Is there usually play in between the splined area and the wheel when the wheel is installed on the splined shaft?
NO!! it should be a very close fit.---Keoke
Cottontop
Jedi Warrior
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The top most part of the steering wheel splines in the picture are tightened by the clamping ring.
About 3/8" below those splined fingers, there is a set of non-gripping splines that slide VERY tightly on the splined shaft.
As Keoke suggested, those inner, non-adjustable, splines and/or the steering shaft splines may be worn and allowing the wobble. The fingered splines should be able to be tightened by the clamping ring and are probably acting as the pivot point for your wobble.
My wheel (pictured) has NO wobble when the fingers are tightened by the clamp ring.
The only way that I can think of tigntening up the inner splines would be to have a plater add a couple of mils of hard chrome (or electroless nickle) to the shaft splines or the INNER wheel splines ONLY.
Tim
About 3/8" below those splined fingers, there is a set of non-gripping splines that slide VERY tightly on the splined shaft.
As Keoke suggested, those inner, non-adjustable, splines and/or the steering shaft splines may be worn and allowing the wobble. The fingered splines should be able to be tightened by the clamping ring and are probably acting as the pivot point for your wobble.
My wheel (pictured) has NO wobble when the fingers are tightened by the clamp ring.
The only way that I can think of tigntening up the inner splines would be to have a plater add a couple of mils of hard chrome (or electroless nickle) to the shaft splines or the INNER wheel splines ONLY.
Tim
Cottontop
Jedi Warrior
Offline
67BJ8 said:
Larry,
Nope. When I first read your post, in MY mind, the wobble was caused by the (lack of) felt washer between the steering shaft and the outer column. That is what I was addressing with the O-rings.
I now understand that the wobble is in the wheel to shaft joint(s).
As I said, short of a new wheel and/or new shaft the only way I know of to tighten up that inner spline joint would be to have the splines reworked.
Maybe someone else will have an idea.
Tim
Offline
Cottontop said:
Wish we could say the same about ourselves!