TR2/3/3A tr3 steering box drop arm nut torque setting?

[TexasKnucklehead]

My new seal finally arrived and I installed it. Then I put on the drop arm, and a new lock washer and finally the nut. I found a socket that would fit (27mm is close enough), and the torque wrench, and looked for the torque spec. Anyone who has taken that nut off knows that without bending back the lock washer, all the kings horses and all the kings men can't break it loose. Even after flatning the washer it's still a bear. But how tight does it get put on?

 

[TR3driver]

I couldn't find a factory spec, but standard torque for a 5/8-18 is 140 ftlb, so I used that. Seemed to work out OK.

Be sure to apply counter-torque to the steering arm, don't let the cam & peg take all that force. In fact, it's best to have the top cover off so the peg can be nearly disengaged. I used a length of pipe as a cheater on the arm.

 

[TexasKnucklehead]

Thanks again Randall. That's a lot of torque. My 'shop' is ill equiped with a cheater bar big enough to fit over the drop arm -but I found a scrap of sch 40 PVC and wondered if it would be strong enough. I had to put 2 holes and a bolt to keep it from sliding off, but I got it torqued to 140ft lbs without breaking the pipe, or my back -didn't even scratch the paint.

I didn't remove the top cover but had the steering position nearly centered so the peg and cam should have had almost no force on it during tightening the steering arm nut and counter force was taken by the pipe. Until you mentioned it, I was going to try locking it in my vice, but the cheater was a much better approach. (I probably would have broke the vice off the bench.)