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When did you last check your steering coupling?

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If it looks like this time to suck it up and change it....

P1010483-2.jpg
 
You've read up on the tricks to installing a new one ?
I hadn't and swore for an hour or so that I was sent the wrong part.
 
I just replaced both on my TR4A. They almost fell apart when I removed them! The lower one went on easy and the upper one had to be compressed a bit due to the steering angle. Dont forget the safety wire.
 
poolboy said:
You've read up on the tricks to installing a new one ?
I hadn't and swore for an hour or so that I was sent the wrong part.
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Hi Ken, I did actually and rebushed the column while I was at it. Pretty straight forward but the final step of compressing the darn thing, even with Bob's excellent write up, was still a pain in the neck.

Haven't actually driver her yet but as soon as the distributor arrives back from Jeff she'll get a work out (I hope).
 
Can anyone explain to me WHY it has to be a pain in the ... to put on?
 
DNK said:
Can anyone explain to me WHY it has to be a pain in the ... to put on?
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I'm sure that I've done this in the distant past on another car, but I don't have any recollection of it being the struggle that it was on the TR6
Same goes for the fan belt, and the whole oil cannister ordeal.
 
DNK said:
Can anyone explain to me WHY it has to be a pain in the ... to put on?
Click to expand...
Just a WAG, but I think they wanted it compressed to be stronger. The bonded rubber isn't nearly as strong under tension as compression, so compressing it as you install it makes it less likely to pull apart in the future.
 
angelfj said:
"Bob's excellent write up" where might I find this? thanks
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LOL.......Welcome to Bob's! Here's the write up and the trick to getting a new coupler on. As was noted, the coupler needs to be compressed to get all the holes to line up. Different guys have done it different ways but this is the way I went based on a friend's suggestion. BTW...if you've never replaced this coupler, chances are it's cracked and impacting steering response. Unfortunately the only way you'll ever find out is to remove it.

HoseClamp2.jpg


And don't forget the little ground strap that goes between the upper & lower shaft.

GroundStrapNew.jpg
 
poolboy said:
DNK said:
Can anyone explain to me WHY it has to be a pain in the ... to put on?
Click to expand...
I'm sure that I've done this in the distant past on another car, but I don't have any recollection of it being the struggle that it was on the TR6
Same goes for the fan belt, and the whole oil cannister ordeal.
Click to expand...

With the engine in the right place the fan belt is a breeze, when the engine is too far, well that is a different story in my experience....
 
Tom, I agree that moving the engine & tranny back might solve the problem, BUT, in the Haynes Manual in Chapter 2 / Cooling System, Section 13/ Fan Belt-removal and replacement, it instructs to remove the cross tube. Makes me think that it is in the right place. I think that by moving the engine and tranny back, you might be reducing some of the forward and aft potential movement of the drive shaft splines.
I guess you pays your money and takes your chances. What you think ?
 
I removed the crossbar the first time around and found that it was a major paint in the butt, might have just been my car (this was on the 1971 that was/is a mess).

Pushing the engine back slightly made it a piece of cake.
 
poolboy said:
I think that by moving the engine and tranny back, you might be reducing some of the forward and aft potential movement of the drive shaft splines.
I guess you pays your money and takes your chances. What you think ?
Click to expand...

And why once it is in place, would the driveshaft need much of any foreward and aft movement? The engine and trans should not be sliding fore and aft and since the diff is mounted solid it shouldn't need to move much either.
 
I guess that there's some flexibility in the engine, tranny and differential due to torque, rough roads, I don't know; why have the splined joint at all if everything is so rigidly in place ?.... Or 2 Universal joints for that matter.
 
poolboy said:
I don't know; why have the splined joint at all if everything is so rigidly in place ?....
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Some Triumphs don't. It's my suspicion that they kept the sliding joint mostly so they didn't have to redesign the driveshaft (which I believe is common with the earlier TRs). But since the whole car does flex somewhat, especially with spirited driving, it's probably best to have the spline to relieve the force instead of having the possibility of side-loading the ball bearings in the gearbox/overdrive.
 
I'm not a tranny or differential specialist either, but seems to me that w/o a splined joint, the pinion and tranny shaft could transmit a lot of force once their end play float was used up.
 
I had a 73 Capri V6 that when I removed the rubber coupler and replaced it with a solid coupler the steering response was amazing. That and the good bushings made it steer like a different car. Why not for our car"?

Note: Tom, I wasn't questioning why it was hard to put on but why it was designed like that.
 
BobbyD said:
Don..... I think TRF sells, or sold, a solid coupling to replace the rubber one. Nice to see this thread get back "on topic"..... sort of.... :yesnod:
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Yeah, I hate it when people change the subject,,,,,oh yeah that was me ! pb:hammer:
 
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