Just a couple of questions

[stevejgreen]

Re: Just a couple of questions

It would be interesting to see a side by side comparison. I have a pair but they are about 1400km away as the crow flies, so I wont be looking anytime soon.
The gap between the tyre and the swivel rubber will vary depending on make and profile of the tyre, not to mention the rim etc.

My archive includes a copy of the Post 75 Front suspension/steering parts list

[stevejgreen]

Re: Just a couple of questions

I have been trawling through some Marina Info looking for chassis dimensions.
The only significant number I can come up with ts the centre to centre of the front lower arm eyebolts. On a Marina these are fitted vertically through the chassis, on a Marlin horizontally. 22.76" or 57.8mm. Taken from sources dated 1976 and 1981, the latter including all the Ital variants.
Did you manage to compare steering arms?

[twissy]

Re: Just a couple of questions

I did mean to post earlier, but despondency has set in!!!!

I got the new steering arm, but it's difficult to tell with the old one still on the car. And thereby hangs one of the tails. I set to to remove the arm. Upon removing the front wheel I discovered that the wheel nuts were only on a few turns and there were two 5mm spacers behind the wheel....on standard studs. I'd driven this car to work and back the other day...about 40 miles!!! I checked the other wheel, and there is one 5mm spacer which I'm okay with, and there is about 7mm of clearance between the rubber of the TRE and the tyre. On the right side there is no clearance between the TRE and the tyre. Looking at the steering arm I do wonder if it has been put in without the woodruff key so it is at the wrong angle which would explain the lack of threads on the track rods and the lack of clearance.
I bought two extra long TRE's which give about 5mm extra thread which I will use anyway.
So far I have been unable to remove the steering arm. I've tried bashing and also bearing pullers all to no avail....even with a modicum of heat. I've just got hold of some 10mm steel plate and 16mm bolts which will make a heath robinson type press which I will be trying this evening. If that doesn't work then I'm seriously tempted to get a recon strut from Earlpart for £150.......but am a bit loathe to spend that on it when I could spend it on things like new lights for the rear and a quieter side pipe!
Unfortunately working 7 days a week I can only manage an hour or two in the evening to work on it, and the trouble is when things don't go my way I'm not that inclined to do much.
I really want to get to Donnington on Sunday so I am going to give it my best.

Perhaps I should have started this topic in build diaries

Thanks for the chance to rant!!!

[stevejgreen]

Re: Just a couple of questions

Sounds like you have a can of worms there.
Are both LH and RH Tyres the same manufacture? I have found several tyre manufacturers profiles, though numbered the same, and at the same pressure, wave been significantly different.
The spacers will make a small difference to the track rod engagement, but virtually insignificant.

What was the source of the TRE that you bought? How are they different? What vehicle did they come from?

I am still investigating, though it mike take some time.

[twissy]

Re: Just a couple of questions

Well I cannot get the bast@rd arm off. I have now removed the strut and will search for an engineering works close by that has a 10 mega ton press! I should really change the trunnion while it's off but I'm not in the mood to open another can of worms!
The part number of the arm currently fitted is 21H3789RH. The number of the new part I have is 21H5768RH.

The new TRE's I have are fleabay item number 380930044574

[twissy]

Re: Just a couple of questions

That's it, I've all but given up.
New steering arm on and it's just the same.
Put a 5mm spacer on and the steering arm touches the wheel. I won't repeat the expletives here!
The only thing left is the strut itself. I've attached a couple of pics looking down the strut, and it doesn't look right to me.
DSC_0207.jpgDSC_0210.jpg

Looks like donnington is out
Now I need to decide whether to bother sorting it or bung some longer studs and spacers on it and get shot.

[h_m_cumming]

Re: Just a couple of questions

Looking at that I'd say something is bent. Just compared it to mine and the arm should more towards the centreline of the car. Has the wheel had a serious bang on that side I wonder.
It looks like the upright part has got bent at some stage and put a twist in it.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Just a couple of questions

Looking at that I'd say something is bent. Just compared it to mine and the arm should more towards the centreline of the car. Has the wheel had a serious bang on that side I wonder.
It looks like the upright part has got bent at some stage and put a twist in it.

I have been looking at this, and I'm coming to a similar conclusion as I'm running out of obvious reasons. If the upright were to twist it would happen from a front end collision, at the weakest point, just below or around the steering arm area, forcing the wheel round towards the steering arm.
Certainly something is not quite right. The problem is we will never know the source of the parts, was it an accident, or MOT failure donor?
Can we have a couple more pictures please, a direct side on, and another directly from the front. I will trawl through my pics to see it I can find any to compare with.

[rooha]

Re: Just a couple of questions

d3c65a_638430.jpg

[twissy]

Re: Just a couple of questions

Nuke it is the next option :-)

There is no sign of damage to the wheels, and I have just taken the spare off to check that as well, not even any sign of curbing. The wheel runs perfedcly tru which would suggest more of a twist than a bend. I do wonder if it is actually a manufacturing error, possibly taken out of the mold a tad early and it twisted a bit. On a marina it would probbly never have been an issue, but is only becomes apparent when wider wheels are put on that take the inner edge of the tyre much closer. There is only about 5mm of clearance between the tyre and the top swivel.....the same on the left side, and both sides fitted with 5mm spacers.
Picture taking is a bit limited with it in the garage, but here's a couple of extras:
DSC_0205.jpgDSC_0206.jpg

[Mike]

Re: Just a couple of questions

If you place a straight edge across the rear of your rims, and then measure from that line to the bolt on face of your wheel, what dimension do you obtain?

[greyV8pete]

Re: Just a couple of questions

I am also thinking impact damage. Had a classic that my dad had previously owned. He just clipped a bank which had a slightly proud tree root. It bent the steel wheel rim back enough to see the inner tube. The garage just repaired the wheel (as a spare) and reset the tracking. After I was given the car I stripped it down and found that the steering arm (similar size forging to the one in question above) was bent out of position by about 3/8" (10mm in new money) at the ball joint taper hole. Also later, having run through a set of taper roller bearings, I found that the stub axle was also bent. All that due to a slight brush with a tree root at 30mph! Worth checking your stub axle. Peter.

[dogoncrazy]

Re: Just a couple of questions

Are the uprights handed? Or do we rely on what is marked on the steering arm ? I honestly can't remember.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Just a couple of questions

Are the uprights handed? Or do we rely on what is marked on the steering arm ? I honestly can't remember.

Handed, the steering arms are taper fit apart from the castor angle.

[twissy]

Re: Just a couple of questions

Hi Mike. It's 108mm. The left wheel is fine with a 5mm spacer.