350 I steering shaft
Discussion
Wedg1e said:
I'm waiting for an email to confirm some dimensions and if correct I think I've identified where the UJs and shaft came from 
That gives me hope Ian.Think you mentioned in the past that the u-joint itself can be replaced, was this only for the top one or also for the bottom one I am after?
Rob
350zwelgje said:
That gives me hope Ian.
Think you mentioned in the past that the u-joint itself can be replaced, was this only for the top one or also for the bottom one I am after?
Rob
The most common version seems to have the same UJ top and bottom, assuming Ford rack and TR7 or SD1 column. The Granada Mk3 column is different as is the top UJ (this may be formed as part of the intermediate shaft I think), not sure about the bottom UJ in this case.Think you mentioned in the past that the u-joint itself can be replaced, was this only for the top one or also for the bottom one I am after?
Rob
There's an alternative version of the intermediate shaft that has one of the lower UJ yokes formes as part of the shaft, jsut to really mess with your head
The common, symmetrical yoke design can be rebuilt whether fitted top or bottom... you do have to be pretty sure of what you're doing before you pull one apart though!
Wedg1e said:
....
There's an alternative version of the intermediate shaft that has one of the lower UJ yokes formes as part of the shaft, jsut to really mess with your head
...
Thats the one I have! So it is a SD1, cortina rack and something in between!There's an alternative version of the intermediate shaft that has one of the lower UJ yokes formes as part of the shaft, jsut to really mess with your head
...
Looks like a tr7 part from the rimmer site: www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-TKC1084
Rob
Rob
I've just had the short link piece that joins the steering rack to the steering column refurbed by Kiley Clinton. They said they believed on the PAS one at least it would have been bespoke to TVR. How ever they refurbed it good as new for 50 quid I think it was. Or said they could make a new one for about 60.
I paid more than that for just the top UJ from a well known parts supplier last year.
Karl.
I've just had the short link piece that joins the steering rack to the steering column refurbed by Kiley Clinton. They said they believed on the PAS one at least it would have been bespoke to TVR. How ever they refurbed it good as new for 50 quid I think it was. Or said they could make a new one for about 60.
I paid more than that for just the top UJ from a well known parts supplier last year.
Karl.
Changed the lower UJ on mine (V.early 350i) and the joint was not welded to the shaft but heat fitted. Just heat up the UJ with a torch and the joint will fall off! The new joint was splined so I had to take the shaft to an engineering shop to have the end splined to suit. has worked a treat for several years now.
Well, I can confirm a TR7 shaft didn't fit mine.
The bottom one is the original, and the top one is TR7 - correct splines but 40mm too short. You can get extended UJs but they're approx 20mm longer so not enough to make up the difference.
I sent the original to Kiley-Clinton and they've made up the shaft in the middle of the picture. I've yet to try it on the car but it's longer than the orignal and the joint they've used is 90 Deg rotated from the original - Grrr. At least they didn't put a flat on the splines so assuming it's not too long I can position it rotationally where I want and then grind a flat into it; but then the steering wheel will be 90 Deg out. Grrr again!
The bottom one is the original, and the top one is TR7 - correct splines but 40mm too short. You can get extended UJs but they're approx 20mm longer so not enough to make up the difference.
I sent the original to Kiley-Clinton and they've made up the shaft in the middle of the picture. I've yet to try it on the car but it's longer than the orignal and the joint they've used is 90 Deg rotated from the original - Grrr. At least they didn't put a flat on the splines so assuming it's not too long I can position it rotationally where I want and then grind a flat into it; but then the steering wheel will be 90 Deg out. Grrr again!
Yep, I've been shafted... I've confirmed the Kiley-Clinton 'copy' shaft is too long after a 4 hour session of trying to make it fit. And anyway I don't want to faff about with the steering wheel and track rods if I can avoid it.
Plan C - Grind the Kiley-Clinton shaft down to a smaller diameter past the splined section so that the UJ will slide further down the shaft. Dismissed due to not enough engagement on the splines and possibly ending up with a weak shaft, plus the 90 Deg steering wheel thing.
Plan D - swap the UJ cruciform from one of the new joints onto the original shaft/yokes. A quick measure up, and a long looking at, concluded that there's not enough meat on the original part to be confident of success. It's a pressed steel yoke with not-a-lot of material on it. This might return as plan F if plan E fails.
Plan E - currently in progress. Car Builder Solutions do a double ended 400mm splined shaft and 80mm long UJs to suit; I reckon I can make something that'll work out of that, especially now that I know the splines are correct. CBS have a fabulous website; it seems to have loads of parts that look like the ones TVR used originally.
Plan C - Grind the Kiley-Clinton shaft down to a smaller diameter past the splined section so that the UJ will slide further down the shaft. Dismissed due to not enough engagement on the splines and possibly ending up with a weak shaft, plus the 90 Deg steering wheel thing.
Plan D - swap the UJ cruciform from one of the new joints onto the original shaft/yokes. A quick measure up, and a long looking at, concluded that there's not enough meat on the original part to be confident of success. It's a pressed steel yoke with not-a-lot of material on it. This might return as plan F if plan E fails.
Plan E - currently in progress. Car Builder Solutions do a double ended 400mm splined shaft and 80mm long UJs to suit; I reckon I can make something that'll work out of that, especially now that I know the splines are correct. CBS have a fabulous website; it seems to have loads of parts that look like the ones TVR used originally.
Ref. the flat on the splined section... IIRC my car doesn't have the flat but has a groove machined all the way around so it's irrelevant at what angle you fit the shaft - groove or flat acting to trap the pinch bolt. I guess the flat allows lateral movement in an impact as well as being able to fine-tune the length of the shaft.
Plan G or H might be to chop the shaft, cut a piece out of the middle and reweld to the required length... but you'd want to be certain of your welding.
Plan G or H might be to chop the shaft, cut a piece out of the middle and reweld to the required length... but you'd want to be certain of your welding.
Plan E was successful, at last.
The shaft from CBS comes with plently of spline length and the shaft itself is soft enough to hacksaw/file to get the length right and put on a groove/flat for the pinch bolt.
I think the only reason for the flat is to take up tolerances (after all we're going from body mounted components to chassis mounted components so there needs to be a lot of leeway). I filed a flat on the shaft and made sure nothing was 'tight' before bolting everything up.
I still had a bit of a game with the steering rack splines; Ford in their infinite wisdom don't put splines around the full 360 Deg of the shaft, some of it is plain. My old top UJ fitted but the new ones I bought would have needed some of their internal splines removing.
I was wondering about cutting/sleeving/welding the shaft but I'd rather not for safety reasons... I'm glad I didn't have to.
The shaft from CBS comes with plently of spline length and the shaft itself is soft enough to hacksaw/file to get the length right and put on a groove/flat for the pinch bolt.
I think the only reason for the flat is to take up tolerances (after all we're going from body mounted components to chassis mounted components so there needs to be a lot of leeway). I filed a flat on the shaft and made sure nothing was 'tight' before bolting everything up.
I still had a bit of a game with the steering rack splines; Ford in their infinite wisdom don't put splines around the full 360 Deg of the shaft, some of it is plain. My old top UJ fitted but the new ones I bought would have needed some of their internal splines removing.
I was wondering about cutting/sleeving/welding the shaft but I'd rather not for safety reasons... I'm glad I didn't have to.
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