Would you like a new steering bearing? / cheap parts?
Discussion
I can't help but notice some parts seem to be a little expencive for wedges. So I began thinking why not make our own parts? If its leagal?
Case in point: Being an engineer and having a worn out steering bush I though why not design and have built one as others have done with a sealed ball bearing, i would estimate a unit price certainly less than £50 if not £30. Then I thought well if I design and get one built and it works then just leave the design with what ever company or machine shop and let any one who needs one go ask for one to be made?
Then I went one step further what if we could set up our own little parts section? every time sombody solves a problem get several what evers made and keep them on stock?
Problems arise through funding and enough problem solvers but wiht the aformentioned bearing problem as an example it would save everyone time/money and make ownership a little easier? Would there be enough demand?
Just an Idea, any suggestions welcome,
Case in point: Being an engineer and having a worn out steering bush I though why not design and have built one as others have done with a sealed ball bearing, i would estimate a unit price certainly less than £50 if not £30. Then I thought well if I design and get one built and it works then just leave the design with what ever company or machine shop and let any one who needs one go ask for one to be made?
Then I went one step further what if we could set up our own little parts section? every time sombody solves a problem get several what evers made and keep them on stock?
Problems arise through funding and enough problem solvers but wiht the aformentioned bearing problem as an example it would save everyone time/money and make ownership a little easier? Would there be enough demand?
Just an Idea, any suggestions welcome,
Would that be the daft plastic bush where the column passes through the floor? A few people have fitted a sealed ball-bearing instead, cost about £12.
When I did mine I found that the column was 14mm which is a non-standard bore for a bearing (17mm being closest) so I turned up a bush on the lathe to suit.
When I did mine I found that the column was 14mm which is a non-standard bore for a bearing (17mm being closest) so I turned up a bush on the lathe to suit.
I believe there were at least three different bushings fitted during the wedge series on the steering column where it passes through the bulkhead. There could have been more.
If someone arrives at a workable and inexpensive solution, I'll definitely be interested as I just had to have the one on my 87 280i with PAS replaced.
If someone arrives at a workable and inexpensive solution, I'll definitely be interested as I just had to have the one on my 87 280i with PAS replaced.
thomas7037 said:
What about the idea of starting our own parst section? To expencive and waste of time or potential?
In theory, great idea.
In practice, wedge parts tend to be quite easy to get hold of - if you know what they came from or have the manufacturers part number.
Wedges now-a-days tend to be owned by enthusiasts such as myself. Quite often, if any broken part is of questionable origin and needs to be replaced and you cannot be sourced through the usual channels, then you/we usually make do with a similar part and make it fit through minor modifications. If your pretty handy yourself and have access to a good workshop / selection of tools, very few things that break will give you a headache when they need fixing. If your stuck, simply stick a post on this website and ask. No doubt someone will have had a similar problem before and will tell what parts they used and how they modified them to fit. Everyone is really helpful on this site - its very rare for everyone to be stumped...
If its any use, please find attached a link to another top wedge website and within the same website, a guide to what parts came from what donor cars.
www.pixeltechnology.co.uk/wedge/welcome.html
www.pixeltechnology.co.uk/wedge/maint_parts.html
Happy wedging fella,
Lee.
Certainly ought to be a market for the specialty plastic consumables like the bulkhead bush or the 4 speed transmission bushing. I just noticed that the white plastic part where the throttle hooks into the engine is broken too, can't want to try to source that.
And in the US, we are running out of "specialty" shops that can really try or care to cross reference a part. If it not in the computer, it doesn't exist. Even Ford insist it never made a 2.8 V-6... because it's not in the computer
However, unless you really want to get in the parts selling business, I'd try to work a deal with Marshall (in the US) and someone in the UK (TVR PARTS?) to act as your "marketing" arm. Grady
And in the US, we are running out of "specialty" shops that can really try or care to cross reference a part. If it not in the computer, it doesn't exist. Even Ford insist it never made a 2.8 V-6... because it's not in the computer
However, unless you really want to get in the parts selling business, I'd try to work a deal with Marshall (in the US) and someone in the UK (TVR PARTS?) to act as your "marketing" arm. Grady
thomas7037 said:
I can't help but notice some parts seem to be a little expencive for wedges. So I began thinking why not make our own parts? If its leagal?
Case in point: Being an engineer and having a worn out steering bush I though why not design and have built one as others have done with a sealed ball bearing, i would estimate a unit price certainly less than £50 if not £30. Then I thought well if I design and get one built and it works then just leave the design with what ever company or machine shop and let any one who needs one go ask for one to be made?
Then I went one step further what if we could set up our own little parts section? every time sombody solves a problem get several what evers made and keep them on stock?
Problems arise through funding and enough problem solvers but wiht the aformentioned bearing problem as an example it would save everyone time/money and make ownership a little easier? Would there be enough demand?
Just an Idea, any suggestions welcome,
Case in point: Being an engineer and having a worn out steering bush I though why not design and have built one as others have done with a sealed ball bearing, i would estimate a unit price certainly less than £50 if not £30. Then I thought well if I design and get one built and it works then just leave the design with what ever company or machine shop and let any one who needs one go ask for one to be made?
Then I went one step further what if we could set up our own little parts section? every time sombody solves a problem get several what evers made and keep them on stock?
Problems arise through funding and enough problem solvers but wiht the aformentioned bearing problem as an example it would save everyone time/money and make ownership a little easier? Would there be enough demand?
Just an Idea, any suggestions welcome,
I've been looking to do this and unfortunately I don't have the equipment or skills that wedgie has and I for one would pay 30 quid for a bearing and sleeve or a bearing that would fit direct !
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