steering bush upgrade - does it work for later cars?
Discussion
did the upgrade using the RS bearing (as in WedgePages) on my old wedge which worked a treat. my newer wedge has the later (SD1?) adjustable column and I seem to recall that the column shaft is a different diameter? (smaller?) - if that's so does the same bearing upgrade apply but requiring a sleeve of some sort to allow for the difference in shaft diameter? or is there a different bearing available for the later type columns?
convert said:
I did the very same upgrade. Just made up a sleeve from a piece of scrap to pad the shaft out to the bearing.
Best upgrade I've ever made, transformed the car
Same here...Best upgrade I've ever made, transformed the car
http://www.wedgeneering.co.uk/TVR%20390SE%20p10.ht...
I don't suppose you have the correct dimensions for the brass sleeve you made up? 
I have a mate with a lathe who could probably make one up for me, but being a 'proper' engineer he's probably going to ask silly questions like ' what size do you want it?' - if not I could perhaps get my old micrometer out and try to remeber how to use it... to measure the exact column OD....etc..
for anyone who needs to know btw, the RS bearing is stock number 755390
I have a mate with a lathe who could probably make one up for me, but being a 'proper' engineer he's probably going to ask silly questions like ' what size do you want it?' - if not I could perhaps get my old micrometer out and try to remeber how to use it... to measure the exact column OD....etc..for anyone who needs to know btw, the RS bearing is stock number 755390
Ah well, when you said 'later car' and 'SD1 column' I took you at your word: mine's an '87 with the SD1 column. Yours must have the Granada column.
Looking at the RS bearing mentioned above (755-390) it has a 3/4" bore which is around 19mm, that would be more like the size you'd need for your 17mm shaft.
Mine has 62mm hole centres, the larger one has 71.5mm... and the RS blurb says 66.7mm wide so there's your third dimension
Looking at the RS bearing mentioned above (755-390) it has a 3/4" bore which is around 19mm, that would be more like the size you'd need for your 17mm shaft.
Mine has 62mm hole centres, the larger one has 71.5mm... and the RS blurb says 66.7mm wide so there's your third dimension
oh...i didn't know there was Granada column too....i thougt that in the beginning there was TR7 and then there was SD1.
sooo...mine must be a Granny one then, circa 1985. It has an adjustment knob on the RH side and a little 'flipper' switch for the side/head lights on the LH side, if that helps confirm its identity!
so back to dimensions then.....if my shaft has an OD of about 17.3mm and the RS bearing has an ID of 18.5-19mm then it's still a bit sloppy isn't it? still needs a sleeve of some sort? (I'm assuming a tight fit is needed to prevent wear on the column shaft etc..)
sooo...mine must be a Granny one then, circa 1985. It has an adjustment knob on the RH side and a little 'flipper' switch for the side/head lights on the LH side, if that helps confirm its identity!
so back to dimensions then.....if my shaft has an OD of about 17.3mm and the RS bearing has an ID of 18.5-19mm then it's still a bit sloppy isn't it? still needs a sleeve of some sort? (I'm assuming a tight fit is needed to prevent wear on the column shaft etc..)
sprevett said:
oh...i didn't know there was Granada column too....i thougt that in the beginning there was TR7 and then there was SD1.
sooo...mine must be a Granny one then, circa 1985. It has an adjustment knob on the RH side and a little 'flipper' switch for the side/head lights on the LH side, if that helps confirm its identity!
so back to dimensions then.....if my shaft has an OD of about 17.3mm and the RS bearing has an ID of 18.5-19mm then it's still a bit sloppy isn't it? still needs a sleeve of some sort? (I'm assuming a tight fit is needed to prevent wear on the column shaft etc..)
sooo...mine must be a Granny one then, circa 1985. It has an adjustment knob on the RH side and a little 'flipper' switch for the side/head lights on the LH side, if that helps confirm its identity!
so back to dimensions then.....if my shaft has an OD of about 17.3mm and the RS bearing has an ID of 18.5-19mm then it's still a bit sloppy isn't it? still needs a sleeve of some sort? (I'm assuming a tight fit is needed to prevent wear on the column shaft etc..)
Errr... no, that does sound like you have an SD1 column. Where are you measuring 17.3mm?
The shaft is a larger diameter across the 'splined' section at left; it reduces in diameter to 14mm at the point the bearing meets it. You can't see the reducing sleeve in this shot. The splined length is what allows the column to 'telescope' in an impact.
You will need a sleeve; my bearing supplier (not RS) told me that 14mm is not a preferred size for the ID of one of those bearings so I had to get 17mm (it could have been 16mm!)...
ah...well I measured it at the bottom of the shaft in the drivers footwell (where it disappears into the bulkhead) and yes it was 'splined' at that point. So is the 14mm area just at the bottom of the shaft immediately behind the fine-splined section that fits into the UJ? i.e on the photo is the new bearing in its final destination in that shot, sitting on its sleeve? if so then I assume the sleeve must be the exact length to fit between the big splines and little splines?
sprevett said:
ah...well I measured it at the bottom of the shaft in the drivers footwell (where it disappears into the bulkhead) and yes it was 'splined' at that point. So is the 14mm area just at the bottom of the shaft immediately behind the fine-splined section that fits into the UJ? i.e on the photo is the new bearing in its final destination in that shot, sitting on its sleeve? if so then I assume the sleeve must be the exact length to fit between the big splines and little splines?
That's about the size of it sprevett said:
gotcha. and i suppose i'll need to undo the whole column inside the car, do the bearing mod, then re-assemble under the dash?
Don't think so. Just pull the universal joint off, remove the old bush and poke the telescopic length up into the cabin if you need to. As you can see I pulled mine out to fit the bearing (you can't normally see the coarser-splined section).[quote=simonwedge]My car has the later Ford Granada column. Initial investigations reveal that the steering column is triangular in profile where it passes through the bulkhead. Has anyone upgraded one of these and, if so, how do you solve the 'triangular peg in a round hole' conundrum?[/quote
When I did mine I had to do some welding to join up the circular with the triangular thereafter it slipped in nicely...
When I did mine I had to do some welding to join up the circular with the triangular thereafter it slipped in nicely...
Forgive me for being thick but are you saying that you had to weld the bearing on to the column i.e. to stop the column just spinning inside the bearing?
[/quote]
If I recall - I had to weld the upper part of the steering column (circular)to the lower part (triangular). The circular went through the bearing. I'll have to check again it's been so long since I did it...
[/quote]
If I recall - I had to weld the upper part of the steering column (circular)to the lower part (triangular). The circular went through the bearing. I'll have to check again it's been so long since I did it...
simonwedge said:
My car has the later Ford Granada column. Initial investigations reveal that the steering column is triangular in profile where it passes through the bulkhead. Has anyone upgraded one of these and, if so, how do you solve the 'triangular peg in a round hole' conundrum?
Use the inner half of the standard bush to convert from triangular to round and the plastic bush then fits in a roller bearing. Will post if I can find a photo.Bush is a Ford part but also available from TVR Car parts
There was a previous discussion and post detailing the work required.
David
Edited by djc100 on Tuesday 13th October 11:17
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