Advice needed regarding rebuild post body off

[450dream]

Hi All
Am getting nearer to completing rebuild post body off rebuild and need some advice.
Is there a certain position where the steering u/j,s should be in the straight ahead position (pas model)

Position brake pipes go in block on inner wing . I did write on a piece of paper but seem to of mislaid said bit of paper. Are all models the same or did TVR do there normal and mix it up a bit to keep us on our toes.

Must admit although hard work and time consuming and a big drain on beer tokens I have really enjoyed doing it and will have a big sense of achievement when back on the road .

Thanks in advance
Rick

[ClassicChimaera]

In answer to question 1
If you didn't mark the UJ spline positions then your starting from scratch.
Wheels straight ahead
This is the upper joint before removed and steering wheel dead centre, you'll notice the pencil marks on the arch showing 12 o'clock position.

Line the top one like this then with shaft in place line the smaller lower one so the split in the casing matches the position in split in the upper joint, this will mean the knuckles are now positioned correctly to turn without binding.
I've found when reassembling I tend to loosen the rack bolts out 10 mm
Then start by instsalling the top joint then the shaft and bottom joint keeping locking bolts out and push the whole assembly up towards the top joint allowing me just enough room to get the bottom UJ on the steering rack.

Note the slot and bolt positions, if you line the bottom one up with the top ones split the bottom ones bolts will also be in the correct position

Edited by ClassicChimaera on Tuesday 7th March 22:34

[450dream]

ClassicChimaera said:

In answer to question 1
If you didn't mark the UJ spline positions then your starting from scratch.
Wheels straight ahead
This is the upper joint before removed and steering wheel dead centre, you'll notice the pencil marks on the arch showing 12 o'clock position.

Line the top one like this then with shaft in place line the smaller lower one so the split in the casing matches the position in split in the upper joint, this will mean the knuckles are now positioned correctly to turn without binding.
I've found when reassembling I tend to loosen the rack bolts out 10 mm
Then start by instsalling the top joint then the shaft and bottom joint keeping locking bolts out and push the whole assembly up towards the top joint allowing me just enough room to get the bottom UJ on the steering rack.

Note the slot and bolt positions, if you line the bottom one up with the top ones split the bottom ones bolts will also be in the correct position

Edited by ClassicChimaera on Tuesday 7th March 22:34

Thanks for that in depth and detailed reply I will refit shaft and u/j,s tomorrow and move another step forward in getting car back on road

[ClassicChimaera]

Happy I can help you might do as I have been known and that's get it one spline out with the steering centre position and rack, resulting in steering wheel sitting a few mm out, which means you have little choice but remove it all again by pushing it all back up, releasing the joint off rack and repositioning. Put clear marks on the shaft and UJ's to make it clearer to see.

Goodluck.

ETA
I tend to finally tap the shaft into a neutral position between the two uj's to get them to sit centrally between the two ends.

Edited by ClassicChimaera on Tuesday 7th March 23:16

[Steve_D]

Before you put the shaft on check the column bottom bearing for both play and rough running.

Steve

[ClassicChimaera]

Steve_D said:

Before you put the shaft on check the column bottom bearing for both play and rough running.

Steve

Good point.
It's also a good idea before you replace the wheels to turn the steering lock to lock to check there's no tight spots and watch the lower knuckle turn, make sure it's not rubbing or the bolt heads touching any hoses or wiring in that area. Cable tie things up and away if necessary.

[Paulprior]

I marked m,ine before removal, i have now refitted but i dont have the suspension arms back on yet so i cant set the wheels straight, if i put the steering wheel straight can i measure from the rack to the end of the rod before i fit the rod ends, should it be even both sides?, just asking as the marking on the bottom u/j is not so easy to see and i can imagine it would be very easy to be 1 tooth out

[Hedgehopper]

From my experience the most important thing is to turn the pinion on the rack so that you have exactly the same number of turns left lock to right lock. Then centre the steering wheel and connect the u/js and shaft. If you connect up with the pinion off centre you may, as I did, find that one of the wheels fouls one the bottom wishbones. What you want to avoid is having more lock one side than the other. Finally fit the track rods, making sure that they too are of equal length and then of course have it professionally tracked.

Edited by Hedgehopper on Wednesday 8th March 11:52

[s p a c e m a n]

Shirely if your steering wheel is out by a few splines you can just pull it off the column and move it round a bit. There's not a woodruff key on there is there? Tell me there's not a problem with this as mines out by a bit and I was going to do that before I took it for tracking, I can't be arsed to remove it all again??!?

[Hedgehopper]

Removing the steering wheel is not that easy unless you are either lucky or have a puller.

The other problem is that the garage will assume that your rack is set-up equally and will work from there. You could land up with the steering wheel perfectly straight and the wheels correctly tracked but with the rack biased to one side, i.e., with a long track rod (joint screwed too far out) one side and a short track rod (joint screwed too far in) the other and the pinion centred between the two. You would then have more lock one side than the other and it might cause a wheel to rub against a lower wishbone...as mine did.

[N7GTX]

s p a c e m a n said:

Shirely if your steering wheel is out by a few splines you can just pull it off the column and move it round a bit. There's not a woodruff key on there is there? Tell me there's not a problem with this as mines out by a bit and I was going to do that before I took it for tracking, I can't be arsed to remove it all again??!?

As Hedgehopper says, getting the steering wheel off is hard work. I gave up after many attempts and re-tracked the car with the steering wheel locked in the straight ahead position.

[Hedgehopper]

s p a c e m a n said:

Shirely if your steering wheel is out by a few splines you can just pull it off the column and move it round a bit.

Thinking about this again, providing your car is correctly tracked and the wheels don't foul the wishbones, then you could remove and refit the steering wheel without further problem.

[ClassicChimaera]

These UJ's have what I consider to be a neutral position when the steering is straight ahead ( no pressure on the knuckles ) when they are correctly fitted.
It's a damn site easier to loosen everything and re positioning on the spline than taking the steering wheel off IMO. Some require a pulley and even then tight as you like let alone undoing the nut. Ok breaker bar but jeez that's a lot of hassle instead of doing it properly.
I apply a bit of 3/1 oil on the shafts when assembling and it's easy to move them on the splines.

[s p a c e m a n]

The blokes who are going to do my tracking are fairly good mates so I'll see what I can do about it when I go down there. The wheel isn't that far out it's just that I didn't put any effort in at all to lining everything up when I fitted it, I just quickly fitted the wheel to the hub to check that nothing was binding as I was refurbing it at the time.

[450dream]

Hi all
Shaft and U.J,s all refitted thanks for advice steering wheel even seems straight though first run on road will verify that when goes for mot and full geometry check and adjustments . Still a while off but getting nearer as weather improving .
Have also had a kind offer by a forum member to look under bonnet of another chimera in bits at present to answer my other questions. Which I am going to take him up on . Tvr owners are clever and friendly bunch .
Cheers Rick