Vixen steering joint.

[Ren32]

Hi, I need to replace the flexible joint on my inner steering column (where it joins onto the rack). Does anyone out there know what car it's from?

Ren.

[stigproducts]

Maybe John Upham's spares list can help?
www.johnupham.co.uk/ (click on the car)

Whereabouts in kent are you?

[Ren32]

It's listed, cheers for that!

I'm down in sunny ole' Folkestone!

[stigproducts]

Good news!
BTW there is a guy in Sandwich who has got a yellow vixen (as far as I know).
He used to own my car, sort of, and got the bug!

[ate399j]

Having looked at the Rimmer Bros web site (TR6 section) it looks to me as if TVR used these fittings but (typically) switched so top is bottom and vice versa. Have a look here www.rimmerbros.co.uk/tr6/images/90a.gif and see if your's are like mine! The flexible coupling is quoted at £14.50.

BTW, I'm in Tenterden

>> Edited by ate399j on Friday 14th October 08:57

[Ren32]

Yup, that definitely looks like it! Thanks for that, I'll get one ordered.

I noticed on the Guestmap you were down this neck of the woods, so may be out your way when she's on the road! Only paint, electrics and trim to go!!

[adrian@]

As a comment and I will post this under a new topic...The steering joint listed as No 69 which some people have as a replacement in some of the Vixen cars have recently been found to be incorrectly made, in that they do not have an undercut on the back of the internal spines and this causes the UJ to have no clamping force (although the unit fits it is never tight enough) and causes wear in the splines.
I can not find a source for the supplier/manufacture and presume that these have been in stock with people and sold out over the last few years.
Adrian

[Ren32]

Hi adrian,

Does this mean that item 69 would be no good? Or as there is no source of supplier do I just have to modify it to clamp properly? (Haven't ordered it as yet).

Ren.

[adrian@]

The Vixen has over the years it was made and by owner modification been a odd one to label, some cars have the parts that list as 62/63 the flat plate that is pictured on the top of the upper shaft facing down so that the rubber dougnut bush is required others only require a UJ in-line (which would have been the braided/rubber type with 2 female splined ends) which some people then replace this with a roller bearing solid universal joint (which what I am talking about) ALWAYS replace AS IS is the safest option (if in doubt have it looked at by a specialist) Adrian
A photo of the joint might help .....

>> Edited by adrian@ on Saturday 15th October 00:30

[Ren32]

This is the Joint fitted on my car.....



As you can see, it's looking pretty sore (like it's spent the last 10 years at the bottom of the sea) and is pretty much seized!

[adrian@]

This is the exact joint that we have found to be at fault...the forged version ..if you look at the rear of each female hole (the oppisite side of where the bolt fits), in the back of this is an undercut that allows the joint to tighten, if it is not there the joint cannot be tightened and the splined male unit is always loose then this allows movement and wear in the splines. We have seen this problem in a number of cars recently and customer are tell us that the joints have been on the car several years, we in turn noticed it about 2 years ago and corrected our stock as we either fitted or sold an item. It is an item sold by almost all the major suppliers and I have fed information back to my suppliers, who in turn have fed that information to his etc.
Adrian

>> Edited by adrian@ on Sunday 16th October 09:25