Another Steering Wheel Wiggle...

[Gorpon73]

Hi All,

Been looking around for an issue on steering wheel wiggle and haven't been able to nail the problem down yet from strings I've been able to find.

I've got some wiggle in my steering wheel. Note that this occurs only at the wheel where the steering column comes out of the column. Pinion doesn't move and my outer column is very tight, no wiggle. Seems like I'm missing a bushing at the end of the column or something, but haven't been able to identify one on the assembly diagram.

Any recommendations?

Thx,

[oldelanman]

There should be a bush at the top and bottom of the outer steering column, sounds like yours are worn. They are Triumph parts and are widely available and easy to replace.

New Vs old type bushes

[el-saturn]

easy to replace???? - easy to take out - but easy to get back in?? i finally used some silicone spray and all told it's 2 hrs or even three - but a pretty nice job - 36 / 4982

[oldelanman]

easy to replace???? - easy to take out - but easy to get back in?? i finally used some silicone spray and all told it's 2 hrs or even three - but a pretty nice job - 36 / 4982

Well yes .... a little bit tricky to get the new bushes in. It helps if you make a simple wooden clamp so the column can be held firmly in a vice without crushing the tube.

[RichardHawkins]

Gorpon73,
I had the same problem. Changing the bush made no difference, this may have been where I bought my bush from. I had the shaft hard chrome plated, and ground down until a good fit was achieved. My shaft now measures 0.7569" diameter.

Richard Hawkins

[john.p.clegg]

Richard

0.7569" diameter. could you be a little bit more accurate?

John

[AussieJohn]

On my +2s I put new bushes and an extra bush in the top of the column to take out the play.

[tcsoar]

I heard the same tip as AussieJohn regarding the two bushes at the top, not sure where from, and also installed two.

Chris.

[el-saturn]

john cleggs comment just makes one smile - thanks man! sandy 36 / 4982 - she took me to work
a few minutes ago! sandy

[tract0rman49]

Hi

I realise this is quite an old post now but I may have some very revealing information that could well be relevant to this post. BTW I have been a member for some time but have not been actively posting for some time. (Slapped wrists acknowledged)

I have owned my 71 DHC Elan Sprint for 17 years now (1996) and have always suffered similar symptoms to those described here. BTW I have been reasonably successful in the sadly lamented British National Motoring News Rally Championship in the early 1980's so believe I do know how to prepare and sort out performance cars.

My Elan had been the subject of a very comprehensive restoration by Chris Neil Sports Cars in 1992 ?7K GBP plus another ?4.5 K of Miles Wilkins Engine rebuild so was hardly a wreck!!

I worked through the remaining issues over the next 12 months until I felt the car was pretty well spot on. Despite this it never felt quite right from a steering perspective. Did not inspire the sort of confidence I was used to feeling when pushing any car close to its limit.

I did enter a couple of Lotus Drivers Club sprints, one of which took place around the Hethel Test Track and both occasions won the class so the car was not bad.

In 1999 I invested another ?2.5K with Pat Thomas to have the suspension up rated with new springs, Konis and full alignment. This work also included new trunnions and various tweaks to the suspension. Still the car did not inspire that ultimate Lotus "Planted" feel.

I also replace the rack with a genuine Rover Mini Item and modified the pickups to accept this item. BTW I had also made up my own "Bump Steer" gauge and shimmed the rack to eliminate this.

Fast forward to 6 weeks ago. My sons 3 young daughters all wanted grand pops to take them take them for a spin in the yellow Lotus. So strapping them in (individually) I took them for a short run down the lanes one Sunday afternoon. Granddaughter #1 fine, Granddaughter #2 whilst just executing a Power spin turn I was suddenly holding onto a Steering Wheel that was literally moving around 1.5" left to right, up and down. Yes you've probably guessed it....the Mazak Alloy Cast bracket between the back of the dash and the column had completely broken in two!!!! Not the easiest part to remove being under the dash and wedged between the Speedo and Tacho but when eventually stripped out it showed signs of a very old crack with only the last 15% of the area being new (The final failure - breakage) So what is the point of this extended saga you enquire. Well my efforts to locate a replacement proved fruitless. The part does not even appear in any of the usual Triumph Donor parts lists so what to do.

In my occupation as a mechanical design engineer and an experienced user of SolidWorks 3D design software I set out to reverse engineer a "Stronger Replacement". It must be pointed out that IMHO this original part was NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE when you consider that all the forces associated with the torque and shock loading of the steering must pass through this item. The original part weighs 5 3/4 ounces my all steel TIG welded replica weighs 7 3/4 ounces but I reckon that the additional 2 ounces flying in the face of the famous Chapman "Add Lightness" philosophy from a safety and precision steering is a worthwhile sacrifice.

Since fitting my new replacement part the steering is "Pin Sharp" and heavy braking from high speed is dead straight with no wander whatsoever. In other words the handling from a steering perspective has been TRANSFORMED and I must conclude that the original had been cracked (causing the vague steering since I bought the car from Mattys.

I have enclosed jpg images of the original part and my properly engineered replacement. They take around 4 hours each too make and I have 5 more available if other members need one.