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Triumph TR3 - Steering Play

I am the proud new papa of a 1958 TR3, I pick the car up in Fort Worth, TX yesterday. There is quite a lot of play in the steering wheel, any suggestions. ie rebuild or any other hints.

Thanks
Russ Austin
Russ Austin

Russ - I too have a 1958 TR3A

If by "loose" you mean your front wheels are wobbling all the time and they shimmy, then you probably need to look at the front end to replace everything that is loose. Trunnions, ball joints, tie rod ends, idler arm and all the bushings for the upper and lower wishbones.

On the other hand, if by "loose" you mean that there is no shimmy but when you are trying to drive on a long straight road, you find yourself veering ever so slightly towards the shoulder and then when you correct to steer back to the center, you find a "nothingness" in the steering till it eventually corrects, then the problem is in your steering gearbox. Now you're veering towards the centerline and you have to correct through that "nothingness" back towards the ditch.

If this is your case, the worm in the steering box and the locking peg need adjustment. Remove the front bumper, the grille and the air deflectors that force the air through the radiator. If the parts in the gearbox are not too worn, you can re-set the adjusting screw on the top of the cover of your steering gearbox. Loosen the large jam nut. Then screw down about half a turn on the center screw with a large screwdriver and re-tighten the lock-nut. With the front end up on safety jack stands, turn the steering from lock to lock. If the steering has the same degree of smoothness (with no tightness near either extreme end), that will have corrected the problem. If not, screw it down a bit more.

But be careful!!! If the steering gets too tight near the extreme right and left locks, you have adjusted the set-screw down too much and the parts are worn.

Check with a TR parts supplier for a good used set or buy a new set for the worm and gear.

I had this problem about 10 years ago and solved it for about $125.00. I bought a kit from England which consists of a new top cover for the steering gearbox with a new larger screw and locknut. The adjusting screw is hollow inside and is made of two parts and is spring-loaded. Where the worm in my gearbox is worn, the spring pushes down on the peg to take away all the looseness. I have driven over 45,000 miles without getting any new looseness. That hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach and the "nothingness" in my steering have both gone. In fact till today, I had forgotten all about it.

Don't take any chances with your steering. Remember, your life is in your hands and your hands are on the steering wheel. Check with the previous owner when he had the front end re-done.

The kit is available from Protek Engineering in Wallingford near Oxford England. Call them directly from USA by dialing 011-44-1491-832372. They may offer you a rack and pinion conversion instead, but that is much more expensive. They may have an agent in either Raleigh, North Carolina or Richmond Virginia.

Join the TRA and come to Baltimore next week. www.triumphregister.com

Or join VTR in Illinois mbjoslyn@prairienet.org (Champaign) or jbillimack@aol.com (Crystal Lake)

Don Elliott

Don Elliott

Protek now do a rack conversion kit, the first for a long time to do one, and very good it is too. I had the old box rebuilt including the protek top,and mine was one of the best ones that the Protek team had driven, but I drive it a lot, so eventually went for a rack kit. Best money I have ever spent......maybe an overdrive box was money as well spent?? If you drive it, get a rack!!! Makes steering a pleasure instead of a chore.
Rob Llewelyn

Rob, How much is Protek asking for that rack kit? (U.S. dollars) I would love to do the conversion on my 62 3B. Thanks, Marty
Marty Scott

This thread was discussed between 11/06/2001 and 03/08/2001

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