The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Can you help i am replacing my rack and i think it may have the wrong steering knuckle it is hitting the body when the pinch bolts are in, does the below look right

Looking on rimmers it seems to be an alternative joint but it is hitting the body

finally back together, it was fighting me all the way but a threat of ebay and its back together and i now know am getting to old to be rolling around the floor.

Pete

Bad news I'm afraid.

You are using pressed joints.
These are, at best, pish.

Your problems with fitting are hardly surprising, given that they pressed joints
not have only the wrong spline but also they are oval, whereas Triumph steering shafts are circular.



Ian.

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Where can i get a new lower joint from, nowhere seems to sell original ones, any ideas?

Pete

will this one be suitable

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/coupling- ... m1718.html

Not saying the Moss one is gash, but original type couplings of this type have seen a lot of poor to very poor quality aftermarket parts being available recently. Not long ago I swapped one out on Mahesh's Sprint that had been in service for only a year or so and a few HUNDRED miles. Unfortunately it was supplied by STS and we don't know where THEY got it from. I've had a few from Fitchetts in the last couple of years and they have all been OK so far. But I am very suspicious of those that LOOK like the one in the Moss picture with the bushes irregularly squashed out of the sides of the bolts, even old knackered OE ones don't look as bad these new ones!

The very best one to use is the forged, U/J'd T2000 lower coupling available from Chris Witor amongst others. This is the one I recommend.

Steve

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'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
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Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
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I have had to grind a bit more of the cars body away to fit some of the replacement lower couplings.

You may also need to shorten the intermediate shaft to fit some of the couplings as they are longer than the original design.

As Steve pointed out Pete, there is the proper forged version:
https://www.chriswitor.com/proddetail.php?prod=145377RM
Please note that it is likely the intermediate will need to be shortened and
fitting it requires the steering column shaft to be pulled into the car (as assistant is very handy!).



You can tell an original OE specification lower coupling, it will slide all the way onto the steering shaft
whereas the replicas only go as far as the centre disc.
If you can find an original joint, it can be rebuilt, Superflex sell the bushes for this application.




Ian.

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That's the one I swapped out Ian as it's practically impossible to tighten. I found even when the bolts were fully tight they still weren't tight enough and you could wobble the UJ by hand.

I now have the group 4 escort type with solid rack mtgs on a nos 1300 rack from Alun. The only movement in the steering now is in the rack itself.

Both myself and PaulB tried to tighten the Witor type and failed. I trust Paul implicitly and if he couldn't sort it, it's not good enough, no arguments!

That is puzzling Shaun, group 4 escorts used T2000 forged UJs.

Without any difficulty I fitted a Witor UJ before (to the 1850 I used to have).


For the Sprint I have another 2000 UJ from Chris Witor and a NOS upper shaft, so have just went and tried it
and it fits perfectly.






Ian.

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Maybe I've got a duff one then?

I stripped a bolt trying to get it tight enough.....both PaulB and I had a go at it and no way could we get it tight enough!

This is what I've got now and it's perfect....

A question for Ian Sprint 95m.

Do you have a source for the bolts or screws that hold the original OE spec lower couplings together. See photo

To get the bolts out I had to file and drill some of them which meant they were too short to spread out / lock satisfactorily the best I could do was to locktight them in but I would prefer to replace them with longer bolts. The very early bolts were even longer and designed to be wire locked. I have done one lower coupling with this type of bolt.

Does anyone have a contact to get such bolts manufactured as I think there would be a market for them.

The part number is 108976.

I have just looked at their website and Rimmers no longer have these.
From them I did buy some and also from T.D. Fitchett, but that was probably a decade ago.


I did enquire at a local factory about getting some made and they said it is possible
but time consuming, so would be expensive (?).




thanks

Ian.

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Could you not have used a G-clamp to get it underway?

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