/sigh, there's a few things

[MIG Wielder]

Yes, 21H6060 is the part. The black cap comes off and you can then get inside it. The 1850 one is a bit fragile after 40 odd years and can break off if flexed btw.
Tony.

[DOLOMITE 135]

I have not seen any reference to the type of steering rack mounting rubbers you have, but the symptoms you describe of vague steering, and steering that not doesn't centre back properly can be the steering rack moving in the rack mounting rubbers.
With the car on its wheels move the steering wheel back and forth and look for any movement of the rack body through the mounting rubbers. I have experienced mounting rubbers which were just over a year old not holding the rack in place (now replaced with poly bush).

[olr159w]

I have solid rack mounts sourced - I think - from Sprintspares way back when they were still going. Unless they've worked loose there shouldn't be any play in that dept. Although of course right now the oil pump is resting on one of the mounts and might have caused some sort of effect.

[MIG Wielder]

Thanks for your P.M. Looks like I can only post images on here, so here goes.
Yes, the breather does unscrew but its not a strong thread and will probably just pull out.
Now give it a good clean externally.
If you look under the black plastic cap you will find old underseal, road dirt, old oil etc; etc; bunging it up.
Now pull off the black cap. It is key-wayed on one side but its flexible enough to come off.
Remove the conical labyrinth .
Peer down the white nylon plastic bit and clean out with a length of wire and brake cleaner.
Re-assemble and screw back into the casing.
Piccys of my 1850 one herewith.
HTH.

[olr159w]

Thanks for that

[Carledo]

Although of course right now the oil pump is resting on one of the mounts and might have caused some sort of effect.

This may have some bearing on your unpleasant vibrations!

I'd be interested to see a pic of the Sprintspeed solid rack mounts, purely out of curiosity! I am running a very similar suspension and steering setup to you on my Toledo with ASP Gaz, solid rack mounts (from Jigsaw racing) part polybushed, stock springs and column couplers. The rack is the 45000 mile Toledo original. I have the GAZ set up only a thread or two different on the front to get the car level, (not the inch that you have) and the difference on my car is largely to compensate for my weight when driving solo. Track rod ends and lower column coupling are Fitchetts new ones and the upper coupling is the original and still good.
On my car, self centring is excellent and there is less than 10mm of loaded free play at the wheel (this is from very slight play in the o/s inner track rod ball joint) I think it corners very well, turn in is good, positioning accurate and feedback excellent. No noticeable bump steer and no excessive tyre wear despite the car being about 35mm lower than stock and having a bit extra front camber.

I am quite sure there must be somewhere near you who can do a full caster/camber/KPi check and 4 wheel alignment checks. Whilst they are not on every street corner in the UK, I don't think TOO many folk here would need to drive more than 30 miles to reach one! But this does seem to be a necessary next step as all the problems with steering and odd camber angles you are experiencing are rooted in steering geometry, including the poor self centering, which points to caster and tracking issues.
One thing I have thought of to check, is the presence (or absence) of the 3 thick spacing washers that SHOULD be on the top suspension mounting studs between the mount and the body. If, perchance, they are present on one side and not the other, that could account for some of your variation in ride height.

Steve

Oh, and the gearbox input shaft seal you need to replace your rear hub seal is part number 141756. I bought mine from Fitchetts and they cured the leak completely.

[olr159w]

This may have some bearing on your unpleasant vibrations!

Ha ha ha yeah you reckon

If you look in the "new vibration" thread you can see some photos that show the rack mounts. I'm pretty sure they were Sprintspares but I could rake back through some old receipts and might be able to prove it, not sure.

Mine has adj Gaz shocks, std length HD springs, decent UJ on steering shaft, flexi coupling possibly cause for investigation, recon rack (that might be a quick rack can't remember) and mostly polybushed. Intention is for it to be std height at rear and just slightly lower at front, say a cm or so. I have a suspicion that the rack is what's knackered in the steering dept but will work to that through a process of elimination

Issue of adj seat heights still a mystery - welcome your comments on "Strange camber" thread where I recently incl some measurements

Agree re caster /tracking check etc. Need to get it roadworthy first. It's interesting that here in WA there is no such thing as an MOT. A side effect is clearly that it has created a situation where its been easy for me to allow things to gradually degenerate. Still, plans are afoot to fix that.

Agree re spacing washers. I'm fairly sure they are on there but will check in due course

thks

[Carledo]

Yeah found the pics of the rack mounts after I posted that, they look just like my Jigsaw ones.



My engine, being a GM product, doesn't have its oil pump anywhere near the rack so I don't have that particular problem, though I do have very tight exhaust down pipe to subframe clearances!

I think with the ride height issue, (which can and DOES affect camber) the only way to be completely sure is to fit a pair of KNOWN identical springs and see how that works out. I've looked at the measurements you posted, but, unless I got the wrong end of the stick, these were measured with the wheels off the ground which makes them rather meaningless. The only one that struck me as odd was the last one, floor to effective stub axle centre line, which showed a 20mm difference. now there are only 2 things that could have produced this, first is missing topmount spacers, which I have already suggested and second is unequal length shock pistons, since these control the suspension "drop" distance. Whilst this latter is no big deal in service, I would be pretty upset to have spent good money on a mismatched pair! And it COULD affect the final position of the lower spring retainers.

Finally, since we all love pictures, a quick action shot of the Carledo at Castle Coombe. As you can see, I am not afraid to use maximum attack with it and the roll angle is not much steeper than the following car which is a full house, 225bhp classic Touring car racer (though he wasn't behind me for many more seconds after this pic was taken!)



Steve

[olr159w]

I have a recollection of buying something from Jigsaw. Odds are these are Jigsaw clamps also then. I had a quick look back through receipts but couldn't locate anything. Then again there are a lot of receipts......

I agree re known springs in theory but since I only have access to the two I'll try swapping them over first to see if it makes any difference. The measurements were taken off the ground but I'm not sure they are necessarily meaningless

The spring length was to check one spring isn't a lowered version through some mix up. A 4mm difference is inconsistent but does not explain the 1inch ride height thing. The shock adj platform height indicates how one side was wound up more than the other to achieve a ride height on the ground measured floor to wheel arch that was the same on both sides

Floor to Cline of bolt was just to confirm the car was level. And floor to axle C line is what it is as you discuss below. I'm fairly certain the top mount spacers are in there. also the shock bodies are the same but piston lengths I can't confirm right now

Since its important to only change one thing at once I intend to swap over the shock assys without changing anything else and see what happens. In doing so I will check shock body and piston lengths.

I will set the shock adj platforms to be the same - prob the 107 used on one side before and return the car to the ground. If the problem swaps sides I will surmise that one spring is rated differently from the other and go from there.

Given the axle CL seems to be higher on one side anyway I'm doubtful about that. Next step will be to loosen up the suspension joints (that were tightened off the ground in the first place) and revisit measurements etc.

But you are right. Off the ground the only way the axle CL can be higher on one side is if the wishbone can't drop further down. I agree that could be spacers or piston length. I speculate it might also be caused by the wishbones etc not having freedom of movement.

Other than that you sart mentally going down the dark alley of something fundamental being twisted or out of place. It did have new front wings but not inner ones. It all looks ok..... The subframe is essentially level per measurements to that bolt just under the lower wishbone opening. At the moment all still weird but something will come to light

Carledo looking good.

cheers