Steering Shaft/Knuckle - Lower - FAM1718

[geeksteve]

Didn't know any dolys had the horn button in the steering wheel.

Almost like it was just a joke or something..

[GrahamFountain]

Didn't know any dolys had the horn button in the steering wheel.

Almost like it was just a joke or something..

It must have lost something in the translation.

[Carledo]

Didn't know any dolys had the horn button in the steering wheel.

Almost like it was just a joke or something..

It must have lost something in the translation.

I think someone has mistranslated "small chassis cars" ie Herald, Spitfire and their derivatives, as "small saloons" the less well known term for the Dolomite range and it's variants and predecessors.

All the small chassis cars have the horn push in the steering wheel (with the exception, I think, of the 1500 Spit) and need some sort of earth connection across the lower coupling, which, IIRC, originally comprised a cable between the 2 clamp bolts. Also a second, oft mislaid, earth for the (rubber mounted) rack body.

Whereas the Dolomite range mostly has it's horn push on the indicator switch and switched power, rather than the switched earth of the Herald et al. Though i'm not sure how the 1300FWD one works.

Apologies if I'm teaching Granny to suck eggs here!

Steve

[Robert 352]

James

A very timely topic for I have several knuckles sitting here on my bench all waiting for me to rebuild.

Each has a centre disc which measures 0.230, close to ¼ and certainly not 3/16.

I would be most interested in sourcing some longer bolts, longer than the one measured here, 0.9845 or near enough to 1 inch for then I would rebuild mine, Loctite the threads and then wire them as was originally done.

Robert

[jedo]

Hi All,
I’ve been having a read of this thread and wanted to add this question, wish I’d read this before purchasing the new parts. Has anyone got any hints or tips on how to get the FAM1718 UJ and the flexible couplings together. They’re so tight I can only push it in about a mm. any hints or tips?

Thanks

James

[Richard the old one]

Hi James.

I did start a response but I then read your question again and I need more time to respond as it is getting too late.

[jedo]

Hi Richard, your previous post about magazine 203 is a good place to start, will have a read. At very,east, you’ve made me sequence my Dolly mixtures to find it!

[Richard the old one]

Hi James

You need to make or find a wedge that you can hammer to open up the gap see attached photo.

Quite often I have found that I have needed to use the wedge to get the original shaft off when I have wished to remove the old shaft from the car.

[Carledo]

Looking at the picture, my first move would be to wire brush (or wire wheel) the paint off the new intermediate shaft splines. Gotta be good for a few thou, just in paint!

Steve

[jedo]

Thanks. Will try that this weekend.

Clever me, thought I’d take it for an MOT to check the brakes work I did in December and it fails the UJ. Now it’s a grey area to whether I can use it…

[sprint95m]

Hi All,
I’ve been having a read of this thread and wanted to add this question, wish I’d read this before purchasing the new parts. Has anyone got any hints or tips on how to get the FAM1718 UJ and the flexible couplings together. They’re so tight I can only push it in about a mm. any hints or tips?

Thanks

James

Not trying to be clever or funny James,
but the finish on the new joint looks shoddy. Is this a cheap pattern part?



Ian

[jedo]

So end result. New UJ intermediate shaft fitted to original coupling. New coupling just would not mate. In response to the above question, part was ordered from a reputable triumph supplier but I do question the accuracy/quality of the part. 2+ hours trying to make it mate with the UJ and in the end, the original one slid on nicely….

[cliftyhanger]

Thanks. Will try that this weekend.

Clever me, thought I’d take it for an MOT to check the brakes work I did in December and it fails the UJ. Now it’s a grey area to whether I can use it…

I don't think it is a grey area. To be used you need to declare the car is roadworthy, but you know the steering joint is in need tof replacement. I suppose if you hadn't taken it for an MoT you could argue that you were not aware (but the symptoms are pretty obvious).
This is where mot exemption falls down. People not wanting the car MoT'd because it might fail.

Please do not take this personally, it is a general moan, and teh number of old cars that are simply not fit for the road. Once yours is fixed, you could get it re-mot'd or just continue using it as faults now corrected.

FWIW steering joints are the bane of my life. I have a Witor UJ on my spit, or did. But that started moving on teh rack splines, and would not tighten. So I have polybushed a standard joint for now, but I think it is wear on the rack splines, and the UJ type would not tighten as much as the original type.

[jedo]

Whilst I do not wish to inevitably re-open a can of worms on whether you should or shouldn’t mot a car, I personally want peace of mind that a professional has checked my work.

Pass MOT certificate received yesterday.

The challenge of old car and new parts not quite fitting perfectly, but I suppose that’s why we love them classics!

So in the end, new UJ fitted to old coupling (as that was still ok and fitted)

[Carledo]

FWIW steering joints are the bane of my life. I have a Witor UJ on my spit, or did. But that started moving on teh rack splines, and would not tighten. So I have polybushed a standard joint for now, but I think it is wear on the rack splines, and the UJ type would not tighten as much as the original type.

I've had the same problems myself with the pressed UJs sold by many suppliers to replace the FAM1718. Not had a problem with the T2000 forged joint supplied by Chris Witor, which is why I use these exclusively.

On the subject of the pressed joint, these were originally sold as a replacement (or a rally upgrade) for Ford Escort RWD models. But it's well known (to me at least) that the MKI Escort was largely imperial in it's dimensions and the MKII was almost entirely metric. Is this a case of the difference between 1/2" and 13mm? The Witor joint is all Triumph and most decidedly imperial, so less room for doubt.

Steve