The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

After this solid steering rack mount being made up, probably from stainless though aluminium may be ok if we use a coarse enough thread pitch....

If we can get them produced cheaply enough we could make a batch and sell them to forum members to replace the woeful Jigsaw ones.

This design eliminates the need to remove the engine to get them to fit!



Any takers?

There are other makes Shaun, mine did not come from Jigsaw, though they are a similar design. Can't remember now but they either came from Fitchetts or some internet supplier. I didn't have to remove or even lift my engine to fit them, but that means nothing cos of the Vauxhall engine.
I get the idea of yours but a threaded upper half is not really necessary, all you have to do is get rid of the U bolts and the job's a goodun, bolts and nyloc nuts with penny washers would be fine. Best to use ally so as not to crush the rack too badly and I would be a bit leery of putting bolts uphill into an ally thread, even a coarse one, the opportunities for over or under tightening are just too scary on such a safety critical item!

Steve

Hi Steve, this is a rip off of the design I had from Jamie Weidner 25 years ago so I'm content that it's ok...understand your concern though....don't like the u bolt version as I now realise I have to jack the engine up to try and get the driver's side on....which I couldn't as there is not enough space beneath the oil pump to lift the u bolt up. Using the two u bolt method also means that there's is nothing locating the rack from side to side so I intend to have one solid and one std (plus poly bush) instead.

The Weidner ones that were left are now in Holland but are steel ones.I copied these many times and did sell them but in alloy.

The ally ones I have pinch the rack somewhat to give a side location, I spent a bit of time making sure the rack was dead centre and also dead flat in the rotational plane since with the ally mounts i got, the flanges on the rack sat somewhat above the subframe. But it all works nicely now its on.
I'm not worried about experts getting it wrong, just people with more enthusiasm than experience getting their hands on them! Don't mean to be patronising!

Steve

Haha, don't worry about patronising....as a professional Engineer, I patronise most people as a matter of course!

I don't understand how something that gives a vertical load stops something from moving laterally? The std u brkts locate the rack from side to side and vertically; the ally compression ones, like the ones i currently have from jigsaw only vertically....what do you mean?

I made the ones I used on my Sprint from ally and only fitted it NS end and on the other side I used urethane mount from Witor.

It worked a treat.

So do you fancy knocking me one up Jon please....seeing as you've done one already?

What you've just suggested is exactly what I'm planning to do btw!

If you get a batch of these made, I would buy a set Shaun.
The design needs to be as shown with threaded holes in the upper piece. Protruding bolts will hit the oil pump.
( You will still need to raise the engine in order to remove the original clamp...)

shaunroche wrote:I don't understand how something that gives a vertical load stops something from moving laterally? The std u brkts locate the rack from side to side and vertically; the ally compression ones, like the ones i currently have from jigsaw only vertically....what do you mean?

The idea behind the alloy mount is that it clamps the rack (slightly), this being enough to stop side to side movement, as well as preventing up and down movement.
In addition, the original Sprintspares design was such that the steering rack positioning flange sat against it, thereby correctly aligning the rack.




Ian.

PS These clamps will also fit a T2000 (with manual steering).

Current cost is £45 and to be made from ally....bit expensive that and I do have other irons in the fire, though I have just asked him how many I would need to order to bring the cost down.

These would be far superior to the new u bolt type as you wouldn't need to mess about lifting the engine to fit them, and for that reason I'll happily stump up £45 just to avoid that rigmarole!

I don't need to worry about getting the current ones off Ian as I took a dremel to the u bolt and the new bolts will only come through by about 1 thread as there will be just more than 2d thread engagement in the ally anyhoo.

Changed the width to increase the meat between the tapped holes and the outer edge by 5mm seeing as it will now be made out of Aluminium.

The price for 20 off would be £36 plus bolts plus postage...if memory serves that's not far off what I paid for mine from Jamie in 1989!

If anyone out there can better this then please get in touch, I think it can be bettered if I'm honest.

This is a bit more expensive than the ally U bolt type, but it's vastly more practical as you don't need to take the engine out to fit it...and you only need one by the pinion as there isn't much movement in the near side clamp!

I could ask the Company that do the club mounts if your interested.
Could you send me the Drawing via PM
Is that each or for 20 that price

Thanks

Phill.

Hi Phill, I'll send you a pdf from work tomorrow- the price is each unfortunately!

Like I say, I'm sure we can get them cheaper!

Cheers,
S.

Not received anything as yet.

Phill.

Hi Phill.....erm, don't know why that hasn't come through!

In the meantime I have changed the design so that it doesn't rely purely on clamp load to retain the rack....even with it tightened fully down, the rack was still moving from side to side slightly and rotating a little: probably because the internal diameter was about 0.5mm too slack....the latest iteration has a decreased inner diameter and an increased width to but up with the big washer on the rack and has a little lip, just like the rubber bushes, to eliminate the rotation. That means that with just a clamp on the pinion side, you can retain the standard u bolt and bush on the nearside.

I'm picking the latest machining up this afto and will fit it later today.....if all is finally well, I'll send you another up to date print later....all is in hand!