Steering column rattle

[Sundowner]

Hello again,
A mechanic mate and I recently replaced the steering rack in my Sprint. Its a little beauty.....well, compared to the so called reconditioned one (that had only done about 1,200 kms) that we removed, it sure is.
However, now on rough bumps, the slightly annoying steering column rattle (that its had since I've owned the car) has become a major, loose feel, rattle. I discovered this immediately, when I was driving the car the 150yards down to my local wheel alignment place (and when I found that they were closed due to having a holiday) then the 3kms home.
The car obviously has considerable toe in (while I wait for the alignment) and I was wondering.........
a) Could the excessive toe in be the reason for the increase in the feel of the rattle?
b) Would it more than likely be the bottom bulkhead bush being the culprit? (Replace with a Chris Witor urethane bush?) Or should I look at other things?
I'm certain the noise is in the column, as from the firewall to the road, all is AOK.
Happy New Year,
Cheers,
Rob

[Robert 352]

Hello Rob

I have had a very similar problem with my Sprint. You say that all is okay from the firewall to the the road. I thought the same with mine.

It was the upper (unserviceable) universal on the intermediate shaft. I think if you reach down under the brake servo and just "feel" for movement, even if you detect only slight movement, up down or sideways, that in my experience will be the culprit. I fitted two second hand shafts that I had here, the first had a nice feel about it but was obviously loose in the needle rollers, the second felt a little tight, before I fitted it but it soon developed a most alarming rattle particularly when I travelled over a bumpy road. The steering still felt quite tight but it certainly rattled.

I have fitted my third, second hand shaft now. It has eliminated the rattle completely. I have a new one on order from Rimmers which I shall fit as soon as it arrives and put the third one aside as a back up.

If it is the bulkhead bush then I think you will find that onautos.com.au has them in stock. He is advertising them here on trademe.co.nz for NZ$20.00 posted to New Zealand

Hope that helps.

Robert

[Sundowner]

I've just done some further investigation and I've found that where the lower bush is visible in the engine compartment, it's a pale green...rubbery, not urethane.
If I get hold of the uni-joint shaft and give it a wiggle I can get it to move in a vertical direction, but not enough for it to make a metallic connection with anything. It all seems tight and (in my estimation at least) satisfactory.
Could it be something else, within the column perhaps, that's causing the rattle?
Whatever the cause is, I'll replace the lower bush when the time comes......and it'll come real soon as I'm about to take "Daisy" on a 1500kms trip. The first big one she'll have done since I've owned her.
Cheers,
Antipodean Rob

[Sundowner]

Hello Rob

I have had a very similar problem with my Sprint. You say that all is okay from the firewall to the the road. I thought the same with mine.

It was the upper (unserviceable) universal on the intermediate shaft. I think if you reach down under the brake servo and just "feel" for movement, even if you detect only slight movement, up down or sideways, that in my experience will be the culprit. I fitted two second hand shafts that I had here, the first had a nice feel about it but was obviously loose in the needle rollers, the second felt a little tight, before I fitted it but it soon developed a most alarming rattle particularly when I travelled over a bumpy road. The steering still felt quite tight but it certainly rattled.

I have fitted my third, second hand shaft now. It has eliminated the rattle completely. I have a new one on order from Rimmers which I shall fit as soon as it arrives and put the third one aside as a back up.

Hope that helps.

Robert

Hello Robert,
Top name, that.
Just a couple of years ago I replaced the intermediate shaft with a new one from Rimmers and is still in the car. However, that's not to say that that isn't the problem. I'll investigate it all more closely soon.
Thanks for the tip.
Cheers,
Rob

[Robert 352]

Okay so there are two antipodean Rob's. That will confuse the lot up in the northern hemisphere when they sit down after breakfast and try and fathom all this out.

If you can get any movement at all in that universal then that is likely to be where the noise is coming from. I changed everything else first saying to myself that it cannot be that universal but believe me that was the culprit. I changed the rack support bushes, for the harder bushes, changed that bulkhead bush, changed the bushings on the lower universal (which had certainly gone soft) and was about to change the steering column itself, but it was that upper universal.

If you can lay your hand on a spare shaft try that first. I see that you have fitted a new intermediate shaft recently. Hmmm. It is probably worth trying another. If it is a faulty shaft then tell Rimmers for they have been exceedingly good to us down here and have provided us, on this side of the pond, with excellent backup when we have had problems like this.

Note that I have added a likely local supplier of bushes to my posting above.

Antipodean Rob too!

[tony g]

I also have a slightly annoying rattle from my sprint column. While it was all apart last year I replaced the lower bush with a poly one from Chris Witor and a NOS lower coupling. The top u/j felt in great nick so I left it.
Im now thinking as per Robert 352's note that the upper u/j should be changed.
Mine only rattles on slow stony drives and becomes unnoticable on the road so it may be worth a look Rob


Tony

[Carledo]

If you have ANY vertical movement in the lower column bush then it is suspect and should be changed. It's also a fair bit cheaper than the UJ!

Steve

[Jon Tilson]

There are also some ball race bearings at the top and bottom of the column. I changed a top one once, but it wont be
easy to find a bearing now, and laterly there wasn't exactly a shortage of spare columns, although I suspect that's also no
longer the case.

I would do the bulkhead bush first, then look at your intermediate shaft u-j and flexible coupling - then look at the column itself.

Jonners

[Sundowner]

Gents,
Thank you for you advice.
Upon close inspection its definitely the lower bulkhead bush that's causing the knocking etc. I guess I disturbed it when doing the rack replacement.
I couldn't find anything wrong elsewhere in the column.
I was just about to buy one from Chris Witor, but I found a guy in Australia selling the the polyurethane bush's on DolleBay.....with free postage. So I grabbed one.
Thanks again for your input.
Cheers,
Rob

[trackerjack]

Hello Rob

I have fitted my third, second hand shaft now. It has eliminated the rattle completely. I have a new one on order from Rimmers which I shall fit as soon as it arrives and put the third one aside as a back up.

Hope that helps.

Robert

Hello Robert,
Top name, that.
Just a couple of years ago I replaced the intermediate shaft with a new one from Rimmers and is still in the car. However, that's not to say that that isn't the problem. I'll investigate it all more closely soon.
Thanks for the tip.
Cheers,
Rob

Triumph Sprint Built by midland muppets and driven by 'Roberts'.

[tony g]

Triumph Sprint Built by midland muppets and driven by 'Roberts'. [/quote]

Got the torque wrench Bob?

Tony

[Sundowner]

I thought I should report back on this.
After replacing the steering rack and poly bushes,
removing and cleaning up the column,
inspecting and cleaning the bits in between the two,
renewing the bulkhead bush with a superpro poly bush,
and a wheel alignment,
my Sprint now steers just like new.
No rattles on bumps. No loose feeling through the wheel, returning to center after a turn......just brilliant.
My thanks to you all for the advice that got me to this stage, Gents.
Its very much appreciated.
Cheers,
Rob