TRIPPEL@peoplepc.com writes:
> Jim,
>
> BTW, Our racecar is running the column you rebuilt. It's working great!
>
> Come to think of it, we had a problem after we installed the steering
> system. (We'd also replaced the tie rod ends, ball joints &went through the
rack.)
> The Tiger was in the air on jack-stands and the guy who drives the car in
> races for us came by to look at our progress. He wiggled the steering wheel
> and announced, "This is too stiff. I don't think I can feel the tires with
it
> this stiff." I wiggled the wheel &it felt ok to me.
>
> At first I thought he was nuts but (in part to humor him) I decided to
> see if I could find something wrong. I started to remove the rack and
> discovered that the steering had freed up. I couldn't believe it so I
tightened it
> back down and again the steering got stiffer. Tightening the rack mounting
> bolts caused binding.
>
> I removed the rack and used a good straightedge to discover that the rack
> mounts were not in the same plane. They were angled inward about .025". I
got
> out a long flat hand file without a handle. I rested the hand end on one
> mount as a guide and filed on the other mount. After a couple minutes I
turned
> the file around and worked on the other mount. In about 10 minutes I had
both
> surfaces correct and remounted the rack. Steering was then easy.
>
> I recounted this to Tom Hall who told me he's seen it before. I think his
> solution was to put washers under one side. He tightened down the side with
> the washers but left the mounting bolts on the other side loose.
>
> I'm passing this along in case you have not heard it before with the thought
> that some of your other customers could also run into the same problem.
>
> Buck Trippel
>
Buck,
I had not heard of that particular problem, but I had a similar issue
with my Tiger that happened from 6 seasons on the track. My front crossmember
developed the usual cracks and it had sagged to the point I had at least 3.0
degrees of negative camber. The car sure looked mean, but as you can imagine
the tires were not even close to flat under heavy braking.
My friend Larry Atkisson made a jig to square-up suspensions before he
reweld and reinforces them and that's what we did. When I went to reinstall
my rack, the bolts missed the mounting bosses by at least a quarter inch!
To resolve it, I made a special tool using all-thread and brackets
that mounted to the rack bosses. I pulled the rack mounts inward until the
dimensions were correct ... in fact, it partially tore both mounts away from
the
crossmember. We rewelded them in the correct place.
I gave Larry my tool and now before Larry rewelds suspensions, he
verifies that measurement.
I was wondering how well your car was running and I'm glad you are
pleased with your steering column ... I knew you would be! You sent me a
picture
of it and it is one of the cleanest Tiger racecars I have seen. It looks
like it means business!
Best regards and good luck racing!
Jim
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