To Tigers, and Alpine Owners. Steering and brakes are safety issues
that should always be addressed, as it can be deadly if you don't.
These cars are 35 years old at least, so if you don't know the history,
or if you do, go to a Real Suspension or Brake Shop, or someone who
knows these cars, and have it fixed or fix it yourself, if you have the
interest or talents.
Most of the work is not that hard if taken in steps, i.e. Don't Eat the
Elephant in One Bite.
You would not put up with this in you daily driver, which is only 1-8
years old, so why play roulette with your pride and joy.
I always through alignment was a voodoo art, till I did it myself. I
never knew if the mechanic was telling me the truth or if he had any
real experience with that expensive and fancy machine
I have learned on other car lists, that the alignment machine can cost
$40K plus, but it is only the mechanics skills that make it work, and
frankly you can do the same thing if you take your time, with tools that
are less than $150. See United alignment article.
Suspension work is also cheap to do yourself. You need a vice, hammers,
a drill, sockets, wire brush, treaded rod from Home Depo for $7, and
normal hand tools, and you can change the entire front suspension
bushings, tie rod ends, and ball joints. Will take 2 weekends max.
Why a drill? To drill out that old rubber in the bushing, so that you
can get the a arms apart, without a press. Of course , if that doesn't
work you can always burn them out with a propane torch. Sounds crude,
but it works, and you don't hurt the a arms or fulcrum pins.
Larry
William van Zwanenberg wrote:
>It's more than a little coincidental that my car which is a Series IV
>Alpine and not a Tiger has also developed a very similar problem. Mine
>is not that the steering is stiff but that it veers to the left even is
>driven along a nice flat and even road. It's not quite as alarming as it
>sounds but it does mean that one is constantly having to adjust the
>steering in order to maintain a straight course and it also means that
>manoeuvring the car at slow or parking speeds is considerably harder
>than it might otherwise be.
>
>I intend to get a mechanic friend of mine to investigate the matter for
>me fully but if anyone could give me some pointers as to what I ought to
>be telling me friend to examine, I'd be extremely grateful.
>
>Many thanks,
>
>Will
>
>------------------------------
>William van Zwanenberg
>40a Mildmay Grove South
>Islington
>London
>N1 4RL
>United Kingdom
>
>Email: willvz@blueyonder.co.uk
>Tel: +44 (0)20 7226 6563
>Fax: +44 (0)20 7354 8837
>Mob: +44 (0)77391 78259
>
>
>
>|-----Original Message-----
>|From: owner-tigers@autox.team.net
>|[mailto:owner-tigers@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Larry Paulick
>|Sent: 23 May 2003 17:32
>|To: CoolVT@aol.com
>|Cc: tigers@autox.team.net
>|Subject: Re: Steering question
>|
>|
>|Mark, still sounds like alignment to me if all other parts move free,
>|especially since it does not come back to center after turning.
>|
>|Try another alignment shop, look at the United site article on
>|alignment, and go to
>|
>|> http://www.longacreracing.com/
>|
>|
>|and read the tech articles on alignment.
>|
>|Larry
>|
>|
>|CoolVT@aol.com wrote:
>|
>|>For a years now the Tiger has suffered from stiff steering. The
>|>steering
>|>column has been gone through and moves nicely, the steering U
>|joints are fairly
>|>new, lubed and free, the steering rack has been gone through
>|and moves nicely
>|>and easily, the tie rod ends are fairly new, but seem stiff.
>|The upper and
>|>lower ball joints are about 10 yrs old, but I think the
>|stiffness began when they
>|>were installed.
>|>
>|>The symptoms of the car are: seems hard to turn even when
>|moving, but
>|>is a
>|>little hard to judge without another Tiger close by to
>|compare with. After
>|>some effort to make a turn at any speed the car wants to go
>|only in the
>|>direction turned. There is almost no self centering of the
>|wheels. The steering
>|>wheel must be turned to straighten the wheels.
>|>
>|>It seems like it must be either the stiff tie rods (kind of
>|doubt that
>|>one)
>|>or the upper or lower ball joints. Does anyone have a
>|simple test that I can
>|>use to compare the turning effort to a known good steering
>|Tiger. How about
>|>using something like a fish scale to pull on the steering
>|wheel at rest to
>|>determine pressure needed to turn wheels? How about if the
>|tie rod ends are
>|>disconnected and the car is raised...how much effort is
>|needed to turn a wheel?
>|>Would something like pushing on the tire with a bathroom
>|scale begin to give
>|>some indication of stiffness? Again, I would need something
>|to compare it with.
>|> I tried some slim wedges to increase caster and it only made
>|the car steer
>|>harder, but still no better self centering. Have had two
>|alignments done and
>|>the car is pretty much on specs.
>|>
>|>I am open to suggestions. Something has to be too stiff! Thanks,
>|>Mark L.
>|>
>|> |>
>|
>|
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