Those tiny little 'impressions' on the worm are probably due to someone who
hammered on the tie rod ends, etc. while disassembling them with a pickle
fork... While it might be possible to carefully smooth them out with a
file and some emery paper, you will probably find that it is now difficult
to get a good adjustment of the steering peg. Worm gears are typically
ground so that the play in the steering is at a minimum when the car is in
'straight ahead' position. If you remove metal from that part of the worm,
you will probably defeat this feature, and I think it would be tough to
predict just how adversely the steering would be affected. With this in
mind, I suppose it is just a judgment call as to whether you should send the
steering shaft to the Roadster Factory ( or equiv..... NFI )for the $230
worm replacement (+/- $$) or put it back together as is... Be sure to also
check the condition of the bearing surfaces on the worm- the places the ball
bearings ride on the worm- for signs of roughness or wear. Years ago, when
my repair budget was " Any part as long as it is less than $10", I scrimped
on those bearings, and eventually the steering bound up so badly I couldn't
drive the car. Alternatively, you can toss the whole steering setup in the
trash and install a rack and pinion kit ( British Car Restoration, Norfolk,
VA NFI..) as I did. Not a job for the timid, but the car now steers
beautifully. Whatever you decide to do, try not to use marginal parts, as
the TR3 steering is, well, not exactly the cars strongest attribute, even
when working well. Do it as 'right' as you can!
Regards,
Bob Westerdale
59 3A TS36967E
Dear Assembled Triumph Intelligensia,
I have started to rebuild steering box in my 1960 TR3A. I have
inspected the inner column and cam with a 10x hand lens and I can see
mild impresssions where the drop arm peg engages the worm gear cam
when the steering is in the "straight ahead" position. Other than
that, there appears to be minimal wear. Can anyone tell me if this
is normal and acceptable or if I should have the worm gear replaced
as well. Can anyone describe what "bad" wear looks like?
Bob
TR3A, TS74379L
Carpe cervasium
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