All the recent discussion about silentblocs has convinced me to break my own
'silent block' on the subject and confess what I did to mine many years ago.
This was long before Al invented the internet or I even knew anyone else with
a TR3... I was just trying to keep the thing on the road. The driver's side
silentbloc had disintegrated in the usual fashion and realizing that the
replacement of the silentbloc is no simple matter I decided to try an 'in
situ' solution.
I made a rubber bushing that would compress and fill the space between the
center pin and the outer housing of the silentbloc. I realized that the
original rubber was molded in place and that what I was doing would not be the
same thing. What I did was replace the missing rubber with a length of sturdy
rubber hose. I found a size that would be a very tight fit on the inner pin
and slightly larger than the outer shell. I did not remove the pressed-in
outer metal of the original silentbloc.
I cut the length slightly longer than the required length. I had to remove
some material from the outside of the hose to get the right (but tight) fit in
the cylinder of the old connection, I also chamfered one end of the rubber
piece a bit to make it easier to start in the hole/cylinder.
I then lubed it all with grease (for ease of assembly) and pressed everything
together. I cannot recall if I put the rubber bush over the pin and pressed
it in or if I put the bush in the cylinder and pressed the pin in (probably
the former).
Because the piece is slightly over-long it squished a bit as I tightened down
that nut on the bottom of the pin... giving a really snug fit in the
connection.
Looking through my records I see I did this 18 years ago and have probably put
35-40K on the car since. The steering still feels tight and more importantly
there is no discernable slop in that ersatz silentbloc connection.
Please don't dump on me for taking this totally lazy approach when the correct
solution is available... I am certainly not recommending that anyone try this.
I just pass along this experience for your reading amusement.
Geo
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