Kevin,
The steering u-j on the Spitfire is held to the rack and the column with a
"pinch bolt" at each end, and is internally splined. You've got to remove
the bolt completely (the column and rack end have a groove cut to clear the
bolt, and as long as the bolt is in place the joint can't slide off either
end. You can reach the bolts by turning the steering wheel until either the
bolt head or the nyloc nut is accessible.
The joint has 8 little rubber "donuts" that eventually wear out, causing the
slop. If your parts car didn't spew too much oil on the joint before the
car was parked, there's a reasonable chance that one will be in better
shape. Keep in mind that dry rot will also be a problem.... and the parts
car is older than your driver.
Roadster used to list the rubber pieces (at something like $2 per!), don't
know if they still do. My friend here in the Dallas area takes faucet
washers and punches out the center hole and uses those as replacement
pieces. Figure something like $.05 per washer.
Jim
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin B. Rhodes [SMTP:krhodes1@maine.rr.com]
> Sent: Thursday, April 23, 1998 1:19 PM
> To: spitfires@autox.team.net
> Subject: Steering Universal Joint
>
> Thanks to everybody who responded to my question about my indicators not
> working - I'll be tracing wires when I return from my latest business trip
> (Susquehanna PA and Lovell, WY) in two weeks.
>
> In the meantime, as I was poking around last night I noticed that the
> steering play that I thought was in the rack actually seems to be in the
> universal joint that attaches the column to the rack. So this brings the
> question, any pointers as to how to remove it? It is hard to get at behind
> the front suspension mount. Next question, is this part the same on a 74
> as
> on a 77? I have a low mileage parts car, ~34,000 supposedly a real number,
> but frame completely rotten from sitting in a barn for fifteen years. If
> the joint is in good shape I would love to use it and save a few $$.
>
> Kevin Rhodes
> Freddy the Spit (mostly 77)
> Yellow Parts Car (entirely 74)
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