[TR] TR-3 steering self centering

[Greg Solow]

A large part of the self centering action of a TR-3 comes from the torsion 
in the drag link pins. These are the bonded rubber sleeves and studs that 
press into the holes in the drag link and attach to the steering box pitman 
arm and the idler arm. They consist of a center pin and a steel sleeve. The 
pin is in the center of the sleeve and is attached to it by bonded rubber. 
When the steering linkage is assembled, everything is tightened down with 
the steering in the straight ahead position. As the steering is turned away 
from straight ahead to either side,  the rubber that is bonded to the sleeve 
on the outside and the pin on the inside is supposed to "twist". The tension 
generated in the rubber wants to "untwist" itself and thereby wants to bring 
the steering back to straight ahead where there is no longer any "twisting" 
tension in the rubber.  Of course if the rubber in the space between the pin 
and the sleeve comes "unbonded" from either, all of this action is lost! 
The pins do not last to long in there original "bonded"  condition. They 
have a tendency to fail somewhat quickly.  Some of the reproduced stuff is 
better than other.
                                                                             
                Greg Solow
                                                                             
                The Engine Room
                                                                             
                Santa Cruz, Ca.