Club Triumph

I am beginning to get back into action with my TR7 DHC after circumstances have prevented me using it, or most of my other cars for a number of years.  I have a number of issues I want to address on my TR7 and number one is increasingly heavy steering, especially under hard cornering and parking. I am posting my experience here for the benefit of other TR7/8 owners who have a similar problem.

I had a new fast rack on the car about 8 years/40K miles ago and I don't recall the steering being particularly light then.  Since then I have not maintained the steering other than applying 3-in-1 high performance lubricant to the universal joints, steering shaft  bushes and in general to the suspension.  BIG MISTAKE Reading the Haynes Manual, greasing the steering rack is a 6K mile maintenance item.

This is apparently achieved by removing the center nut in the middle of the cover plate over the steering box (13mm spanner) and replacing it with a grease nipple, applying 5-6 squirts from a grease gun, running the rack from side to side and applying more grease if felt necessary.  The grease nipple needs to be removed and the center nut reinserted as this nut acts to retain a damper within the rack and pinion.

That is an easy job to perform if you have a correctly sized grease nipple. I needed to get this job done quite quickly so did not conduct an extensive search, but quickly found no suitable item in the Robsport or Rimmer catalogs.  I phoned Rimmers, who said that they had never heard of needing a nipple for this job.  From this you may conclude that there are a lot of TR7s out there, as mine, that have not had basic steering maintenance carried out. Hence this post.

Not to be thwarted I asked an MG owning mate about what he did.  He understood the problem and said that he had filled his steering racks on a number of MGs over many years with EP90 oil and found it to be satisfactory.  I have given this a go.  It only needs about 100ml and it has transformed my steering. TR7 steering will never be light, but mine is now quite acceptable and no real effort.  I did this about 2 weeks ago and have driven about 120 miles and don't appear to have any leaks or other problems.

I hope this is helpful.

I'm fairly sure the nipple you need is a standard size, and I have a box full of them (and assorted others) that I bought from Frost or Eastwood or someone of the like many years back.

Thanks very much Rob, I think it is 1/2" UNF. You are right that Frost sell 90+ assorted grease nipples, metric or imperial, for c.£40, but they don't sell them individually.

The points I am making are that:

     TR7 Steering racks need regular maintenance, I suspect that most owners don't appreciate that, and

     While greasing is what the manual states, using EP90 may well prove to be a better approach  and does not require a grease nipple.

Cheers, Chris

Chris

I have had the same problem - none of the usual sources have grease nipples, let alone routinely grease the steering rack. 33 year old grease is not a good lubricant.

Reading your thread made me think of looking them up on line and came up with this:-

http://www.namrick.co.uk/acatalog/Home_Grease_Nipples_50.html

They are less than £1 each

As I am not in the UK for a while can you confirm the size - the largest seems to be 5/16" UNF.

Thanks

Howard

Hi Chris, sounds to me that the grease in your rack dried.
I have never had much problem with normal grease to lubricate them.

Also bear in mind the TR7 rack wasn't designed for oil lubrication.
So it wouldn't surprise me when over time the oil will start to leak out.
Something time will tell.

Hi Theo

Yes that is also my worry, but if it does then I'll get a nipple and grease it.

Theo, can you advise on the size of nipple required please?

Sorry Chris I haven't got a clue, on the farm were I grew up we had a tin with grease nipples and I found a few that fitted.
Have them permanently fitted to my cars. But I think I found one of the discarded plugs recently in the garage.
Might have some time later in the evening to have look.

Just checked the original TR7 workshop manual and all it says is use a suitable grease nipple!!!

The blanking plug's diameter is ±9,55 mm (so that makes it 3/8") with fine threads (cylindrical).

Thanks very much Theo.  I'll take that as 3/8" UNF.  I'll see what I can find and get back to you.  I don't have the car at home at the moment and am inn the middle of 101 other things so it may be a few days.

A thought on leaving the nipple in:  The center plug appears to be holding a damper in place.  I don't know if the nipple would extend far enough to perform this function.  I expect that is why Triumph did not put a nipple permanently in this position.  ??

Cheers, Chris

When I grease my 7s & 8s racks, I pinch a nipple out of the Ferguson tractor. I don't know the size, but at least I know where to find one.

Our cars may have no longer shared an engine with the Fergy tractor as did the earlier 4 cylinder models, but we did still share that grease nipple. On the same tack, I found the diaphragm in the engine driven fuel lift pump on my 1950s Fordson super major tractor [4 cylinder diesel] fits the fuel pump on the 7. The Fordson pump overhaul kit in Oz cost just $15, & reliably available. This is somewhat cheaper, & less bother than a new pump for the 7, that cost $128, & pumps excessively high pressure, causing carb flooding.

Hasbeen

Good call Chris, I have a few TR7 steering racks and all are very hard to turn, even out of the car. One has the small bolt  missing from the top for some reason, maybe someone was about to grease it??
You would be amazed at how many cars are not serviced as per factory specification, and I too are guilty of this practice   It is all very well doing oil and filters and that is where a lot of us finish   Oops I am only talking of my own experience you must understand     (whistle)
Even major service garages have been known to skip on some of the finer requirements in servicing. After having had loads of association with major car servicing departments, it is down to the 'she'll be right attitude' syndrome, plus many cars are only kept for a few years then replaced with new ones.
That's why we are here to rescue all the old Triumphs and give them that much needed overhaul and get them out on the road again  
So the moral of the story here is 'Thank goodness for lackadaisic servicing'. If it wasn't then there would be no broken or failed old cars to buy and look after      

Quoted from thescrapman

For the first time ever, I have sold a road-worthy Triumph.

Goodbye Damson Dog, I know your new owner will treat you with the same amount of respect as I did.

Bugger all...  

Quoted from Chriss

... The center plug appears to be holding a damper in place ...