Ralph Whitaker

I couldn`t get my overdrive to function using the setting hole, it simply was not moving the lever far enough. I had to set it slightly forward of the setting hole, and I put it down to wear in my used OD gearbox, but if yours has been re built I wouldn`t have expected that to be the case. Ralph.

Ian, I think you will find that the "toggles" are designed to compensate in so far as they are a slack fit on the studs and should rock to take up that slight difference. Ralph.

I assume you have the correct shoes? There are different part numbers although they look similar. I have a later midget rear brake set up on my A35 van. You mention the beehive retaining spring, that was only used on the early set up with the single piston wheel cylinder, also I have come across 2 different cams for these adjusters with different diameter centres, could you have shoes machined for the bigger diameter adjusters and your cams are the smaller items. Also the original shoes would have had riveted linings, modern bonded shoes sometimes use thinner linings so the shoes are to a

+1. That`s what I did too, cut the flat section out about an inch back from the wired edge and let the new panel in to avoid losing the wheel arch profile. Ralph

I have not got a picture to hand, and in any case both my front wings have been similarly repaired, but the profile you are after matches the door at the back and is pretty much flat by the time it gets to the wheel arch. I will try to get a pic tomorrow for you. Ralph

My 3a already had a pair of reversing lights fitted next to the indicators and I left these on, had I known then about the available LED bulbs I would probably have taken them off and filled the holes during the restoration and gone with Peters idea of a double filament indicator unit. Ralph

So if the car leans into a corner, the weight comes off the inside spring and goes on the outside spring, and the geometry alters causing rear wheel steer which promotes understeer at the front. Have I grasped it correctly?, and altering the way the spring is mounted this effect can be lessened or increased, is that right? Sorry, but I have been struggling to understand this for a while, but think I now have a glimmer of understanding. Ralph.

Mine came in a kit from Rimmers and had a made in China label. Seems OK though, Ralph

This all started for me with the desire to upgrade my clear front indicator bulbs so they could be seen flashing Amber while maintaining the white sidelamp. This was only possible with LEDs. After all, how many drivers out there have seen White indicators built into sidelights. I could have stopped there, but I had wired up the sidelights in my headlight units, and they looked incredibly dim by comparison, so they were upgraded too. I may add LED rear indicator bulbs for safety as they are much brighter and stand out better in daylight. I am quite happy with the tail lights, but may

I have never understood how inclining the rear springs up or down affects the steering. It obviously does, it is mentioned in a lot of the period road tests of the TR2, but a spring is just a spring, and an axle just basically a solid bar, and how these items can alter steering input escapes me. Ralph.

I bought what I thought was a professional crimping tool. I already had 2 but they were both for the coloured plastic sleeved terminals. The new one I bought came with different sets of Jaws but the tool itself was the same as the 2 I already had. However one of the jaws was for the plain brass spade connectors and made a really good crimp, folding the ends of the tangs inwards as it crimped into the wire and to grip the outer plastic of the cable. The main problem I had was finding any good quality terminals, they seem to be made of much thinner brass than the good old Lucas items, and many h

Fitted my half grommets today using the method described in the link above and it worked a treat. My next question is about the retaining washers for the Dzus fastener. I have managed to track these down, as most places were out of stock, but David Manners had them. What is the best method for fitting these, as I assume they are dished and need to be flattened after fitting in order to work. Ta, Ralph.

The sidelamps are quite small, so I think they will be OK. On the subject of dazzle, the LED lights that cyclists are using can be a nuisance at night, especially the strobe versions, they can be quite blinding, and more than one has received a blast of my main beam as a suggestion that they should perhaps angle them down. I like the strobe centre brake light idea, alas the 3a does not have a centre brake light, but some modern cars strobe the lights if under hard braking, so just updating the older cars to keep pace with modern expectations seems like a good safety feature to me. R

Uuh? Sorry officer I didn`t realise. The bulbs in the sidelights are replacements for the standard bulbs, but when the indicators are used somehow it turns off the white sidelight and flashes amber. They were the ones Bob reccomends . The ones in the headlight were a direct replacement for the 5w blade type bulbs because they looked like amber candles at the side of the led sidelights, so I upgraded to match. At night the headlights will be on so presumably the halogen bulb will overpower the upper sidelights anyway. I had not heard of the need to dim them at night? I

I fitted LED bulbs in the sidelights, and also in the sidelight holes in the headlights. Talk about daylight running lights!, I think they will see me coming. Ralph