alantr4 Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Gents Im starting to consider what I should take to the Alps by way of spares. Are there any common faults that you have encountered whicjh Id be wise to guard against by taking the requisite spares, i was hearing at the weekend how someone has had a hub crack for instance? Any Thoughts? Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 I have a list of the spares which we took for our trip to Sicily in June 2005 in Roy Macgregor's TR4 and Jim Grant's Lotus Elan Sprint. If you would like a copy, e-mail me: ifcornish@btinternet.com Somewhere, I have Neil Revington's list, and I could send that as well if I can trace it. I don't know of hubs breaking on TR4s (the Works TR4s didn't seem to break them in the 1960s, nor the Works TR3s in the 1950s), but big Tony (Sheach) might have managed it! Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kevin bryant Posted March 10, 2008 Report Share Posted March 10, 2008 Ian, can you post it on the website for others to pick up (including me!). many thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 No I havent broken a hub yet ...... but Andy lane has ..... Im careful ...... The issue is really the (front wheel particularly) bearings and basically if you have excessive play at the start of an event the whole hub and wheel assembly will be in the ditch somehwhere along the route. The stub axles flex also and an anti knock kit helps this (but is actually to stop pad knock after tight cornering) ..... you can go the whole hog and fit uprated hubs front and rear as the race guys do. I have a spares list which ill download and post shortly. The basic rule is if you can fit it in 30 minutes I would carry it, if not dont bother ...... but do buy an RAC membership and scrounge a tow to a place where they can load you onto a truck. Regards Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alantr4 Posted March 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 No I havent broken a hub yet ...... but Andy lane has ..... Im careful ...... The issue is really the (front wheel particularly) bearings and basically if you have excessive play at the start of an event the whole hub and wheel assembly will be in the ditch somehwhere along the route. The stub axles flex also and an anti knock kit helps this (but is actually to stop pad knock after tight cornering) ..... you can go the whole hog and fit uprated hubs front and rear as the race guys do. I have a spares list which ill download and post shortly. The basic rule is if you can fit it in 30 minutes I would carry it, if not dont bother ...... but do buy an RAC membership and scrounge a tow to a place where they can load you onto a truck. Regards Tony i actually changed the wheel bearings yesterday. i saw andy at the weekend and it was him who told me about the broken hub. i think i will take a stub axle ,uprights and a hub just to be on the safe side. insurance covers me throughout the rally with continental recovery so shouldnt be a problem there. I was curious if there was any regular failures on the 4s that was all,to save my self carrying the proverbial kitchen sink! alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
7VC Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Alan, I'd take a couple of rear shock links assuming you're running with lever arms (and don't forget the club hammer!). I seemed to get through them rather quickly a couple of years ago, but it may have been a dodgy batch as I haven't broken one in a while, despite rather enthusiastic driving round assorted tank ranges and army bases! If you are running a tubular manifold without any wrap or heat shield, take a spare alternator! And a brake light switch... Apart from that, I carry the usual set of hoses, wheel bearings, inner tubes, fan belt, bulb set, relays, accelerator cable, speedo cable, HT leads and cap, rotor arm, points and a decent roll of gaffer tape. If you are happy that the car is mechanically sorted before you go, the most likely failure will be electrical, unless you drive like Tony! Cheers, Jonathan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Ye of little faith ...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
North London Mike Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Gents Im starting to consider what I should take to the Alps by way of spares. Are there any common faults that you have encountered whicjh Id be wise to guard against by taking the requisite spares, i was hearing at the weekend how someone has had a hub crack for instance? Any Thoughts? Alan Hi Guys Having just posted on the civilians side of this debate I'd love to see the 'Weapons Grade' version of the "What spares should I take " debate Hubs !! eek............ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 Hi In all seriousness, there's not much that goes wrong regularly with a TR, so with good preparation your spares package shoudnt be huge. I went two years carrying around the kitchen sink and used very little because the car was well prepared each time. My experience is that the cars suffer from electrical and cooling failures primarily - and the occasional clutch or gearbox problem, but usually with these its a truck home affair as even changing a clutch plate is a 7 hour job by the time its all in and out. Stub axles bent, wheel nuts stripm gearbox and engine mounts break, exhausts get torn or shake, lights stop working off etc. etc. My advice would be to take a set of hoses and pipes plus all the various fluids you need, enough to change both brakes (but not discs and drums), a set of wheel bearings, a set of suspension front bushes, links etc. and steering bits in case you clobber it, two tyres and rims if its a long trip with tests on it, plus a spare electrical ancilliary everything (switches, wire, wiper motors) plus all the bidge materials you can thing of. Ive run a car with tank tape and cable ties to get me home, with torn cooling hoses etc. and this stuff all hold good if you are careful with the car. This way you will almost certainly get the car round and home. Ive had 3 DNF's in 6 years (about 60 events) and these were clutch, clutch and now cylinder head gasket (which is highly unusual and I suspect the result of a repair giving way). I have got the car home under its own power with 2 knackered gearboxes (once from Dublin in Oct 05, the other from John O Groats in Dec 07) but never a knackered clutch. happy motoring ! Regards Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
H TR4 Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Hi Does seem to be the case that you try to build a strong car and keep it as light as possible, then ovarload it with spares. But sods law, what ever you haven't got will break. Essentials that i carry: Stub axle Wheel bearing ( front ) Break pads ( front ) Spark plugs Distributor complete with cap and leads Clutch slaye cylinder repair kit Brake/ clutch master cylinders Top hose and clips wheel nuts and studs Rocker box gasket Water pump and gasket Altenater Gaffer tape Zip ties Wiper bladers and arms Electrics, Bulbs, fuses, switches, hihg/low beam storks, pull switches for lights, relays. I have been rallying my TR for te last 12 years and have only not finished 3 times 1: overdrive clutch failure- drove home 2: clutch failure- drove home 3: Diff broke-Rescue. Good rallying H Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Hi Folks, what spares to take !!!! As Tony stated if you can fit it in 30 mins or perhaps a little longer then take it. However if your on a long tour and out of the country it is worth taking a few extra bits that may not be available abroad but could be fitted at a local garage - where does the list stop. In 2006 I was in a group travelling across France. One of our 5's had a rear hub that wanted to rid itself of the central nyloc nut. Every 10 miles we had to stop and tighten it up. When we got to the camp site the victim declared he'd had enough and would call AA relay or what have you to get trailered home (this is day 1). I chimed up why not fit another hub it'll only take 1 hour. Where will we get a spare hub in the middle of France - I have one in my boot. A couple of hours later we were on our way to Germany. Why have a spare hub in the boot - I had a rear wheel bearing unexpectedly disintegrate up in Scotland. Managed to limp home but got the spare just in case for the next time. It's not beyond reason that you could do a clutch change in a field with a few spares and some willing hands. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Hi Another good way to reduce the weight for a long event is to talk to your fellow TR runners and club together to take a fuller spares package - hence the posts you see here from time to time ...... apart from the fact that id always assist another TR entry where possible it makes sense not to carry the same 'unusual' spares. On Le jog and the Rally of the Tests we split the big items between 3 cars ...... just had to stay together at the service halts where the bits were all needed. Its not just for the nice piccies y'know. Regards Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.