keith1948 Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 I need to replace top steering column bush part number 209423. I see that Rimmers do an uprated one (209423UR). Does anyone have any experience of the uprated ones? At 5x the price are they any better than the standard ones. I seem to remember original ones being challenging to fit. Keith Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Hi Keith, if you are going to do the top then you may as well do the bottom. They are supposedly better than the standard item.. They are more difficult to fit than the standard bushes but only just. You may well need to ream the bushes out after fitting. I found mine very tight and ended up running an expanding reamer through to knock the high spots off. I have a reamer you may borrow. I got mine from Revington. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith1948 Posted October 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Hi Roger Hope you are well. You must have been sitting by the fire waiting for my question with your rapid reply! Yes I will do both bushes. The uprated ones look like they have thicker PTFE or whatever it is made from. Need to have some play with this or they would bind up in hot weather. (Had experience of PTFE rate of thermal expansion in some equipment I was involved with years ago). Last time I had this problem the steering column itself was worn so had to replace the top end of the column. I'll see what the old bushes are like when I get them out. Keith Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Hi Keith, I changed mine two or three summers ago and they have survived any hot weather very well. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith1948 Posted October 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Hi Roger The equipment I was involved with had a temperature range of 20 C up to 140 C- more than any summer we might have. The engineer changed bronze bushes for PTFE thinking coefficient of friction was lower than bronze. Well yes it was BUT coefficient of expansion was much bigger and piston in the equipment seized solid. Only way he could get it to work was to have very large clearances at the low temperature so that clearance was still ok at top end. I'll have some washing up liquid handy when I come to fit them - that usually does the trick Keith Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Hi Keith, I changed mine two or three summers ago and they have survived any hot weather very well. Roger Yes, but you had to ream yours. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Hi Pete, for whatever reason the bushes developed high spots during fitting. The amount removed was almost immeasurable. Others have had the same also. Since fitting they are performing very well. FRoger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith1948 Posted October 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 Hi Roger Maybe the big hammer wasn't really the correct fitting tool after all? Keith Anyway thanks for your advice re reaming. Best to be forewarned. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rcreweread Posted October 15, 2017 Report Share Posted October 15, 2017 For such a simple bush, I struggle to understand how the uprated ones can be typically more than 5 times the price of a standard one - does anybody know how they are uprated? Obviously, if the standard ones aren't fit for purpose to start with, then there isn't much choice, but here again, if they are that bad, how come they are being sold in the first place. Be really interested to know the differences cheers Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted October 16, 2017 Report Share Posted October 16, 2017 Hi Rich, the standard ones last 5 to 10 years and will need replacing. The uprated bush is meant to last a lot longer. I've only had mine fitted for 3 years or so. So far all working OK. I think they are made to a better dimensional spec (the originals are quite free on the shaft when not installed.) and the material is more durable. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR4A1965 Posted October 18, 2017 Report Share Posted October 18, 2017 I have been through this drill and thanks to Roger it worked out. Roger is right when he says you have to ream the uprated ones. If you put them straight on they are a super tight fit and it really affects the steering. (I know as this happened to me) It became notchy and you have to point and shoot all of the time. The adjustable reamer I used was an 18.5mm to 19.5mm. (eBay £34) Roger advised to take out any flat spots not remove loads of material. It has worked out well. You can see this task in progress half way down this page: http://tr4a.weebly.com/living-with-the-tr4a---3---2017.html I have also taken out any movement in the column brackets as they had become worn and I did this by fitting nylon inserts after drilling out the bolt holes. This worked too. Lastly, I fitted a 'Fast Rack' and I have to say the steering is now super responsive. In fact, too much fun. You can literally throw it in to a bend and the steering lets you enjoy it to the full (And the suspension upgrades). Best Paul. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted May 18, 2018 Report Share Posted May 18, 2018 Hi, what about needle bearings there? Ciao Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted May 18, 2018 Report Share Posted May 18, 2018 Hi Marco, wouldn't this be overkill (too excessive) The standard bush is there simply to stop the shafts wobbling about. Needle rollers deserve a better job. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytr5 Posted May 18, 2018 Report Share Posted May 18, 2018 When I fitted the uprated ones in 2003 to my TR5 I do not remember if I had to ream out.However having just fitted a set to a TR4a I had to ream out and they fit well. Fit and forget. Regards Harry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted May 18, 2018 Report Share Posted May 18, 2018 I fitted a pair of Revington's uprated bushes in 2001, and didn't need to ream them. Why more expensive than standard? Superior material and small quantity production. As Harry has said, fit and forget. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted May 18, 2018 Report Share Posted May 18, 2018 (edited) wouldn't this be overkill (too excessive) Roger No, it's a very easy job. Ready todays evening, I will make the assembly tomorrow. But yesterday I had doubts if there is any bad experience with that? Or what is the reason I can not find any Information about this very simple idea? That's why ask before I do the major work: to put the steering column back in the car. Edited May 18, 2018 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 (edited) Ready, works wonderful, no noises at all, what I was affraid for! The steering shaft is exactly 3/4", the needle bearing 3/4" x 1" x 1" run direct on it, I polished the surface with fine and paper on the lathe, play is 0.05 mm. The "cups" are made of POM, I like that material very much, the one "on top" is minimum different from the others. The next years will show how it works. Ciao Marco Edited June 15, 2021 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rcreweread Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 Marco Thats brilliant! As a matter of interest, how much did the materials cost - how about producing a small batch? And how are you stopping the the whole assembly rotating in the column? Sorry lots of questions! Cheers Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 (edited) what is the reason I can not find any Information about this very simple idea? I'd have thought the answer is that it's not necessary. As a bit of fun, for an engineering exercise, it's fine, but is there any practical improvement over a decently-fitting nylon bush? Pete Edited May 20, 2018 by stillp Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 Great idea... I have always found this job to be a PITA on Heralds and TR, not so much the bush replacement itself but time spent stripping the column out etc.so anything that delays t(e day is good news Nicely thought out and engineered alternative - I’d have thought there would be lots of interest in the idea. ..... Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 Thanks you all of your interest! Question is: how good - or how simple must a construction be? As I realise the original construction with "Nylon" insert is poor - the simple uprated is made of "POM". My construction has one fault: the Triumph engineers saved the money for a reliable diameter to fit a needle bearing WITH inner ring. So to fit a 3/4" bearing WITHOUT inner ring is more or less a matter of luck, and my minimum play of 0.05 mm you can alreday feel on the steering wheel. That´s why one of the cups - the outer one - is "special" (and für some other reasons). The O-rings are exactly 1 mm more in diameter than the sterring column tube inside and fix the cups strong enough. Easy to press in with some grease and easy to press out, not that annoying job as on the originals. Bearings are from eBay UK, 20 GBP, O-rings are from eBay D, 2 Euros, different bars of POM is always in my workshop So my construction is only a experiment, but you can see what could be possible. What I can recomend is to make the bushs yourself of POM and fix them with O-rings. Ciao Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted May 21, 2018 Report Share Posted May 21, 2018 Dear Andy, to get the steering column out of the car it's usefull to put out the speedo and rev counter. So you can look and work through the dashboard, shure you do that? Cheers Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JochemsTR Posted May 21, 2018 Report Share Posted May 21, 2018 Marco, coming winter I will send you my steering column... Jochem Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted May 21, 2018 Report Share Posted May 21, 2018 Hi Jochem, thank you for your trust, it would be a great honor to me to help you. Ciao Marco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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