My 1973 TVR 2500M : Renew and Restomod

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) said:

Thanks for the info on the plug.  Just gets held in by the rack clamp?

I'll try the penetrant and see how it goes in the morning.  It rotates just fine but sure won't come out.

The nylon plug normally gets held in by the rubber mounts.  If you switch to solid mounts, it may be a little tight.  I believe I shaved the plug down some on an earlier autocross car with solid mounts, but the memory is fuzzy.

  I'll try to get out and take a look at mine. It should be standard Triumph fare, although it's not TR6. I believe it's sourced from the Triumph 2000 "saloon".  Nonetheless, the design should be the same as other Triumphs, with most "perishables" being interchangeable and available.

In reply to Stu Lasswell :

Argh. Totally forgot about the possibility that it wouldn't be TR6 parts.  I hope my new ball joints fit.

Triumph racks are basically all the same design, just detail differences.  TR6 tie rod ends are the same as the 2000, and will also fit a Spitfire/Herald rack, and vice versa.  Rimmer Brothers does have listings for 2000 parts, so comparing part numbers is easy.

There may be bigger issues going on here.  I noticed this today:

That doesn't look very straight.

Nope, not very straight:

It even binds up just a little bit on this end of travel.  I'm assuming I'm looking at a replacement part here.

Thoughts?

Anyone got an extra Triumph steering rack in the back of their underwear drawer?

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) said

Anyone got an extra Triumph steering rack in the back of their underwear drawer?

Which one do you want?

I also have a box with other rack parts such as the spacers and bushings.  Take it all and return what you don't need.  The only problem is that I am still getting over a bad chest cold (or maybe COVID-19), so don't feel comfortable driving up to Denver right now.  Should be past the contagious phase, though.

BTW, your car wins the "Road hard and put up wet" award for the decade.

In reply to JoeTR6 (Forum Supporter) :

Oh, that's awesome.  The steering rack spares part, not the bad chest cold / Covid part.

Maybe over the weekend I could swing down your way.  You're also welcome here, and we can just wear masks and not arm wrestle or share fondue for lunch.

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

OK, pm me towards the weekend.  I'm feeling better every day and need an excuse to get the TR6 out.  For me, Friday is better since kids are busy then and I don't need to be the taxi driver.

   I got some pictures of mine, but I haven't even started to clean it up yet. With your latest discovery, though, I doubt I can offer anything new.  That being said, NOW you're looking at parts that might not be interchangeable between racks.  I knew that the ball joints were the same, but it's the rack length that makes the TVR (ie the 2000) rack different from the TR6. If the outer rack tube is still good, and the bent part is not the correct length, I suspect it could be cut down if needed, as the Triumph 2000 rack is shorter (I think) than the TR6.

Longer maybe?

The axles are longer than the TR6 parts, which makes me think the steering rack could be too.

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) said:

Longer maybe?

The axles are longer than the TR6 parts, which makes me think the steering rack could be too.

The TR6 rack is 25.5" from threaded end to threaded end.

Mine matches that.

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

Huh.  I've read that they were different, but not how. Not too familiar with the 2000 saloon, just assumed they were narrower (like Harald/Spitfire). The rack from my donor "wreck" looks too damaged to use, but I may try to determine where they differ.

I have successfully straightened Escort racks in the past ... A good hydraulic press, use wooden rather than metal supports under the rack and again on the ram and work at it a little at a time. YMMV 

In reply to RichardNZ :

I've thought about that.  It *almost* moves freely.

But if Joe has good spares that fit and that I can put to use, then that seems like a good way to go.

JoeTR6 (Forum Supporter) said:

BTW, your car wins the "Road hard and put up wet" award for the decade.

Yes.  Yes, it does.

Mine is the opposite of the creme-puff that hibernates in the garage and never gets driven.

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

The Bible says something about God not allowing us temptations (burdens?) beyond that which we can endure. You got the basket case TVR because you have the skills and equipment to deal with it. I, however, have mediocre skills, tools, and ability, so I got the TVR that (so far) doesn't tax my skills (or budget).  So, to mix metaphors (and religions), it's karma!

So I'm being punished by God.  But appropriately.  Swell.

Speaking of punishment, I took my big hammer to the steering rack this morning.  Here it is before I started beating on it:

It would appear I'm not the first one to strike this thing in anger.  The other side:

Half an hour of pounding on this thing SO HARD, I found this inside:

Yeah.

I don't think I broke it.  I think the resulting crunch would have telegraphed and/or be audible.  Sort of a miracle that it turned at all.

The pinion gear actually looks fine.  There is a fair dig in the rack, but I'm pretty sure that one is my fault.

And just to verify, here's the bend in the rack:

The rest of it is nice and straight.

PS: I only hit my thumb once.

JoeTR6 (Forum Supporter) said:

The TR6 rack is 25.5" from threaded end to threaded end.

More measuring and inspection after disassembly.  Mine is spot on this dimension, and the pinion is a 7 tooth.  This rack is from a TR-6, not a 2000 like the factory info would call out.

I wonder if replacing with the same is going to put me in bump-steer hell?

More measuring - here's the new inner ball joint compared to the one taken off:

The old one is a 2000 part, vs the TR6 part I ordered.

If there are no corrosion pits or deep grooves in your old inner tie rods re-use them. There originally were some shims under the ball cups. Use just enough to allow motion.

In reply to TurnerX19 :

That's my latest thought.  Clean up the old ones and see where we're at.

Though considering the steering rack is bent, does give me pause on reusing the track rods.

Found this website, might provide some helpful info:  Triumph Racks

In reply to RoddyMac17 :

That's funny - I found the same link this morning!

Lots of packages getting dropped off today.

First, proving I've never been able to resist spending money on fancy tools:

Going thru it on the living room floor, it looks very nice and well made.  I've haven't got any tubing or fittings yet, but that might be the project for the long weekend.

Also, got some stuff from Summit.  Just basic parts needed to put the car together:

Last, a question: what's the consensus on brake caliper centering?  My brake kit came with some "thicker" washers and some "thinner" washers, so that I could adjust the center of the calipers.  Either one puts me about .030" out of center.  Should I just not care?  Buy some thinner shims in the right size?  Turn some spacers on the lathe that are "just right"?

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

I don't know on the caliper centering, but I do know that Eastwood flaring tool is a wonderful thing.