Michael Sands <sands@apple.com> (02/27/90)
All you lucky owners of real British cars do not realize how lucky you are. Imagine what it would be like to have a car manufactured in the British Empire but no documentation! None! Worse, imagine your car was built out of bits and pieces of other cars of the realm. There are plenty of manuals and imitation manuals for all these other cars that cover the parts that your car is made out of but nothing for your car! Sorry, I get frustrated sometimes. I have the front end apart on my Super Seven. I am converting the upper A arm - sway bar combination that Chapman designed originally to a separate A arm and sway bar. In taking appart the casting that holds the spindle, brake caliper, and dust shield (the name of this part escapes me for the moment) I find a strange pivot joint on the bottom. This joint is what allows the spindle to turn as you steer the car and attaches the bottom A arm to the spindle. It seems to be made out of brass and is internally threaded. There is a grease seal between it an the threaded bolt like part of the spindle that screws into this brass part. Finally to my question, how far should the spindle be treaded into this fitting. Obviously if I thread it too far into the bushing during assembly, the spindle will bind when trying to turn the car to full lock (right hand turn?). Should I turn it all the way in and back it out a full turn, half, what? (I knew I should have paid attention when I took it a part! Since I have this example of wonderful British engineering, I could easily write my own manual as I take things apart...) Thanks for any advice, Michael
mjb%hoosier@cs.utah.edu (Mark Bradakis) (02/27/90)
Sounds like you have a Spitfire trunnion on the bottom of the upright. Thread it in as far as it will go, then back it out enough to get full steering movement lock to lock. Also, it should be filled with gear oil, not grease. mjb.