Question about steering behaviour Taimar

[flyingdutchie]

Since 2 years I own a TVR Taimar which I imported from the USA- Seattle. Not so long ago I did let my mate drive the car. He builds rally cars, so he does know a bit about cars.

When you come out of a turn with the car, the steering wheel has to helped back. I do not know the correct english words for the ability for the column/rack to turn the steering wheel back on its self. He said "there must be something wrong in the column or the rack". One could only find out what the cause is when you get the column out and the steering rack aswel.

I now bought a German classic car magazine because it had a test in it with the 3000M. The autor mentioned the same experience on this car. A bad steering reset it says on the google translator. Perhaps that is the best way to describe it.

How do your cars behave guys?

[Dollyman1850]

He is talking about castor angle.
TVR's can be affected by poor steering return due to a number of factors,

The rack could be nipped causing a little friction, wider low profile tyres exacerbate the issue.. it is possible to use some alternative parts to improve the situation.. along with Bump steer correction :-)

Neil.

[LLantrisant]

are you sure that the u-joints (or one of them) in the steering column arent seized / stiff?

Edited by LLantrisant on Tuesday 8th December 20:06

[LLantrisant]

not self centering or reducing the tendency to self-centre can be also caused by stiff u-joints

common failure on TVR Tasmins or Chimaera´s as well, as the upper u-joint is exposed to the elements inside the wheelarch.

Edited by LLantrisant on Tuesday 8th December 22:00

[flyingdutchie]

Which U-joints do you mean in the column and what should be done with bump steer correction?

I run 205/70R14 on Wolfrace's. The trunnionkit has been renewed recently.

[Dollyman1850]

TVRMs said:

I should have been clearer Neil and said lack of positive castor, sadly in the M it is by design.

https://suspensionsecrets.co.uk/caster/

It can be improved by using a narrower top ball joint and shimming it to give positive camber, but be careful not to put too much extra load on the bottom trunnions.

Edited by TVRMs on Tuesday 8th December 19:35

wasn't refering to your Post john You were perfectly clear... I think we overlapped.. I meant original road tester.. You could in theory wind on a good amount of castor but you may then want to switch away from Trunnions. there are ways of doing it with trunnions...

N.

[GAjon]

Also worth checking the lower steering column Bush, the one where the mount/guide is welded too the chassis, at a jaunty angle, it should be a slack fit, some have been replaced with tighter bushes, which in this case isn’t a good thing!

[plasticpig1972]

All 3 "M" Series i have owned have been the same no self centering, 1600M, 3000M and 3000S.
Alan

[LLantrisant]

flyingdutchie said:

Which U-joints do you mean in the column and what should be done with bump steer correction?

I run 205/70R14 on Wolfrace's. The trunnionkit has been renewed recently.

you can clearly see on my posted picture were the u-jpoints are located.

[LLantrisant]

plasticpig1972 said:

All 3 "M" Series i have owned have been the same no self centering, 1600M, 3000M and 3000S.
Alan

so we can close this thread...as this behaviour looks common.

[Adrian@]

No, not common, not normal. If you have no self centre then there are issues that need addressing. A@

[Dollyman1850]

LLantrisant said:

so we can close this thread...as this behaviour looks common.

is it not one of the questions you ask when you are buying a car

[TwinKam]

Dollyman1850 said:

LLantrisant said:

so we can close this thread...as this behaviour looks common.

is it not one of the questions you ask when you are buying a car

It's probably one of those little things you get a gut feeling for

[Dollyman1850]

TwinKam said:

Dollyman1850 said:

LLantrisant said:

so we can close this thread...as this behaviour looks common.

is it not one of the questions you ask when you are buying a car

It's probably one of those little things you get a gut feeling for

[plasticpig72]

Maybe running with wide 205/70 can effect the self centering.
I have 205/70 on my 3000M.
Alan

[Adrian@]

plasticpig72 said:

Maybe running with wide 205/70 can effect the self centering.
I have 205/70 on my 3000M.
Alan

No. A@

[plasticpig1972]

Thanks Adrian,
do you think a good start would be to check Castor angle and Tracking.
What would be your method after all the Years of working on "M" series.
It could save us alot of time and head scratching.
Thanks for your help, i'm still on my learning curve with TVRs.
Alan

[GAjon]

Well I’d start by checking the function of the steering components before changing any of the original set up.

Is the rack tight.
Are the rack mountings tight.
Are any of the bushes tight.
Are the steering columns true.
Are the ball joints and trunnions working correctly.
Tracking.
Etc etc etc.

But that’s only me.

Edited by GAjon on Thursday 10th December 10:09

[flyingdutchie]

Okay. So that means dismanteling the steering column then… and then work on if this does not help.

But, are there owners who have a very good self centering of the steering? Raise hands if yes.....

[LLantrisant]

just some info from racecar suspension:

increasing caster does two things. It tends to make the steering self centering and it makes the car track straighter, but it also makes the steering quite a bit heavier.

caster setting will make the car's handling feel quicker but it will be less stable.

3degrees caster would give you some self-centreing...6would be much better...but than you would need power-steering or popeye´s arms.

maybe this helps as well:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

https://oldgeebee.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/front-e...

are you sure you are running the correct uprites and trunions?