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On the way back from Croxley Green last weekend the 7V8 started clonking noisily under the dash with every pothole.

Upshot - the steering column bush has at least 7 radial splits - a new polybush from Numpty 9 is on order.

Hopefully it won't be as involved to replace the latest common 7 malady after replacing the heater matrix pipes / seals and fuel tank in recent years. I've done the searches on the forum and hopefully I'll keep some of the skin on my knuckles. I don't fancy driving the 7V8 to Star90 and back without having replaced the bush and turning up in a MX5 doesn't seem appropriate.

Adam


TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, S/S Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & PolyBushes all round, Anti- Dive, Strut-Top Roller Bearings, Capri Vented Discs & Calipers, Braided Hoses, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AT 14" 5 Spokes or Maestro Turbo 15" Alloys, Cruise Lights, S/S Heater Pipes, Replacement Fuel Tank. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991 courtesy of S&S V8 conversion and big brake kits.

Hi Adam,

Easy enough to do, get that bush nice and warm and will go in a lot easier. IF you pull the complete column out then use a dremmel type tool to cut a slot in the sheer bolts to remove them. Its not nec. to do this as you 'collaspe' the column into itself, if not seized !

Our learned friend has not a step by step guide -

http://www.jclay.me/jclay/Lower_Steering_Bush.html

Cheers John


LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!

1976 Speke FHC Beauty

1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC NOW A 4.6,ON THE ROAD NOW KICKING AR5E !!!!

Even I could do it - much easier than I expected, and what a difference it made to the steering! And yes - the column collapsed within itself very easily, so no need to drop the column or disturb the wheel or stalk.

I didn't know about collapsing the column so I dropped it, easy to do, not so easy to get the screws threaded back in. I put the bushing in hot water, I did it in winter so I don't think I got it warm enough. Like Clay says you only want to do it once per car.

It should be put in from engine compartment as the larger flange is on that side (as is the washer). Some have done it backwards from the footwell, not sure of the long term consequences of that, if any.

Here's a picture of the cut slot gives you a starting point to twist it in.





- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

Numpty 9 on ebay is robsport, send them an email so they can send you an invoice over paypal, its cheaper than on ebay.

I had to replace mine last year and I used my original un-used spare.



It had a cut-out already made, so you can make your own cut-out (if it is missing) with impunity.

They don't answer the phone around midnight.........That's the great thing about buying over the interweb at night when I can't order over the phone during office hours.

Adam

I don't think you will be the last to experience this, Adam. My 2L car is still on it's original bushing, which seems fine at present. I have the poly replacement waiting, ready for the day ......[:D]

Tony

<font size="1">1981 TR7 FHC Cavalry Blue
1980 TR7V8 DHC Jaguar Regency Red - sadly sold!
1977 TR8 FHC EFI Factory development car Inca Yellow</font id="size1">

That poly replacement might be needed fairly soon if mine is anything to go by. It's split into several segments, looks fairly brittle and will probably fall to bits the moment I touch it.

I replaced mine a couple of years back. I didn't cut mine. I'm not so sure cutting would affect the usage or life of the poly bush, but I thought I could cut it later after trying it without. No need.

Out of interest, would the play of a badly worn / split bush be a MOT failure. Oo-errr Mrs.

Just in case there is someone out there that still has not changed theirs......
I dreaded this job and have delayed until the old bush finally fell out last week.
No need it was easy!
I followed instructions to collapse the steering column by removing the clamp 2/3 down to the bulkhead and pulling the column upwards towards the steering wheel to allow access.

I found that simply cutting the bush all the way through was a neat solution instead of cutting out a small section.
The bush can then be pushed in gradually all the way round. I just needed a screwdriver to push the last part into place. Took about 30 seconds and hardly any effort at all.

Hi,

Hamilton Motorsport make a last forever alternative to the bush issue, not cheap but very well made -





http://www.hamilton-motorsport.co.uk/ac ... _Rack.html


Cheers John

I have to say I am at a loss to understand why anyone thinks there is a need to cut the bush to fit it.

Because that's the only way it would go in. You need a cutaway section to start to thread it into hole. Even then it barely went in. Mind you being winter it could have been warmer and I could have hit it with a hair dryer or heat gun to soften it more in retrospect. No way it was going in without it. Mind you it may have been a harder poly than some had. I've read some had popped it in by banging it in with a piece of wood as a buffer but I would have just pushed the bulkhead in a couple of inches and it still wouldn't have gone in.