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+--- Thread: Broken steering arm (/showthread.php?tid=1165)
Broken steering arm - Ian Williams - 07-05-2018
Much has been said about the weekness of Austin 7 steering arm's by believers, non believers, and drama queens alike, some have asked for evidence as to how deeply the cracks go, suspecting that they may be superficial. So I currently have a Chummy in the workshop for a few things, today I removed the front axle to replace the Kingpins and on inspection the steering arm was quite obviously cracked, after taking it off I decided to carry out a very technical destruction test with a copper mallet.
Three heavy blows resulted in this!
RE: Broken steering arm - bob46320 - 07-05-2018
Been like it for many years. Its interesting that the crack "stopped" in a straight line. I would have thought it would have been more "arrow head" shape.
RE: Broken steering arm - JonE - 07-05-2018
must investigate this one with a file... took this yesterday to check..
RE: Broken steering arm - Duncan Grimmond - 07-05-2018
I must check mine and order a replacement regardless of appearance!
RE: Broken steering arm - Steve kay - 07-05-2018
My only relationship with David Cochrane is as a customer, but with each of the few Sevens I've had over the years, about the first thing to do is to ring him up for one of his stronger steering arms. Pretty certain that any competition Seven will have the same. To be found on the lists of cherished suppliers.
RE: Broken steering arm - Ian Williams - 07-05-2018
The car has been laid up for a good many years and my job is to recommission it, if the crack would look any different had it been in regular use I can't tell you.
RE: Broken steering arm - Duncan Grimmond - 07-05-2018
Given the parlous state of most roads in the UK, a run on anything but a new road is bound to encounter a pot-hole nasty enough to encourage a crack to fail...
RE: Broken steering arm - Ruairidh Dunford - 07-05-2018
I had to do the same job today.
This has been on a car since 1970 which was used daily up until 1995 and is being reccomissioned so well worth looking at.
Cleaned and ready for crack test...
After testing.
I did a some rods as well, one was cracked...
I also tested all these arms, only one was cracked and this was around the shank base not on the inner radius as in Ian’s above.
I did manage to snap it using a 4’ tube, the arm bent first and the with an almighty heave let go slowly.
RE: Broken steering arm - JonE - 08-05-2018
crack testing kit only 18 quid on ebay. I've bought some to try.
what is the little rod thing in your pictures Ruairidh? It must be a magnet or something, but is it a holder?
RE: Broken steering arm - Ruairidh Dunford - 08-05-2018
It is the magnet I use for the crack testing Jon.