Reversing!

[David.H]

Am I right in thinking that if the car tries to leap about & is generally "difficult" about reversing then the problem may be due to torque tube or universal joint problems? Both are well greased. Nothing seems obviously loose (yet!). A very gentle clutch & a few revs helps, but not much! SWB car.

[Steve kay]

Do come to Madresfield on 22 September, where you will be able to watch Austin Sevens reversing, round cones and into garages. Or even better, enter yourself, and probably you will soon feel well at home amongst the less than wholly smooth Sevens.  Having at least somewhat vestigial rear shocks, Sevens can be visibly less likely to leap about when in stern gear than other cars without any. If there is a forum reader who can offer a masterclass in silky and unbouncy reversing skills, then please inform us of which supermarket car park and which Sunday morning, and I guess quite a few of us will turn up. You will be greatly rewarded by the survivors in a nearby pub at lunchtime.

[David.H]

Thank you Steve I will try and be there. My AD Chummy does go backwards without drama. Perhaps it is the massive power from the Nippy head and manifold that is the problem with Chitty......

[Chris KC]

It:'s called rear axle tramp, other than making sure your rear springs and dampers are up to scratch - and their fixings of course - not sure what else you can do. Tuned feet needed!

[AustinWood]

If the front brakes are dragging then reversing causes them to be applied harder. This is because the axle moves and pulls the cables tight. Can cause a lot of shuddering when reversing.

[Henry Harris]

When reversing axle tramp can be controlled by NOT slipping the clutch. Low revs and clutch fully engaged.

[Chris Garner]

At the Top Gear celebration of the Austin Seven years ago at Wellsbourne, during an informal driving test, I remember seeing a Nippy in FULL axle tramp mode whilst reversing. Quite spectacular.

[John Cornforth]

My suspicion is that the throttle linkage could be partly to blame, as one end is fixed to the bulkhead and the other to the engine. If the engine twists on its mounts due to torque reaction from the propshaft (assuming rubber mounts) it will tend to open or close the throttle a tiny bit depending on the direction of travel. I have found the best reversing technique is to use minimal revs and avoid slipping the clutch, which is easier on level ground than when reversing uphill.

[David.H]

Thanks for all the advice...the car has hydraulic brakes, so that is not the culprit.
Recalibrated feet sounds the best advice!

[GK5268]

When reversing axle tramp can be controlled by NOT slipping the clutch. Low revs and clutch fully engaged.

This works for me too, takes a bit of time to train the brain that the car is not about to lurch rearwards by fully engaging on the clutch, just a question of throttle, practice and you may be surprised!

I did find that there was less judder reversing (from the torque tube mount) after I fitted new rear springs, the back end of the car lifted upwards and alignment went to a less worn part of the ball joint, which was nice!