Joined: Sep 2019 Posts: 20 Threads: 7
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Location: Dorking Surrey
Car type: 1931 Sports boat tail
Hi Bob. Had car up on jack wheels king pins etc is as good as one could expect with no play. However the radius arms are upright as should be but just not got anywhere near camber of 5 degrees. I recall my friend went to Devon back in the early 50s and bought a Austin Swallow on the way hopme he said he sat acroos the 2 seats for a quite a part of the trip home to London using the gas lever as a cruse control and I my brother and another friend had the car and not one of us ever moaned about the steering except play in the box but I recall no wandering. It does seem the years have done a lot to the seven as mot relate to steering wander. I am still trying!!! Gibbo
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,402 Threads: 33
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Location: Deepest Frogland 30960
Car type: 1933 RP Standard Saloon
10-10-2019, 05:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-10-2019, 05:39 PM by Reckless Rat.)
Perhaps the best thing would be for you to make contact with your local A7 club and for someone in the know to have a look at your car. Plenty have offered advice on here but without photos any comments/complaints/suggestions can only be anecdotal. As has already been explained the normal set-up of the radius arms should impart the correct degree of CASTER (not camber). It could be that there is something else that is affecting your steering and your 5° wedge might just be making things worse, or at least be unnecessary.
In the meantime, if you post some photos of what you think is wrong we might be better placed to comment further.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,748 Threads: 31
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Location: Auckland, NZ
In latest have you used camber meaning castor? How are you measuring? Unless the bare kpins are exposed castor is hard to directly assess. Weight must be on springs. The vertical face of the bores where the radius rods bolt through is a reference of sorts. If exactly paralle can work off the nut faces using a ball race ring or somesuch as spacer.
I have followed Sevens in Club runs and on poor surfaces some visibly dart about.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,195 Threads: 71
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Plus , your experience is based on a car that was only 20 years old at the time. The car you are now dealing with is 4 times that. There may be some implications in that...
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,337 Threads: 34
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Location: Cheshire
Car type: Race Ulster, 1926 Special, 1927 Chummy, 1930 Box
10-10-2019, 10:19 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-10-2019, 10:31 PM by Alan.)
Bob, I have to compliment you on the correct use of the term Castor. In the UK at least, Caster is a kind of sugar. But, you can measure it without access to the king pins - look it up on You Tube.
Alan Fairless
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,748 Threads: 31
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Location: Auckland, NZ
Hi Alan
Not sure exactly what referred to but was aware of the commercial gadget, but most amateurs are stuck with a square, level, protractor or, if really daring, packing and trig tables.
With hindsight the castor of my car would have varied over a range over the years but I did not notice any great change or difference or from another I owned briefly.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 2,402 Threads: 33
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Location: Deepest Frogland 30960
Car type: 1933 RP Standard Saloon
That's my fault. The spelling error is down to the fact that a castor in French is a beaver. The type that makes dams. What a load of roulottes.
Joined: Sep 2019 Posts: 20 Threads: 7
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Location: Dorking Surrey
Car type: 1931 Sports boat tail
Hi Hugh. That is my pont that originaly even after 25 years the steering was ok 88 years later and some how all steering as I once knew it has gone!!!
Joined: May 2018 Posts: 2,110 Threads: 110
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Location: Llandrindod Wells
Car type: 29 Special, 30 RK, 28 C Cab
Hi Gibbo
I’ve been following this thread with interest as I haven’t yet got the right castor angle on the special I am building. I have a 1930 RK and the steering on that is nigh perfect (well I think it is) but so too is the castor angle. So I have several thoughts on your predicament
1. Are you sure that this a “castor” problem? There are many more things that can cause wandering. I’ve rebuilt both the RK and special front axle with new shackles, kingpins, steering bushes etc. And I’ve rebuilt the steering box so I know that everything is as Austin intended.
2. Adding a wedge between the spring and nose piece may cause a reduction in castor angle, as can a too highly cambered spring. Basically you are increasing the distance between the nose piece and the axle. One reason for too little castor on the special is that there is no load on the spring (no engine installed).
3. One further (unlikely?) possibility is that the chassis has bowed. This tends to occur forward of the front cross member and would result in reduced castor (I think???). Does your bonnet fit well as a badly fitting bonnet is a sign of a bowed chassis.
4. If you are sure that everything on the front axle is perfect, the chassis is straight and you are still worried about castor then a small spacer behind the radius arm ball mounting plate may help things?
Hope this helps
Cheers
Howard
