Lowering Steering

[Hamish Hare]

Hello, Apologies if this is a basic question or if it has been covered before but what is envolved in lowering the steering using a wedge - is it quite straight forward?

Thanks, Hamish

[Speedex750]

Hi H-H,

Fairly straight forward to install if you're using one of the sixties alloy Supaloy or fabricated steel wedges. The things to watch out for are;
1) Where the wedge then positions your steering wheel relative to the dashboard and other finger trapping obstructions.
2) Rotating the steering box on the wedge changes the geometry of the steering arm. It should be vertical in the straight ahead position coincident with the 'tighter' spot of the steering box meshing. It does work even if this is ignored but you can end up with more steering slop in the straight ahead position.
3) The wedge lifts the pivot point for the brake pedal and the brake rod back to the cross shaft can foul the floor depending on how it's all put together.

None of these are stoppers just things to consider when approaching the job.

Dave

[David Cochrane]

The wedge I tried was not a success; as well as the problems mentioned above:
The steering box was only held on by 2 vertical bolts without the brake pedal pivot going horizontally through the chassis. This made the box very wobbly instead of rigidly mounted.
The steering tended to go over-centre.

I got rid of the wedge and used a lowered steering box instead. Not particularly cheap, but a much better way of doing it.

[Alan]

Agreed

["Slack Alice" Simon]

I welded an extra lug on the wedge, and used a bolt and a big washer through the brake pivot hole.

Also a Ruby column bracket at the top.

Simon

[AllAlloyCup]

I’m with David on this one
In fact :-)
I bought a new box for my Cup project from David !

Regards

Bill G

[Tony Press]

I welded an extra lug on the wedge, and used a bolt and a big washer through the brake pivot hole.

Also a Ruby column bracket at the top.

Simon

If I remember I used a folded up 'wedge' with a flange down by the chassis with a bolt onto the original brake pivot hole. The longer rear steering box bolt went through the chassis with a tapered washer underneath and the front bolted to the top of the formed wedge with a bolt below into the chassis.

I believe still in place on the Meteor which is presently being rebuilt 57 years on.

Cheers, Tony

[Derek Sheldon]

When building my Paxton special I used Chris Gould’s drawings to make a wedge , it worked perfectly. I have another Paxton to build and will replicate the same wedge.

[Hamish Hare]

Thank you all for your helpful responses. I am off to the drawing board.