From: Barry Lovelock
Date: 09 Jan 2002
Time: 07:04:10
Remote Name: 213.122.187.133
Ian,
I do wonder what they were like when they were new, after I turned my gear around I wish I hadn't bothered!
I think people try to get them like a modern rack and pinion with no free play, or even a Land Rover or Range Rover box - and I have had both, but the latter adjust out to no free play in the straight-ahead position, but up to 6 inches on full lock. The difference is, the latter are a totally different 'box design to the Austin one, which is "linear" and any wear in the central (straight-ahead) cannot be compensated for by by merely taking out the free play - all this does is to make it tight on lock. Exactly what we are talking about, I think.
When I ground (with paste) my next box in, it took about a whole day, clamped in the vice and leaning on it with the steering wheel connected; and it (the box) can fracture too so be careful. I found that it was tight at the extremes, so it may have been turned around before!! Anyway, it did get better, but there seems to be the fundamental design feature of free play and wayward directional stability, or those happy few miles where it is precise, but tight on lock - before it all loosens up again as flexure sets in! As I said before, lubrication is vital and geometry obviously helps; a good toe-in too, but this increases the lack of directional stability as well.
Hope some of this helps - just a brain-dump really,
Barry.