At each end of the drag link in the steering system, are rubber bushes, bonded to a metal stud. These bushes form an important part of the steering mechanism, but have occasionally been known to fail. Usually, the rubber becomes separated from the metal stud, which is then free to flop about within what is left of the rubber. I have had a bush fail this way, just once. It was about three miles from home and I was able to get home by driving carefully. The steering wheel feels as if there is about six inches of play in it ! (Incidentally, you should read Steve's Kerr's article on page 6 of the July 2001 club magazine about this part).
I have converted one car to the club's "poly-stud conversion". I found if quite tricky to do, so when it came time to convert a second car, I took some advice from Steve Kerr at the National. I discovered from talking to Steve that I had not done the conversion in the preferred manner. So, here is the recommended way to do the polyurethane stud conversion.
Remove the drag link from the car. You do NOT need to remove the lower nut and washer from the studs. I then used an oxyacetylene torch to burn the rubber out of the bush. Once this gets properly alight it will continue to burn until all the rubber is gone. Smelly, smoky, and not very environmentally friendly, but you'll only have to do it every 20 years or so(!) You could try pressing the bush out, but if its been in there for a long time it will take a lot of pushing to remove it.
You then need a hacksaw to remove the remaining metal bush, which will still be in the holes at each end of your drag link. Carefully cut through the thin wall of the tube, taking care not to cut into the drag link itself, and then attack with a small chisel to remove. One of my metal bushes came out within a few minutes, but mostly they take a lot of removing!
Carefully clean the metal stud, using emery paper or equivalent and remove all traces of rubber. Next, clean the holes in the drag link.
Using lots of proper rubber grease, (I used CV grease) coat the bush and then press the polyurethane bush into the drag link. Use a vice, or a press or whatever you have to hand. I put the bush inside a 26mm socket. This prevents the bush from going everywhere except where you want it to go. It could also be pulled into position using a threaded rod, and some spacers, such as large sockets.
With the polyurethane bush in position, it is now time to press in the metal stud. BE CAREFUL, to put it in the correct way up. The drag link is a curious shape, and it would be a simple mistake to push the stud in and then find the whole thing was "upside down". Again using rubber grease to ease the way, push in the metal stud. It should go in quite easily. ENSURE that the metal washer and nut are in place and secure on the bottom of the draglink.
Re-fit the drag link to the car, torque the nuts to 18 - 22 lbs/ft (2.48 to 3.03 Kg/m) taking care to replace all split pins, etc..
Note: I found a slight reduction of "self-centering" on the first car I converted. With the original rubber bush, the steering twists the rubber as you apply steering lock, which naturally wants to come back to its original position. This aids self centering. With the poly-stud conversion, the assembly is more like a bearing; although it takes some of the slop out of the steering, it does reduce the self-centering.
The poly stud conversion was produced because the supply of rubber bushes was running low. However, since the club developed the polyurethane bush, the rubbers have become available again. You choose:- A longer, more reliable life, against originality!
This article first appeared in the "Cortina Times."
DISCLAIMER
While extreme care was taken to ensure that the information contained in this article is accurate, the Author, Tommy Sandham, cannot accept any liability for loss, damage or injury caused by errors in, or omissions from, the information given.
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