Steering wheel shake has been an ever present problem in varying degrees with Modestine since 2006 and with a very busy summer ahead I decided to have it investigated by Vibration Free who are just off the M40 at Oxford. And am I glad I did!
Two days after driving the car up to them Steve Smith rang with good and bad news. The good news was that he was pretty sure that he had identified the problem, it being that the front wheels were 8 degrees toe out instead of 3 degrees toe in. This was an identical fault he had diagnosed on Victor Lane's then Dilambda some years ago. The bad news was that there was no adjustment left to correct the fault and worse still that the off side track rod ball and pin was almost fractured through and had been for some time! See photo.
He could provide the necessary adjustment by shortening the track rod but could I supply two new track rod ends - not a chance! Committed to using the car for a friends wedding in 10 days time I went into panic mode. This resulted in a phone call to Keith Bowley at Vintage Restorations Ashton Keynes who is rebuilding the ex Ronnie Barker Dilambda. He very kindly lent me his overhauled track rod which Steve collected and used to repair mine.
So, a week after leaving the car with VF I collected it and drove the 120 miles home devoid of steering shake for pretty much the first time since 2006. Summer here we come!
To date I had not got round to investigating fully the Bijur one shot lubrication system which, by depressing a peddle under the instrument panel, delivers a shot of oil to various moving parts in the drive train, suspension and steering. I now know that one of the copper pipes from the oil reservoir feeds to the steering box and thence by a small bore tube on the inside of the drop arm and drag link to the offside track rod joint. A further tube inside the track rod then carries oil to the nearside joint. It appears that the feed to the track rod ends has been ineffective which hasn't helped.
Vibration Free are well worth contacting if you need anything balancing or a vibration diagnosed.
http://www.vibrationfree.co.uk/index.html They also made a prop shaft for Modestine a few years ago.
Robin.
Robin.
