Part 4 - FRONT SUSPENSION, STEERING, HUBS & BRAKES

Click here for Part 1 - Engine Failures

Click here for Part 2 - Gearbox Problems

Click here for Part 3 - Propshaft & Rear Axle Problems

Click here for Part 5 - Electrical and Ignition

Click here for Part 6 - General Tips and Hints

FRONT SUSPENSION

Car Wandering

·         Front shock absorber too tight

·         Lightly grease wooden discs ?

·         Use single shock absorber link mod (see A7 Companion)

·         Spring U bolts loose/broken

·         Lack of toe in

·         Buckled wheels

·         Tyre Pressures

·         Loose radius arms/centre bolt

Spring Leaves Out of Line

·         Clips loose

·         Centre bolt not tight

·         Worn leaves

Bouncing

·         Shockers ineffective - rubbers worn /tension

·         Adjust to one bounce

·         Double shocker plate is good mod on front

·         Tyre pressures

·         Unbalanced front wheels

·         Cheap tyres!

Hard ride

·         Most solutions are the opposite of Bouncing!

STEERING

Too much play in wheel

·         Adjust steering box

·         See our website/see A7 Companion

·         Could be bushes worn

·         Could turn gear 1/3 on early box to present unworn area

·         Ultimate job is to lap gears with grinding paste – very long job!

·         Check track rod ends/draglink ends

Wandering

·         Worn kingpins and bushes

·         Wheel bearings

·         No toe in/lack of castor – shim/twist radius arms (see A7 Companion)

·         Rear spring set too high – Ian Dunford has correct dimensions for all springs

Stiff steering

·         Kingpin seized

·         Castor angle

·         Box too tight – adjusted in middle not at both ends

 Vibration

·         Tyre damage/wheel balance

·         Loose wheel nuts

·         Worn drag link

 Lack of Self Centring

·         Box too tight

·         Castor angle

 Steering wheel loose on shaft

·         Check clamp on early car

·         Keep centre nut tight on steering wheel

·         Splines worn – use Loctite filler – oil spline to prevent sticking

Safety -  Always look immediately at any sudden change!

 HUBS AND BRAKES

 Wobbly wheels

·         Worn wheel bearings 

·         Loose/broken spokes

·         Wheel nuts loose/worn/stripped

·         Wheel nut seating worn or painted (remove new paint to provide metal to metal)

·         Wheel studs broken/loose

·         Half shaft nut /taper/key/bearing nut/hub screws – one or more loose

 Screeching

·         Down to brake rivets

·         Worn cam bearings

·         Broken pull off spring

·         New shoes not chamfered

·         Grit between shoe and drum

·         Beware bonding on alloy coming apart

 Grabbing

·         Oval drum

·         No chamfer/ linings loose/broken pull off spring

·         Worn cams and bushes

 Brakes lock in reverse

·         Slacken off front brakes

·         Levers on wrong way round – should be ball facing backplate

 Clonking on take up in forward or reverse

·         Rear hub loose on key

·         Play in torque tube/anchor

 Brakes come on on full lock

·         Slacken off adjustment!

 Phil Whitter