Author Topic: front spindle yoke  (Read 5341 times)

Offline 421Altered

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front spindle yoke
« on: June 26, 2017, 08:17:25 AM »
Hi guys.  I have a 125" Spitzer altered with the tripod front end.  I believe it has Anglia front spindles. The steering has recently got real stiff, so, I found that the front spindle yoke, where it mounts to the king pin, I'm not sure I'm calling these parts correctly, correct me if I'm wrong.  The yoke and the king pin are very hard to rotate with the tie rod removed and the tire off the floor.  How do you go about fixing this problem?  I've never had it apart, and bought the chassis as a roller.  I think the chassis was built in the mid 1980's.  It's got the steering shaft inside the top left side rail. 

dreracecar

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2017, 09:22:46 AM »
Term is correct.  Are there set-screws in the king pin bosses holding the KP in place? if so can you remove them and see flats in the KP? again if so, liberaly spray penetrating lube thru the hole and any place the the KP comes it contact with. Let soak and with a drift, tap out KP, direction of removal depends on whether the KP has a head on it or not. If there are no flats on the KP (looking thru the holes) be careful on removing as the set screw has buggered up the KP and can scarf the boss and the bushing during removal. Otherwise, its still spraying it with PO and slowly turning the spindle to break loose any corrosion between the bushing and the KP. If the KP is stuck to the bushing, and the bushing itself is rotating in the spindle yoke, then the spindles need to be rebushed and sized (may also need new KP's) If you can post a pic of the spindles to determine what brand they are so you can get the right parts. possably 30 yrs on those KP's and bushings on a heavy front end, good time to refurbush them anyway.  Unfortunatly these parts only get greased once and then forgotten or some people prefer not to grease them because they can attract dust and dirt and wear the parts out.
 Had a customer with the same problem come in to the shop. The spindles were really tight! so tight that the increased leverage needed caused the steering box mount to crack--- check that

Offline rooman

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2017, 10:05:02 AM »
As with the steering rack the spindles should be Stiletto on a Spitzer of that vintage so the king pin is a straight unit with no flange (unlike a P & S) so it can be tapped out from the top (use a bronze or similar drift). If the king pan has seized in the spindle make sure that the set screw has not backed out and allowed the king pin to rotate in the boss as that will also bugger up the king pin as it rotated past the flat.
  With your car there is no conventional steering box mount to break as per Bruce's example but check the U joints in the shaft for excessive wear as well as the bushes at the steering wheel/butterfly shaft mount.

Roo
Yeah, I am from the south--any further south and I would have been a bloody penguin.

dreracecar

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2017, 11:16:35 AM »
Did not realize that Spitzer used R&P on an altered. Still now would be a good time to go thru and replace all rod ends and bushings & hardware

Offline rooman

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2017, 01:30:09 PM »
Bruce,
         the rack is on the end of the left top frame rail with a long link to the right side and then a conventional tie rod back to the left. The steering shaft runs through the rail to the front of the cockpit where the shoulder hoop ends up dropping vertically to the lower rail with the froward upper rail passing through it. I will see if I can find some photos in my files as it is a bit hard to visualize.

Roo
Yeah, I am from the south--any further south and I would have been a bloody penguin.

dreracecar

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2017, 03:29:25 PM »
I understand how it is, but the unequal length tie rods make for unbalenced steering.  A P&S steering box is faster one direction over the other to compensate for the longer ty-rod when it was used in farm equipt.

Offline 421Altered

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2017, 06:40:18 PM »
Thanks guys!  That's the info that I am looking for!  If the spindles need to be rebushed and sized, does anyone do that?  Many thanks to all that have replied.

dreracecar

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2017, 09:10:19 PM »
Easy to do. Need to find the kit first

Offline rooman

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2017, 06:15:04 AM »
I understand how it is, but the unequal length tie rods make for unbalenced steering.  A P&S steering box is faster one direction over the other to compensate for the longer ty-rod when it was used in farm equipt.

Only one link from the right side of the rack to the right steering arm and then a single tie rod back to the left arm--pretty much like an early Ford.

Roo
Yeah, I am from the south--any further south and I would have been a bloody penguin.

dreracecar

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2017, 08:35:57 AM »
Still a lot of load on the small R&P so close to the engine

Offline Mr Froggy

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2017, 09:36:43 AM »
I understand how it is, but the unequal length tie rods make for unbalenced steering.  A P&S steering box is faster one direction over the other to compensate for the longer ty-rod when it was used in farm equipt.

Did P&S build boxes for farm equip or are they copied from a Ross box?  I always thought they were copied off a Crosley box?

dreracecar

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Re: front spindle yoke
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2017, 10:36:12 AM »
Ross built many designs for many applications,