removing stuck car wheels.

[Steve Firth]

A tale that is remarkably interesting.

Not least because an XJS does not have either kingpins or MacPherson strut suspension.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I never said it did have McPherson. I said, you get the SAME with McPherson.

It sure has kingpins tho. Or at least that's what I call them. The bit between upper and lower wishbones that swivels and carries a stub axle. And to which the steering links attach..

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oh, it does, and will, by design.

That's why normally you have a drooping front leading steering link..it reduces the wheel angle as you lean into a tight corner, tending to understeer on the way in as the thing loads up, and on any bumps..

It can help fine time a cars handling. Not that most cars today would bother. Most small hatchbacks are perry appalling.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You've obviously not seen the way they were 'assembled' ;-)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Dunno what car you mean, but the one on mine has thick aluminium brackets on the rack mounted to thick steel ones on the subframe. You'd need a lot more than a good thump to shift it.

[Steve Firth]

Referred to as the upright on the Jaguar, IIRC.

[The Natural Philosopher]

1/. 1.5 tons of hatchback hitting a kerb at 30mpoh is more than a 'good thump'. I've seen alloy and steel wheels buckled just hitting a 6" pothole..I've seen a tyre blow on simply doing 5mph into a kerb head on! 2/. Most racks are rubber mounted for shock and vibration reasons.

3/. Bending a chassis or subframe is common in minor accidents.

The fact of a steering wheel being offset in a second hand car is almost a guarantee its been whacked hard or badly repaired at some time.

[Steve Firth]

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

[dennis]

It will always try to steer whatever length the tie rods are. The tie rod just pivots about a point so it moves the wheel in the steering plane every time the suspension compresses. You would have to invent some sort of parallelogram link to stop it steering as the suspension compresses.

[dennis]

I have seen some. I saw a dented Jenson interceptor on the assembly rigs once. They used plastic filler to get rid of the dent.

[Jules]

To my shame, I had an Orion once. Bloody horrible car. I've tried so hard to blot out all memory of it that I honestly can't remember what I did with it :-)

[Steve Firth]

It was part of Ford's attempt to establish an Irish range of cars. The Ford O'Ryan, Irish 2000 etc.

[Mike]

It makes a hell of a difference on a Lotus Elise/Exige/Europa, a linear bump steer response is critical, adjusted by rack height, track rod end height, and track rod length.

On the above vehicles there is a maximum of 2mm *total* tolerance on chassis hard point location.

Only if your suspension is mass produced and un-adjustable.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Alan saying something like:

Last year, last week, this week, next week. Whenever I need one. I don't like putting a tube in, but if circumstances dictate, I will.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember The Natural Philosopher saying something like:

I've seen the yellow lights go down the Mississippi.

[PCPaul]

I knew a bloke who worked at rover in the late seventies. His job was to get them as they came off the production line and make the doors 'seal better' by putting a knee in the middle and yanking the window frame into place with a practised eye.

[Jules]

Heh - I remember doing much the same thing in recent years, both on Rover P6 and Triumph Stag window frames; funny to know it was also a factory-approved technique! ;-)

Seems to be a feature of British cars of that era I think - I suppose later on cars started getting doors where the frame was an integral part of the door skin, so no such 'careful adjustment' was necessary.

cheers

Jules