The Imp Site

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Steering column top mount

Date: 4 Mar 1999 21:19:10 -0000
From: Bob Shearer
Subject: [imps] Steering column top mount

I have a leather rim wheel on my Imp, but it is not very dished and my knuckles keep hitting the switches. I read somewhere that it should be possible to lower the top of the steering column slightly (I guess by using a longer u-bolt?) but I need some details.

Has anyone tried this and what do I need to know? Can I buy a longer u-bolt or do I have to get one made?

From: Tim
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 16:48:59 EST
Subject: [imps] Re: Steering column top mount

I would not advise lowering the column angle by any considerable amount due to the stress that will be placed upon the rack & column.

Is the wheel a Mountney? If so, keep your boss & buy a fully dished one, long term this will be the only worthwhile solution.

From: Allan Duncan
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 09:32:35 +1100 (edt)
Subject: [imps] Re: Steering column top mount

Don't forget to undo the outer tube from the floor, and free up the rack & pinion so that it will rotate to point the shaft in the right direction.

When you have got the U bolt and bracket off, move the shaft up and down to find the centre of the free zone.

This should be where you clamp the outer tube. You may need to put a nice squishy bit of rubber between the flange and the floor to take up the gap you will be making at the top edge.

Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 09:24:09 +1100
From: Mike & Tich Marsh
Subject: [imps] Re: Steering column top mount

I distinctly remember in my youth (a long time ago..) noticing this particular bracket on one of my cars actually being much deeper than on the original Mk I that I had, with of course, correspondingly longer U bolt stems. Does anybody know if this was a design change at some particular time? Did it correspond with a change in the distance from the steering wheel to the dash or maybe could it have come from a car with a different dash (ie Chamois)? Or an aftermarket fitting? I'm pretty sure the steering wheel didn't change...

Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 08:55:13 +0100
From: Bert Clewits
Subject: [imps] Re: steering column

I've not done that modification before but I did remove and fit a complete steering column and unit.
What you should be aware of is that if you are going to alter the inclination of the steering column you will have to adjust the steering unit.
That is to some extent possible, you should untighten the U bolts (the one with the bridge pieces on them) underneath the car and see if you can turn the steering unit and column down wards.
(Maybe you will have to undo the whole thing because of the corrosion preventing turning it)
If you don't turn the steering unit, it will fail in the end at the worm wheel at the linkage from the steering column to the unit.

Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 08:30:35 +0000
From: Andrew W. MacFadyen
Subject: [imps] Re: Steering column top mount

On no account try to lower the top mounting while this can be done on cars like Minis which use plain U bolts to mount the steering rack the Imp's rack is located rigidly by alloy clamping blocks which corrode on to the clamping bolts (actually a captive square ended U bolt). These parts are easily broken during dismantling and were hard to obtain even 20 years ago. Also the outer column on the Imp is fixed by a flange to the hole on the floor where the column passes through.
The steering column support brackets and column on early MK1s (high pivot suspension) differ from MK2s and cannot be interchanged for the same reason (on Mk2s the hole in the floor is in a different position - 1 inch lower).

Either obtain a different wheel or a spacer that fits between the wheel and the boss.

Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 08:37:54 +0000
From: Andrew W. MacFadyen
Subject: [imps] Re: steering column

Unlike most other British cars the Imp steering rack has square mountings and cannot be safely rotated as soon as you tighten the clamps it will try to go back to original angle and put a massive strain on the pinion bearings --- MOT failure if the tester knows Imps. The only way to do this safely is to shorten the column and use a Triumph 1300/1500/Dolomite/Toloedo universal joint.

From: Nickcleak@aol.com
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 16:38:40 EST
Subject: [imps] Re: steering column

> Unlike most other British cars the Imp steering rack has square mountings

Square ?
All the imp racks i have seen are round section where they mount , clamped up with a pair of cast alloy plates at each end , if the nuts are slackened the rack will rotate a degree or two due to the clearance between the U bolts and slots in the rack body ... the steering rods will move out of position slightly , but i guess dropping the coloumn only and inch will be taken up by the flexible rubber mounts on the inner end.

From: Nickcleak@aol.com
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 16:38:39 EST
Subject: [imps] Re: Steering column top mount

> Is the wheel a Mountney? If so, keep your boss & buy a fully dished one,

Yes , the Mountney dished wheels are readily available ..
didn't polco or someone do a lowering bracket in the 1970's , it dropped the column about an inch . You could just get away with it if you slackened off the rack mountings so it could re-align itself ..

Date: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 22:01:10 +0000
From: Andrew W. MacFadyen
Subject: [imps] Re: steering column

1. The bolts are such close fit to the slots in the rack it won't rotate, if you try you will burst the alloy blocks.
2. The alloy block and the bolts seize together and both are very easily broken during disassembly --- to replace the bolts is a major job involving remove the pressing the that the rear front suspension pivot mounts on.
3. The Imp unlike the Mini has an outer column which bolts via a flange to the floor.
4. The steering cloumn top bush is bad enough for wear.
5. On cars with steering locks it could lead to the lock not engaging.

In other words this is not a good idea.

From: Nickcleak@aol.com
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 04:53:27 EST
Subject: [imps] Re: steering column

> (1) The bolts are such close fit to the slots in the rack it won't rotate,
>if you try you will burst the alloy blocks.

but it works , just !
there is enough rotation on a clean rack and with clean bolts .. and a corrosion free set of alloy blocks , we are only talking 1.5 degrees rotation to lower the column 1 inch , a small movment at the top is a minute movement down below .

> (2) The alloy block and the bolts seize together and both are very easily
>broken during disassembly ---

yes as the rack is seldom removed on an Imp it does tent to get solid over the years , i have rustproofing wax around my rack mounts since i last assembled it in 1979 , it is still in fine condition , the alloy blocks break when the mounting nuts are ovetightened as well .

> (3) The Imp unlike the Mini has an outer column which bolts via a flange to the floor.

yep , it will bend the flange a bit when you lower the column , it's very thin metal ...

> (4) The steering cloumn top bush is bad enough for wear.

the later ones are fine ... mine has done over 200000 miles with no wear at all.
lowering the column will have no relative misalignment at the top anyway or add any different stresses to the bush !

> (5) On cars with steering locks it could lead to the lock not engaging.

that is a thought , would the inner column moving say 2 mm max out of true cause it to stick ? maybe ...

> In other words this is not a good idea.

No , it's not a good idea ...

i am still intrigued to know more about the square rack mouting you mentioned ..

>The only way to do this safely is to shorten the column and use a Triumph 1300/1500/Dolomite/Toloedo universal joint.

Now that IS highly unadvisable !

From: Bob Shearer
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 12:27:24 EST
Subject: [imps] Re: Steering column top mount

I was basing the intention to lower the column on info in Tim Millington's book. I realise that it will only drop by a short distance because of the restriction imposed by the rack mounts, but even an inch should be enough to save my knuckles and also avoid the cost of a new dished wheel!