After taking the steering box out giving it a good clean etc putting it back in now its gone from being very hard to get straight from left and right it is now hard just steering left, the adjuster screw looks as if it says snapped off decades ago!! Anybody got any ideas please?

Following on from your previous thread, when you removed the steering box did you check the rest of the steering gear for play/ stiffness, such as drag link springs, track rod ends, king pins etc.?

I ask the question to see if you're sure the problem is in the box and not elsewhere. However, if the adjuster is seized or broken this seems a reasonable place to start. However I'm not familiar with the later Ruby steering box and will leave further comments to someone who is.

Location: Gard, France 30960

Once I had disconnected the drag link the wheels turned left to right easily but the box was/is still stiff.

Not having seen a late Ruby steering box I can speak freely.

From the Spare Parts description of this box it would seem that the worm can wear from contact with the sector (as with the earlier box) and if reassembled with the worm in a different position could cause binding.

Can you see any wear on the worm and try to place the sector mesh in the original worn position ?

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Victoria, Australia.

If nothing has been bent, adjusted or tightened (including at the steering wheel end) it is difficult to imagine what could cause change.
The adjusting screw is not essential. With the side screws slackened, as required for any adj, the spindle can be bumped in and out of mesh. (If you over tighten may have to bump back out anyway.) However if screw is broken off may be tricky to undo, or to withdraw the spindle assembly with the screw in place.
On other makes encounter broken balls which can cause problems if wedge in the wrong places.
Perhaps the adj has reached the limit of the presumably oval or oversize screw holes and someone has persisted until the screw failed.

Location: Auckland, NZ

It's a long time (55 years?) since I played with a late Ruby box but suspect Tony's suggestion is good.
If the sector comes out by removing the 3 bolts on the side it might be worth doing that, turning the worm a bit and refitting it. Then see if the stiffness has moved. If so it should be possible to find a good spot by trial & error.
Bob, I don't think it's that sort of steering box. See picture on "Steering Adjustment" thread.

I take it to be the later type as first photo and with the column turning in ball bearings, from pic in Williams book.
Methinks the worm will end up in the same place.
It seems many will be interested in the final answer.

Location: Auckland, NZ

In my experience it is likely that adjustment is causing the issue. They wear more in the straight ahead position and attempts to adjust all play out simply cause tightness in the less worn portion. With the Ruby hourglass box you can not move the worm as on earlier boxes, far better to find a better condition box. Another major cause of backlash in these boxes is wear in the drop arm bush, they are currently unavailable so it is a case of making your own.

Location: Auckland NZ

Thanks for all your advice, the initial problem was the box went very stiff once I had greased/oiled it (I don't know if it was coincedence) before that it was fine. I've took it out cleaned it put it back together filled it this time with d140 its quite a bit better perfect from the right but from the left is still quite stiff?

My guess is that if you have dismantled to re-grease then things have not gone back together in quite the same way as they were. Remember the gasket thickness will have an effect on thrust button clearance and having a broken adjuster is really going to make life difficult. Try slackening the cover screws slightly and rotating through the tight spot, you might get lucky and find there is just enough movement in the fixing holes to reposition the cover and free things up. I would still suggest looking for a better column, they are reasonably plentiful.

Location: Auckland NZ

As I say I haven't seen one of these boxes - but can the steering wheel be turned 180 degrees with the worm sector disengaged and then re assembled ?

Mr Williams carefully describes the adjustment of the earlier box but seems to completely ignore this late Ruby Box.

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Victoria, Australia.

I have it lurking somewhere at the back of my mind that the last steering box is not adjustable/repairable at all.
However a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
What a tangled web some weave when first practicing to deceive.

Location: Bristol

Hi Scott, Ian is right re finding another Box, But if you whant to fix this one start off by fitting a new adjusting bolt and because the wear is either side of Centre go full lock either left or right and adjust at that point you will have excess play in the centre but it will not be tight .
This is because this Type of Box does not have provision adjusting out Wear

All the Best

Location: TINOPAI NZ

Hi Ian D

I appreciate that the temptation to use a classic quote is hard to resist even when not strictly applicable. Some may not have recognised it as such.
Much of the information, or lack of, was somewhat deceiving, but I very much doubt if any was in fact deliberate practice

Location: Auckland, NZ

The earlier boxes should be adjusted at extreme lock, to avoid stiffness at any point in the travel. Wear mostly occurs around the centre position so the box develops more play around this point, but manufactured clearance was the same throughout the range. There are three keyways in the gear so that a new third of the circumference can be put into use when wear (play) becomes serious.
The late Ruby 'hourglass' type box does not have the keyway options because it uses a sector intead of a complete gear, but in this application it is manufactured with some clearance towards the ends of travel and no clearance at the centre position. Adjustment must be made in the centre straight ahead position, and play at the ends of travel is to be expected.
In both boxes adjustment should be taken only to the point where the wheel is free to turn through its whole range from lock to lock.

Robert Leigh

Location: just north of Cambridge

Location: Auckland NZ

Here's the official Austin advice reproduced on the Cornwall A7C site http://www.austin7.org/Austin%20Seven%20Journal/Overhauling%20Steering/

Location: Isle of Wight

Except we are talking here about Hourglass steering boxes, so the cornwall site info is not entirely relevant.

I have just looked up what Woodrow has to say, anyone who follows the advice contained there should not have any problems. Unless that is the worm and selector are worn so badly that replacement is the best option.

Location: Auckland NZ

Hi Scott

Reading your post I had a similar problem with the steering going stiff that was very disconcerting.

Turned out to be significant wear on the drop arm cross shaft (apologies but I haven't the correct term to hand) - there was a concave depression in the shaft.

I was lucky and found a NOS box that had been lying around - what a difference! Spot on steering.

Reason for the post? There is an hourglass box on e-bay - search Austin 7. Note, as I know, these boxes are like rocking horse manure as only fitted for a short period.

Hope this helps.

John

Hi John
Thanks for the tip off I hadn't spotted it. Your right its very disconcerting when it goes stiff on corners . Will I get around the corner springs to mind !!
Thanks
Scott