Greetings, all.
I am new to the list, and am replying to this topic from the digest. So, I
hope this works. If not, sorry!
I've had my TR6 for 20+years, and had a constant severe front-end vibration
@ 50-60 mph until my recently completed restoration. I also tried
everything, from suspension rebuilt to contless balancing/rotation, etc. I
also understand that many TR6s have similar, though less severe, versions of
this problem. A light tap on the brake pedal would reduce the vibration,
but only temporarily.
I finally discovered that the problem was undertightened steering rack
mounts. I learned this by wiggling the front wheels (in the driveway, of
course) while watching to see what moved. I noticed that the steering rack
easily jiggled. I confirmed that this was the vibration cause by clamping a
piece of rubber (old inner tube) between the mount and the bracket -- voila,
no more vibration. Unfortunately, a temporary fix (about 50 miles), as the
rubber just worked its way out. My theory is that the combination of wheel
wobble (all wheels have a little of this, particularly wire wheels), tire
flex, and rubber mounts sets up a resonance at that speed range.
Now, I replaced the mounts a few times, and tightened them as much as I
could (without the special tool). The clearance between the clamps and the
frame is supposed to be 1/8 inch, but this was still not good enough. While
the problem got a little better, I could not make it go away.
My final solution was to install the rigid aluminum mounts (made by Richard
Goode, and sold by him and TRF). Problem is now completely gone, and I can
once again drive the car faster than 50 without fear of in-flight
disintegration. Some have said that the rigid mounts add harshness to the
steering. However, I am pleased that I notice only negligible added feel.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Paul E.
Annandale, VA
71 TR6 Damson CC67060
80 TR8 Aqua TPVDV8AT210430
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