RATTLE IN STEERING

Shannon News, 21 August 1928, Page 4

RATTLE IN STEERING

GREASE MAY CURE. Continuous rattlo arising from the steering gear-box whenever the car is running on other than the smoothest of roads may be caused by the use of an unsuitable grade of lubricant in conjunction with slackness due to wear, the “teeth'' of the worm and wormwheel, in the bushings of the wormwheel shaft, or it may permit slight end movement of that shaft. Grease is generally used in the steering gear-box, and in the ordinary course is quite suitable so long-as it is not too stiff. But when slackness occurs at any point it is advisable to use a very thin grease—ordinary motor grease thinned down with gear oil or engine oil, in fact. This semi-fluid lubricator is better able to return readily between the parts that “chatter” after being 'squeezed out by the operation of the steering while the car is being manoeuvred. “Heavy” grease will not do so at such points as between the worm-wheel boss and the sides of the casing. On dismantling steering gears it will frequently be found that these parts are dry after thick grease has been used; but this is never the case where a lubricant that will just flow has been used. Inserting the latter instead of grease will cure an annoying steering rattle on many ears when there is no means of adjustment to counteract the wear, or no opportunity of utilising it with satisfactory results.