RE: Help with '83 Spider Handling

[Godfrey DiGiorgi <ramarren@domain.elided>]

I believe the cars between 1969 and 1981 were fitted with either a worm
and sector steering box or a recirculating ball steering box. The w&s box
has the screw and lock nut adjustment, where the recirculating ball box
has a set of shims under an adjustment cap. When I've adjusted the
steering, it's been important on the worm and sector box to adjust it
carefully so as not to cause binding on-center. There should always be
just a hair of clearance. Play grows as you reach the limits of operation.

The '82 parts car I've just cored has a later ZF steering box and didn't
seem to have the screw and locknut adjuster. I don't know whether that was
a consistent change for all the later cars.

Godfrey

>In the name of 'not overlooking the obvious,' I contribute this
>question/answer: do '83 Spiders have the same steering gear as my
>'79 did? If so, have you tried tightening that center bolt in the
>steering box yet? I seem to recall it dampening the steering
>play.

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