Direction of tapered bolts locking kingpins

[Richard Michell]

Does it matter which direction the tapered bolts (cotter pins?) are inserted? I have just renewed the kingpins and bushes on my 48 TC. The tapered bolts were inserted from the front but I think I have read the correct direction is from the rear. They do not appear to play any part in limiting steering lock on my car. There are adjustable machine screws to do this.

[antijam]

The taper pins should be inserted from the rear. The steering lock is normally limited by the head of the pin contacting the head of the steering stop bolt in the stub axle.

[Richard Michell]

Thanks antijam

[Richard Michell]

Further on this, what is the spec for steering lock? I need to reset my stop bolts on both hubs.

[Richard Michell]

I was unable to find any spec for the steering lock. I set it at 25 degrees turn in for the "outside" wheel - that is for the RH wheel when turning left and the LH wheel when turning right. I based this on a calculation from the wheel base (94 inches) and turning circle (37 feet, quoted in various sources), presuming Ackerman steering geometry. Had to dust off my trigonometry.

So far, seems fine.

[Julian Evers]

If I remember rightly, the hole in the axle is tapered, thus there is no option as to which way the taper pin goes. The question is which way does the axle go?

Best regards

[Steve Simmons]

Writing on axle toward rear of car.

[antijam]

If I remember rightly, the hole in the axle is tapered, thus there is no option as to which way the taper pin goes. The question is which way does the axle go?

Best regards

The hole in the axle is not tapered and nor is the pin - it has an inclined flat on the side which engages the flat on the kingpin.

However, Steve Simmons is correct, the axle should be installed with the lettering in the centre towards the rear. Get it the wrong way round and you'll have a strange caster angle!