Lotus TURBO ESPRIT Service Manual page 293

i n n e r column i s p r o v i d e d w i t h a s l o t i n t o which t h e s t e e r i n g l o c k engages.
On S . I . R .
e q u i p p e d cars ( p r i m a r i l y USA), a d i f f e r e n t column i s u s e d , b u t t h e
same p r i n c i p l e s a p p l y . The same ' b r e a k o u t ' f i x i n g s a r e u s e d a t t h e s c u t t l e
beam, b u t t h e lower end o f t h e column i s s e c u r e d t o t h e p e d a l box v i a a h i n g e
b r a c k e t a n d a s i n g l e f i x i n g b o l t . The two p a r t s o f t h e o u t e r column are
c o n n e c t e d by g r i p c o l l a r s and t h e assembly must b e r e p l a c e d i f c o l l a p s e d . The
two p a r t s of t h e i n n e r column
are
c o n n e c t e d
by a
t e l e s c o p i c j o i n t , t h e l e n g t h of
which i s f i x e d by p l a s t i c b u t t o n s l o c a t i n g i n g r o o v e s , which may b e o v e r i d d e n b y
a s p e c i f i e d f o r c e . The assembly must b e r e p l a c e d i f c o l l a p s e d .
WARWING: Any work o n , ' o r removal of t h e s t e e r i n g column o n S.I.R. cars r e q u i r e s
t h a t r i g o r o u s s a f e t y p r e c a u t i o n s be t a k e n i n o r d e r t o s a f e g u a r d a g a i n s t
u n i n t e n t i o n a l deployment of t h e i n f l a t o r module. D o
n o t a t t e m p t any
work o n t h e s t e e r i n g column o f an S.I.R. e q u i p p e d car w i t h o u t r e f e r r i n g
t o S u b s e c t i o n WA.3
-
L
i n t h e separate manual ' S e c t i o n WA', part no.
EO82TO327 J.
P o s t A c c i d e n t I n s p e c t i o n
I f
t h e v e h i c l e h a s been i n v o l v e d i n an a c c i d e n t , o r i f t h e r e i s any o t h e r
r e a s o n t o s u s p e c t t h a t t h e upper column assembly may have c o l l a p s e d , c a r r y o u t
t h e f o l l o w i n g i n s p e c t i o n :
Non-S.I.R. Cars: Remove t h e s t e e r i n g wheel (see a b o v e ) , remove t h e column
s h r o u d s , and s e p a r a t e t h e lower end of t h e column from t h e i n t e r m e d i a t e s h a f t
u n i v e r s a l j o i n t .
i) Loosen t h e column t o s c u t t l e beam f i x i n g b o l t s and check t h a t t h e two a l l o y
' b r e a k o u t ' i n s e r t s a r e s e c u r e l y a t t a c h e d t o t h e column f l a n g e .
i i ) Measure t h e o v e r a l l l e n g t h of t h e i n n e r column a s shown i n t h e diagram.
S p e c i f i c a t i o n
=
7 5 8 . 5
-
7 5 9 . 5 mm
Replace
t h e column i f o u t s i d e s p e c i f i c a t i o n .
i i i ) Measure t h e o v e r a l l l e n g t h of t h e o u t e r column t u b e , e x c l u d i n g t h e b e a r i n g
h o u s i n g f l a n g e s as shown i n t h e diagram.
S p e c i f i c a t i o n = 611
-
612 rnm
R e p l a c e t h e column i f o u t s i d e s p e c i f i c a t i o n .
i v ) I f t h e r e i s any d i s c e r n i b l e a x i a l p l a y i n t h e column ( a l o n g t h e d i r e c t i o n of
t h e column), t h e i n n e r column t e l e s c o p i c r e t e n t i o n mechanism h a s been
o v e r r i d d e n , and t h e column assembly s h o u l d b e r e p l a c e d .
O u t e r column
611
-
612 nun
L
C o l l a p s i b l e mesh s e c t i o n
a
I n n e r column 758.5
-
759.5 m n
\ .
..'
P a g e 9