Sunbeam Alpine & Tiger Tech Tips

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Left Hand Drive to Right Hand Drive

Click for Sunbeam Tiger Supplement

To convert a Sunbeam Alpine from left hand drive to right hand drive is a nut and bolt job, as all the holes are there. First you will need the steering box with mounting plate (goes between steering box and the chassis) and steering idler. The cross rod (center track rod) is the same, but the column support bracket is handed.

You will need the right hand drive pedals, master cylinders are the same but you will need longer clutch pipe and shorter brake pipe.
The accelerator pedal is the same, but you will need the rod that goes form right to left.
The hand brake cable just needs to be turned over and bolted to the mounting holes; the metal tab is already welded on the axle that holds the cable up. The handbrake lever is the same but you need the plastic trim cover.

You either need to get a right hand drive wiring loom or you can modify the original, most of the wires are two long, I cut them down and solder new bullet connectors etc. on, as my loom was in very good condition. You will also need a right hand drive dip switch mounting bracket.

The dashboard, glove box, glove box surround and lower crash pad trim, need to be replaced, but the top of the dash is the same. The passenger foot-rest plate is handed but most of the English cars that are broken up are very rusty so you may have to make one.
Replacing the headlights with right hand drive sealed beam units is easy and if car has a MOT this will have already been done.

For that first class job you need to change the wipers to right hand drive. The washer jets and wiper spindles need to be swapped, this will make the wiper linkage to long, and you can shorten the linkage tube between the motor and the right-hand wiper spindle and re-flare the tube by tapping a ball bearing or bleed nipple into the end, if you do not have a flare tool.
You will need to turn the parking switch (see picture), to get the correct parking position, if modifying LHD linkage (do this before fitting wiper arms), or get hold of a right hand drive wiper linkage and motor.
You will also need right hand drive wiper arms but the blades are the same.

Parts Needed

Under Bonnet

Steering box
Steering box mounting plate
Steering Idler
Longer clutch pipe
Shorter brake pedal pipe
Right hand drive sealed beam head lights

In Car

Steering column support bracket
Clutch and brake pedals
Accelerator rod (pedal is the same)
Dashboard
Dashboard Lower Crash Pad
Glove box and surround
Handbrake lever trim
Wiring loom (Can shorten left hand drive one)
Dip switch mounting plate
Passenger foot-rest plate (could make one as under carpets)

Extra Parts for a First Class Job

Wiper motor cable and tube (or shorten left hand drive one)
Right hand drive wiper arms

Sunbeam Tiger Supplement

Sunbeam Tiger steering is notorious for having Ackerman angle problems, so why not improve this when converting to RHD, plus Tiger racks are hard to find.
The best plan is to use a 1961-72 MG Midget steering rack with MGB steering arms and Alpine series 4-5 track rod ends, this is then fitted together using a kit from Dale’s Restorations see picture.

For more information go to
http://www.dalesresto.com
http://www.tigersunited.com/techtips/PaulickAckerman/pt-PaulickAckerman2.asp

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