Club 80-90 Forums

Before I order a new speedo cable, can anyone tell me if a bouncy speedo needle at speeds up to approx 45mph is most likely due to
a) a worn or badly routed cable,
b) a worn drive at the gearbox end
c) a worn speedo
d) none of the above, it's a feature of this model.

Thanks

A & D

Titus A Duxass wrote:A & D

Thanks. I'll see if a new cable helps then.

Speedo drive is from the front nearside wheel hub.
Cable end is square and fits into a square hole secured with a circlip.

T

tonytech wrote:Speedo drive is from the front nearside wheel hub.
Cable end is square and fits into a square hole secured with a circlip.

T

Ah ok, thanks for that. So option b) should be 'worn drive at the hub end'. Is that a possible cause, or is the cable still the most likely culprit?

The square hole can round off with wear and tear.
The cable routing can also lead to bouncing.

When you replace the cable clean everything well and apply a blob of silicon sealant to hold the cable but above all - don't expect miracles.

I've lived with a bouncing needle for 10 years and 60,000 kilometers.

Someone posted on here that they cured their needle bounce by ensuring the cable was secured tightly on the speedo end, some have inserted a spacer too to make sure there is a tight fit. I removed mine and secured it with a home made clip and improved the bounce considerably

nevill3 wrote:... and improved the bounce considerably

So it bounces better now?

Titus A Duxass wrote:When you replace the cable clean everything well and apply a blob of silicon sealant to hold the cable but above all - don't expect miracles.

Thanks for the tips. My aim is to reduce the bounce and to get rid of the clicking sound that accompanies it. I was out in the van last night, and the needle goes from having a swing of at least 5mph all the way up to 45mph to being very steady the moment it hits 46mph. So it's either fix the bounce or just stay above 46mph. Or get a louder radio.

I tried swapping my speedo cable today, but I couldn't get the old one out. I removed the grease cap and the circlip at the front wheel, I removed the instrument cover on the dash and unclipped the speedo cable from the speedometer, and then fed it out through the hole under the dash. No problems so far. But then I tried to pull the cable out from the back of the wheel, and it just wouldn't budge.

Is it just a friction fit through the rubber grommet, or did I miss a step?