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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Steering column length 79 Midget

I have been off the board here for a LONG time but have just started to resurrect my 79 midget, and will undoubtedly be needing some technical advice.

I have been working on front brakes, suspension, and steering. The car was parked at least a year and a half ago after the steering wheel sort of came off in my hand! Fortunately, I was just pulling out of a parking space at the time so no harm done, but it was scary. What had actually happened was that the collapsible column had come apart, presumably when I pulled back on the wheel.

SO... I read through all the archived posts I could find on the subject and effected the recommended repair, drilling through the column and "pegging" the resultant hole. Seemed to work fine, until I came to replace the column in the car, whereupon I found that it it several inches too short!

As some posts have stated, the column is in three pieces, not two as it first appears. From steering wheel to rack... first, there is what seems to be a solid upper section from the steering wheel end to inside the expanded metal shroud. It has the two annular grooves which hold the plastic shear pins. Then a hollow tubular section, with the D section ends. There is a flange on this tube section that restrains a spring. Then there is a third solid piece which attaches to the rack via a female splined end.

I am guessing that my problem is the join between the hollow piece and the piece that that attaches to the rack. I have not separated these, as they appear to be very well attached. The length of these two combined pieces, from the steering wheel end of the hollow section to the tip of the female splined section is about 13.75 inches. The distance from the flange to the end, where the splines are, is only 6 inches. I think that the rack end piece is TOO FAR inside the hollow section. My guess is that a previous owner had a similar problem and lined up the wrong hole when repairing it.

Can anyone tell me what the correct distance is from the flange that restrains the spring to the end of the column where it meets the rack.

Long question, hopefully a short answer, but it is hard to explain!

Thank you in advance,

Jim M.
Jim M

This thread was discussed on 19/01/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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