MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Steering shim - side?

Referring to the packing shim that goes between the alloy (i.e. early type) steering rack clamps, and the body. Memory tells me it goes on the nearside, but logic says the offside.

So who wins? Memory or logic?
GuyW

Memory 1, logic 0
Dave O'Neill 2

Bearing in mind that it's a Morris Minor rack, which would have been fitted behind the engine.

The angle of the pinion is fixed and the column on the midget is much longer and the car is narrower. The purpose of the shim is to reduce the angle of the pinion, therefore the column.
Dave O'Neill 2

That, Dave, is where my logic was flawed! I had not allowed for the pinion not being at 90 dgs to the rack - assuming that is what you are meaning.

Therefore my logic was that the steering column is not parallel to the axis of the car, but is splayed outwards at the top end. So the rack would need packing out at the driver's side to get the pinion to point outwards and align with the axis of the steering column. See? Logical

Happy to go with the memory option though! :-)

Thanks.
GuyW

Sorry, I hadn't made it clear. You are correct in your assumption about what I meant, though ;o)

The pinion is indeed angles outwards.
Dave O'Neill 2

I just took out a steering rack yesterday and the shim was located on the passenger side for a LHD car. So the shim would be opposite the steering wheel. Near side and off side aren't as clear to me.
J Bubela

So THATS WHY my steering wheel and column sits a bit off sides towards the drivers door


Its not noticable from aplearnce and you get used to it quickly... i just always figured its supposed to be like thst.


Sooo what does the shim look like and where does it go exactly any photos

Prop
1 Paper

guy,

It is not an easy job to align the steering column correctly.
First align the pinion wit the column, attach the clamping bolt (high tension steel), control the alignment. Attach the aluminium brackets (I once broke one while bolting to hard), attach the steering rack an at last the steering column to the body. If you lift the wheels of the ground you can feel if the steering wheel turns even. If it does not the alignment was not successful and you can start again...
Flip Brühl

To align the steering column easily, the trick (I think) is to first leave the steering rack free to rotate (just) in its aluminium securing brackets. Then - crucially - adjust the aluminium bracket in the driver's footwell panel (see photo) so that the column is centred accurately in the middle of the steering wheel's cowl. To do this, the dashboard & cowl must be firmly in place. Shims (part 2A_6144 arrowed yellow in the photo) can be added to this footwell bracket for up/down adjustment and the bolts (arrowed green) move in slots in the bracket for left/right adjustment. In this photo, one shim (black) is present: sometimes 3-4 may be required. Once the column is centred in the cowl, the footwell bracket can be tightened up. To complete the job, tighten the rack securing brackets (and the bolt which secures column to rack if you have not already done that). Note that if the big packing shim is not at the right end of the rack, this method will make the mistake very obvious - it will be impossible to centre the column in the cowl!



J.E. Davies

In this photo, the steering column is accurately centred in the cowl. If the shaft is NOT centred, the shaft can hit the brass ring of the horn contact at certain orientations of the wheel. The result is a horn that occasionally blows all by itself which can be quite embarrassing. Dave Dixon can explain all this much better than I can ...


J.E. Davies

Thanks Flip. I have fitted and aligned several steering rack / steering column assemblies following more or less the sequence you describe. My question was simply that I didn't quite trust my memory about which side the rack shim should go. Turns out that I shouldn't have doubted myself!

Good useful advice there John. Is it also correct that the alloy clamps for the earlier racks need to have some sort of rubber inserts to stop them cracking when tightened up?
GuyW

Guy, the clamps for the early rack need paper shims - I use oiled gasket paper. The shims which all the usual suppliers sell are way too thick (are they for the later style racks?). Any attempt to tighten the brackets with these thick shims will certainly crack the brackets. The purpose of the paper shims is to prevent the rack rotating in the clamps - without the paper shims, the rack will rotate and cause an MoT failure.
J.E. Davies

Thanks. I knew there was a potential cracking problem. I have used self-annealing tape for later racks as it grips but is also soft and maleable. But I will try paper ones this time with the alloy brackets.
GuyW

Guy

I used silicone kit as well as the rubber of an old bicycle inner tube. Both work well.
Flip
Flip Brühl

Just thinking about the need for paper shims on the early rack. My rack is painted - well it was when I got it and as of last night is now repainted. Since the paint will have a significant thickness relative to a paper shim it makes me wonder if it should have been painted in the first place? The steel tube had a knurled pattern band around where the clamp goes and this is now largely filled and obliterated with paint!
GuyW

Ahhm! That last comment about paint might have given a clue to anyone who knows about these racks! It seeems I have refurbished the wrong one! Dohh!

The car came as boxes of bits. I knew that not all the bits that I find actually relate to this car. And I now discover I have an early and a late rack. But I only found out when I offered up my newly refurbished* rack to the alloy brackets and realised it is far too skinny to fit. So, a bit of a rummage around and a second rack has appeared which does fit - yes I checked this time!

* Refurbished is a relative term. I had cleaned it, checked it for end float and repainted it. Nothing actually needed renewing so its not a big job. Hey ho!
GuyW

Do the alloy type steering rack clamps need painting? If not will the alloy grow that furry white deposit in time?
GuyW

I don't think I've ever seen any painted - at least, not deliberately.

I don't recall any furry ones, either.
Dave O'Neill 2

I cleaned them up with a nylon brush and wiped them over with oil. Not pristine, but it's not a show car!
GuyW

This thread was discussed between 30/08/2017 and 23/09/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.