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MG MGB Technical - centering steering shaft-how important?

I disassembled my steering rack to replace an oil seal on my 1977 MGB. When I reassembled the steering shaft through the steering gearbox, I thought I was careful about reinstalling the steering shaft, but maybe not. I was putting everything back together today, and am not getting equal distance from center to full right, and center to full left, (it's about 1/2 a diameter of the steering wheel difference). Anyway here is my question. Does it really matter? Is it more of how the tie rod ends are set that gives equidistant travel or do I need to to pull out the steering column and reinstall in the gearbox again?
r schwartz

Set the steering wheel so that an equal number of turns in either direction is required to bring the steering to full lock, then remove the steering wheel and reinstall it so that it is properly set. Simple.
Steve S.

It should be corrected where the error was made. That much change in the tie rod length may introduce some bump steer problems plus full lock steering would be different on each side. Your steering box would also be operating off center.

Clifton
Clifton Gordon

Steve's suggestion is easier, assuming you have no problems removing the steering wheel.

Clifton
Clifton Gordon

Thanks so much, just by reading this I think I understand more. You're suggesting centering the pinion on the rack, which is done, when I get the same travel both ways. Then I pull the steering wheel and position so it's centered when the pinion is centered. Any advise on turn signal adjustment, just in case?
r schwartz

I don't know what the 77 uses for turning off the turn signals. 68-74 cars use a clamp type cam attached on the steering column shaft. It can be rotated to the correct position for turning off the signals.

Clifton

Clifton Gordon

Any imbalance in the number of turns from straight ahead to full left lock as opposed to full right lock can only be coming from the adjustment of the track rod ends, not from how the rack pinion is engaged with the rack. On both my cars whilst the column UJ only slides onto the rack shaft in one rotational position, because the cut-out for the clamping bolt is just a notch, on the steering column shaft the notch runs all the way round so the two shafts can be assembled in any position within the number of splines on the column shaft. On column shafts with the indicator reset peg screwed into the column the two shafts have to be correctly aligned for correct cancelling. On later columns with the sliding reset cam they can be assembled in any position and the cam slid round to suit. In all cases the wheel then has to be correctly fitted to the column to be correctly aligned when the wheels are in the straight ahead position.
Paul Hunt 2

Thanks for the input, I played with the alignment today. I have one of those tools from Moss that allow you to check the alignment, measuring distance between the outside faces of the back and front of the tire. Of course the more I learn, the more questions I have. The toe in spec is something like 3/32 inch. When I adjust the tie rod ends I probably can get that, however it ocurred to me that you can adjust one tire and meet the toe in spec.
This doesn't ensure one that both tires have the approriate toe in, since the tool I am using measures the realative distance of the tires, not the individual. Am I thinking right?
r schwartz

First you need to correct things so that your rack is centered, then you adjust the toe in with equal turns of the tie rod ends on both sides.
John H

Toe affects both wheels equally even if you make all the adjustment on the one wheel. The castor angle ensures (if it is more or less the same both sides as it should be) that when driving forwards on a flat straight surface the wheels will always take up an equal angle from straight ahead i.e. half the total toe in (or out) on each wheel. What making all the adjustment on one wheel does is move the steering wheel from being visibly central when the car is driving straight. Making equal amounts of toe adjustment on each side keeps the steering wheel pointing to where it was before the adjustment is made.

It is a commonly held view that if the car pulls to one side or the other then the tracking needs adjusting is not correct. It is the castor angles, or something else in the suspension geometry being unbalanced between the sides that causes pulling to one side.
Paul Hunt 2

This thread was discussed between 19/11/2006 and 22/11/2006

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