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MG MGB Technical - Play in my 73 MGB Steering Wheel

I have searched all the books I have and the archives, and I cannot find anything specifically discussing this issue. I have 73 MGB. The steering wheel is loose. If you grab hold of the steering wheel, you can move it up and down - just slightly, but enough that you know it is more then it is suppose to move. When you go over railroad tracks you can feel the steering wheel bounce and rattle slightly. I know that there is a bushing/bearing of some sort behind the steering wheel, in the steering column. How do you replace this bushing/bearing and how hard is it to
do? If this bushing/bearing is bad, would it allow the play in the steering wheel I described? I have had the steering wheel off and the bushing looked like it was made of some sort of fabric - or is this an oil seal of some sort in front of the bushing/bearing?
Robert Browning

Robert, If you have a North American B it should have ball roller bearings. They do tend to get loose and cause symptons you describe. I know of no source for steering column parts but you can peen the housing of the bearing by gently working around the top of the bearing housing with a ball peen hammer. The top bearing housing assembly needs to be remmoved. You have to peen and rotate the housing and keep checking the bearing for tightness. For some photos of the column parts see my yahoo photos.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/flash1929/lst?.dir=/MGB+Steering+Column+upper+bearings&.view=t
I learned about this repair technique from reading some repair notes written by John Twist, so John gets credit for helping me through some old AMBGA notes.

Hope you can figure out how to remove the bearing assembly by looking at the photos. Good luck, Clifton
Clifton Gordon

Clifton has the right idea. On my 1970 I had the same problem as you. Only when I disassembled my column I found the top bearing had about 3 balls left in it! Peening was not an option for me so I set out to find a replacement bearing. It soon became obvious there was no quick fix other than find a good used column. What if I couldn't find one? What happens when that one wears out? I decided to fix up mine.

It's been a few years since I've done this, but here's the jist of it. I found an online company called Bocca Bearing Co. They have a sealed bearing with the correct i.d of the upper shaft and a thin o.d., although not as thin as the stock bearing. I then drew up plans for a new top bearing "holder". It's based on the dimensions of the old holder but designed to hold the new sealed bearing, and made out of steel and not aluminum. I gave the plans to a local machine shop and they made the bearing holder for me. The bottom bearing on these collapsable steering columns have an even cheesier bearing that's almost destined for failure. I had them turn the bottom of the shaft to "true" it up and had them turn me a piece of oiled bronze stock to fit the shaft and the column perfectly. I fit a rotary lip seal on top of and below the new bronze bearing to hold in grease. I then drilled a small hole and tapped it for a grease fitting. I used a grease gun hose to run a "remote" grease zerk under the hood on the firewall next to the where the column exits. Total cost was around $175 including parts and labor. It glides smoothly and effortlessly without even a hint of movement. I love it.
Scott Wooley

I cannot remember, but isn't the bracket that turns the turn signals off welded to the steering column rod? If so, how do I get the bearing off/out if that bracket is in the way? Thanks
Robert Browning

Robert
I had a bit of play in my 78 Roadster and purchased a new steering column from MGOC and had the local garage fit it. The differance is amazing - you don't feel every bump through the steering wheel now. I looked at the old column when it came off and I could quite clearly see that the old ball bearing at the top was well worn and very dry. It is not possible to refurbish the columns for the 78 model I understand so a new one was the only alternative.
John
J.A. Gearing

I had my colomn appart recently and there was a nylon bush at the weel end and a felt bush at the UJ end. I easily replaced the nylon one.
Paul Hollingworth

Robert; The cam for turning the signals off is a spring clip unless someone has welded it on. You can pry it off with a big screwdriver, Hold a rag or something over it or it will fly away from you. I reinstall it with vise grips.

John; I don't think replacement columns are available for any chrome bumper or early rubber bumpers cars. I think the change may have been on 77 models.

FWIW, Clifton
Clifton Gordon

Scott;

That was an excellent fix you described for the replacement of the bottom (so called!) bearing on your steering column. I tried to find a bearing to fit in there without success, and as I has a good spare column, I just replaced the worn one.

Now I think I will pursue your neat idea and have a bushing made for the old column and keep it as a good spare.Thanks for the great idea!

Dave
Dave Munroe

This thread was discussed between 18/10/2003 and 21/10/2003

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