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 MGB Technical - Steering Rack

Is it possible to fit the new "Rubber bumper" type steering rack onto the earlier "chrome bumper" cars?
My daughter wants to drive the car but the steering is too heavy, so I thought the low ratio one might be better.??
I understand there is a kit for power steering but its £1200 plus fitting??
ANy ideas?
T Green

I love my daughter, but if when she was a teenager she'd said that, it would have encouraged me to leave as is! Of course, you could help her buy her own car, push her to do the wrenching, and she'd build the strength to turn the wheel- which really is light, unless you have been spoiled by power steering. Then there are gym memberships for birthday gifts, if you really want to share your car with her.
Ken R.
Ken Rich

The owners club will be able to tell you if the parts are the same fitting, else I know Moss do a quick rack for around a hundred. But It might be better/nicer to buy her a midget of her own, like a go-kart very light steering.
Tatty

A RB rack will fit a CB car, but you will have to shorten the pinion shaft at the steering column end to the same length as the CB pinion shaft and cut new splines,
A RB steering column 'could' alo be fitted to avoid cutting the pinion shaft, but this would entail new steering box mounts on the cross member, and some body work in changing the cone at the firewall to the deeper RB type.

The pinion shafts are not interchangeable.

I have heard of P/S from a MGF being fitted? Perhaps there is something in the archives.

Midgets for daughters is the way to go though - That way you have twice the fun with two cars to maintain!

Cheers

Ian f



Ian Fraser

Not all RBs had the lower ratio, it only came in 1977. MGOC does power steering ...
Paul Hunt

the least costly method of using a late RB rack(for the easier steering effort) is to cut the longer RB shaft down to CB length,then instead of hving the ends splined(it's a very expensive operation around here to cut small splines-$10US PER SPLINE!) use a Borgeson or Flaming river U-joint.These companies supply the street rod/custom car/race car market.The shaft diameter is 3/4 in,if you machine two flats parallel on the end,you now have what is called a "double D" ehaft end.Now open the catalog and find a u-joint with 3/4-36 spline on one end and 3/4 DD on the other.The prices vary from $30-50 for a plain u-joint or up to $130-150 for a stainless vibration reducing u-joint.
I used this method for my own car,it was a pain to steer at slow speeds with 235/60-15 tires on 15x8 rims.The rack bodies are otherwise identical.
Dave D

This thread was discussed between 27/05/2002 and 29/05/2002

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.