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MG TD TF 1500 - Steering Wheel Alignment

I've tried every suggestion possible to get the steering wheel in it's proper position and come to the conclusion the steering rack is one tooth off. The rack it's self is perfectly centered as measured side to side. The shaft position is about 30 degrees off. How can I change one tooth on steering column position on the rack? There is zero play on my rack. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I had the same problem and removing the bolts where the shaft connects to the lower steering section (down next to the generator) and turning it sixty degrees worked. I also replaced the bushings. Not sure this will work for you as you mention being off thirty degrees. One thing I realized was that the PO had installed an aftermarket steering wheel and he used an MGA shaft at the top to make it fit. The original TD shaft has a keyway so the wheel only fits in one position but an MGA shaft is splined with no keywayso it can fit on in many positions...
Just my 2 cents.
Geoffrey M Baker

I could get the wheel in it's proper position by pulling out the slide key, but the clamp is approx. 30 degrees off center. I don't want to do that anyway, I don't want the lock key out. I changed the bottom tri mount twice and it's off one side or the other. I assume it has to be in the steering box, but I've been wrong before. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I'm with you there, the key exists for a reason... sounds like you are on the right track.
Geoffrey M Baker

Paul, I'm having a problem understanding your problem. What clamp are you talking about as being 30° off center? Can you show an image of your steering wheel when your wheels are pointed straight ahead? Bud
Bud Krueger

Bud, Don't have a photo handy, but will get one later. Here's a Moss diagram and wondering if the pinion shaft can be moved to the front enough to change 1 tooth. I believe this has been apart before and was put back together a tooth off. The chrome clamp for the slide right behind the wheel is on an angle, not straight up so the shaft is off. Number 16 in the illustration is the clamp. PJ


Paul S Jennings

Paul, assuming you have the proper toe adjustment, how do the exposed threads on the tie rod ends compare? Could that be a source of your misadjustment?
Jim Merz

My understanding is that the chrome clamp is free to rotate to any angle. I'm not sure that it affects the wheel, or any adjustment..
Geoffrey M Baker

Jim, I thought of that also, but there pretty much on the mark with about 1/8 inch toe in. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I have the same issue. Successfully lived with
it until this post.
Peter Dahlquist

Geoffrey, The clamp bolt that secures the adjustment slide passes over a grove in the shaft collar and will only mount in one position which is supposed to face straight up with the bolt above the shaft, thus putting the center steering hub locking screw for the center cap on the right side facing the gear shift lever. Only way I can adjust this is to turn the shaft. Reason to rotate the shaft one tooth in the rack. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Like Peter I never guessed the clamp was supposed to be vertical when the steering wheel was centered. I always thought I was doing good to get my wheel centered when it was tracking straight.

If there is a solution for this I would like to know. It would be interesting to see how many actually have a vertical clamp.
Christopher Couper

Yes, the groove in the column does determine where the clamp must be. However, IMHO there is nothing sacred about where the clamp ends up. It's convenient for the clamp to be oriented so that the bolt is vertical when the wheel is pointed straight ahead. That allows one to have ready access to the clamping nut. But, there is no reason why one can't have the wheel at something other than straight ahead when the nut is tightened, or loosened. Mine is not vertical at straight ahead. Bud
Bud Krueger

Bud, Was there ever a small pocket tool/spanner just for loosening and tightening this bolt? A key type maybe, like an oversized skate key? PJ
Paul S Jennings

Maybe I am missing the problem too, but maybe you could remove one coupling from its shaft, then with wheels ahead, steering wheel at centre slide it back on to match the other coupling, they are not keyed, just splined and bolted to the shafts , then to each other I am sure.
mog

I think the universal joint tripod that fits to the end of the steering rack pinion is splined and can be fitted in any orientation. Get it wrong and your steering wheel will not be centred. Removing the joint is an awful job and really needs a puller.

Jan T
J Targosz

Paul - If you look at item 52 in the image that you included, you will see that it can be slid down out of the rack far enough (by disconnecting it from the upper portion of the steering shaft) to disengage the pinion gear from the rack gear and can then be moved however far you want. This procedure requires a lot of dis-assembly but will give you the freedom to rotate the steering shaft where ever you want it. If you want a finer adjustment, removing the three lobe connector from either the upper or lower shafts and you can move it in much finer increments. This is a lot of fussy work to do this (and requires draining the oil from the rack assembly) and may well result in several tries, but it will ultimately give you the adjustment you want.

As far as not wanting to remove the cotter between the steering shaft and the portion in the steering wheel, the cotter in our TD went missing long before we got the car and I have never bothered to replace it. Let's face it - it would be impossible for the average sized driver to pull the steering wheel out far enough to disengage it from the main shaft even if it was loose. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

Paul, just for my info: what model/year car do you have, and is it the original steering wheel?
Geoffrey M Baker

55 TF 1500 matching number car and yes it's the original wheel. Might put a Brooklands wheel on it later as I really like them. That's if this thing doesn't put me in the poor house before! PJ
Paul S Jennings

Pull item 53 off and reinstall in a more acceptable position. Fine tune with the tie rods. See my website.

Warmly,
Dave
Dave Braun

Dave, it's nothing for me to pull it off the shaft, as I have the tools to do it, but I understand they are pressed on and I have the press to do it but I see no way that can be done while the rack is in the car. Yes/No? PJ
Paul S Jennings

Paul - I removed that shaft in the car. It is splined and as I recall, it did require a puller to get the connector (item 53) off. You first have to remove the bearing cover (item 58) and the damper damper cover (item 29) and all of the damper pieces, then the shaft can be pushed out to make room for the puller. "Reassembly is the reverse of removal" Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

Paul, if you look very very carefully at the rack shaft and the flange, you should find an arrow on the flange and a mark on the shaft that should be in alignment when pressed together. Of course that means nothing if the rack was taken apart.
MG LaVerne

LaVerne, I got the shaft in position where the clamp is facing straight down with the wheels straight, but the chrome screw to hold the cap on the steering wheel is straight up on the top. I would have to pull the radiator and chassis plate over the rack to work on it, as of now, with everything together, I've decided not to do that. If I pull the stop key out of the upper collar I can pull the sliding shaft out and turn the wheel to the proper position. I'll just have to leave the key out for now. The clamp will tighten up to a point where you'd rip the steering wheel apart trying to pull it out. It surly won't move unintentionally! I'll make any fine adjustment with the tie rods. Need to do that anyway. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Just saying you might want to look and see if the arrow and the mark line up on the flange and shaft Paul. If they don't you might want to pull the flange and put it back on with the correct orientation. Not difficult at this point to pull the flange and the nut will pull it back on after a little tapping to get it started. Final adjustment will be with the tie rods. Just my thoughts.
MG LaVerne

How important is the circlip that goes over the pinion shaft before you push the universal joint tripod on. Surely the tripod will bottom out on the splines as the bolt is tightened.


Jan T
J Targosz

If you pull the cap (58) off and disconnect the three bolts at 53, can you not slide the shaft (52) down and clear the rack?

Then you could align the steering wheel shaft where you want it, rotate 52 where you need it making sure the track is correct first. Then put the cap back on, reconnect the three nuts/bolts and make final adjustments with the toe in adjusters.

Just guessing here as I have never done it.

That would not fix the problem that 53 was not on the shaft correctly but ...
Christopher Couper

Actually Chris, I would have to unbolt the front motor mount and raise the front of the engine about 1/2 inch for the tri flange to clear the front plate on the engine. I'll give it some thought. Thanks guys for all your input. PJ
Paul S Jennings


"Dave, it's nothing for me to pull it off the shaft, as I have the tools to do it, but I understand they are pressed on and I have the press to do it but I see no way that can be done while the rack is in the car. Yes/No? PJ"

Actually, I didn't want to make my 1/2 BSF socket 'thinwall' so I bought a 15/16 socket from the hardware store and ground down the outer diameter.


Dave Braun

Then I pulled it with a harmonic balancer puller. Of course all this with the engine out of the car.

My steering wheel boss requires item 53 to be 180 degrees out.

The flange pulled off easily.

It's on my website...


Dave Braun

"Then I pulled it with a harmonic balancer puller." I did the same thing, only with everything in the car. But of course without the side pieces as on a TF. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

My TF has a stage 2 engine prepared by Mangoletsi - a well known tuning firm from the 1960s. The cylinder head and manifolds have all the period stickers. I also have a beautiful steering wheel with the Mangoletsi name engraved on one of the aluminium spokes. This thread has prompted me to trial fit the wheel. Up till now I have been using an old and cracked original wheel. The wings and bonnet sides are off the car so access to the steering column universal joint is OK. My question is how do I ensure the road wheels are pointing exactly in the straight ahead position before I position the U/J on the pinion shaft?


Jan T
J Targosz

Interesting! I have a three hole puller and never gave it a thought. PJ
Paul S Jennings

This thread was discussed between 19/10/2014 and 21/10/2014

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