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MG TD TF 1500 - Steering Whell Removal

The archives have been very helpful in eleviating my fustrations in removing the spline from the steering wheel. Helpful in the fact that it isn't easy for anyone else either. Remembering that I am a true novice at all this, I want to make sure that when I take it to someone that has the proper equipment, I tell them the correct way to push the spline out. (I know, I know, it does seem like an obvious question, but I'm not willing to make a mistake this big.) Am I correct in thinking that the spline would be pushed out from the front to the back of the steering wheel? (see picture)

I have soaked it with Liquid Wrench for a few days and firmly hit it with a hammer but I'm not getting any movement. My next step is to go along with what has worked for others, as was indicated in the archives, and take it to a place that has a bearing or axle puller/pusher. I just want to make sure that I tell them the correct way to push.

Thank you for your patience and responses (in advance)

Patrick

PS. Sorry for the misspelling in the post title


D P Earles

Yes, Patrick, front to back.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Once again, thank you Dave. I will press on.
Patrick
D P Earles

NO! Press out. Then, carefully align the key and assemble, using the large hex to draw it tight. hehhehehhh
Dave Braun

Personally, I could not get mine out and really saw no need to remove it. I repaired welds to the spokes, sanded, painted, etc. and left the splined shaft in place, no big deal really.

I guess I'd ask the question if you REALLY need to take it out.
l rutt

We also reconditioned the steering wheel on our TF after trying to remove the spline and realizing that it was gong to take a lot of force. Having the spline attached made the job pretty easy. The only question that I had after the fact was regarding the alignment of the bold that tightens the telescoping spring. Ours is a bit caddywompus, angling from 8:00 to 2:00 on the bottom of the shaft when the steering wheel is aimed straight ahead. I believe the only way to align that would have been to re-position the spline in the steering wheel hub. Then again, I am not sure how that bolt is to be positioned.
Safety? Fast?
Scott Ashworth - '54 TF
S. R. Ashworth

With the wheel on the shaft and out of the car, setting up a vice to hold the hub (resting on top of the vice), a good 'rap' with a hammer on the end of the shaft should pop it out? Has worked for me a couple times.
gordon lawson

Larry,

The splines are so fine that I didn't want to ding them up and affect the ability to adjust the column, so I removed mine.

Gordon,

I released my splined shaft in much the same way. I did place the nut on the shaft prior to whacking it with the hammer. I'm not sure this would work in the case where the woodruf key has slipped and jammed the slot.

Scott,

The three ears on the pinion shaft for the steering (close to the oil pump) can be moved 120 degrees at a shot to change the angle of the steering wheel. From there the front wheels are aligned until the shaft is centered on the keyway for the wheel hub. On my custom wheel hub, the keyway is upside down relative to original hubs. In that case, I also had to withdraw the pinion shaft from the rack with the rack centered and re insert it so one of the ears was pointing up rather than pointing down.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Here is a picture from my website of pulling the flange. I used a 15/16 socket, slightly shaved down on the outer circumference as a stand in for a 1/2 W as my whitworth sockets are old and thick, and wouldn't fit in the flange and get the nut.

The flange normally has threaded holes, and you lock the nuts into the holes using the castleated nuts. You are tightening against a rubber bush so there is some play to get the cotters in there.

On my car the holes had already been drilled out. In that case I just tightened the nuts and locked them against rotation. The flange is thin, and it is easy to see how the threads could be stripped against the locking nut force. If I were designing it I probably would have omitted the threads, or thickened the flange.

warmly,
dave


Dave Braun

Scott, There is no spline inside the steering wheel hub to splined shaft- just a single key/keyway (I think- someone correct me if wrong). I just looked at a picture of my interior, and the bolt on mine runs diagonally from 11-5 o'clock angle, on the right side of the shaft. It will only fit in one position, in the relieve groove in the inner column I think. George
George Butz

Scott,

I didn't actually pull my pinion shaft to reoient the flange, I pulled it to replace missing thrust washers in my rack. I CHANGED the orientation of the flange when I reinstalled the flange as it is splined.

George is correct in that the steering shaft is a tappered fit in the wheel hub, and that the keyways in both the tapered fit and the splined area in the column determine the orientation of the wheel. That's why I mentioned both the flange at the pinion shaft and the orientation of the flange.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Thanks to you guys for the information. I recall changing the rubber in the triangular flange on the steering column and trying to get the alignment right with the bolt under the steering wheel (I was hoping for horizontal across the bottom) but wasn't able to get it. I will look at it again. I need to check the tightness of the bolts in that flange again anyway. Thanks again.
Safety? Fast?
Scott Ashworth - '54 TF
S. R. Ashworth

This thread was discussed between 11/01/2010 and 12/01/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.