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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - stiff steering

Having just finished re shelling my midget the steering is stiffer than when it was on the old shell,I am not sure if its the reconditioned steering rack are a slight miss alignment of the column ,is there supposed to be a shim under the mounting bracket for the column as well as the block that is built on to the panel where the bracket mounts.If so has anyone any dimensions of the shim.


mark heyworth

Have you got a shim behind the right-hand steering rack bracket? It's there to align the column with the rack.

(The shim was fitted to the left-hand bracket on the early Morris Minor rack - up to late '71.)
Dave O'Neill 2

I haven't the faintest clue about the engineering but often things feel stiff until a bit of driving has been done with the full weight of the car on the road. I had a new Argentinian rack and it was stiff for a while then it was fine with use.
Nigel Atkins

You can’t buy the shim anymore, so I made one up.

I first realised it made a difference as the column just slide on without any fuss.







James Paul

when i re-fit the rack the column went on better without the shim in ,it is the shim for the top mount on the column that i was asking about.
mark heyworth

I think the answer is not to tighten ANY of the mounting bolts on the rack clamps OR the steering column until everything is assembled. Then spin the wheel lock to lock a few times and then progressively tighten everything up, whilst repeating the steering wheel spin operation until it's all nipped up tightly.
GuyW

This all assumes you have shimmed the kingpins correctly - if you diantled them that is?
GuyW

pretty sure its the rack as with the steering column disconnected its about the same as with it connected so will have to use it and see if it . Its probably just me getting use to having no play in the rack i cant believe how positive the steering is now,just shows you don't notice how something is wearing until its refurbished.
mark heyworth

Oh yeah. I diantled my back last week; it's bloody stiff now. 😉.
anamnesis

I dont think my refurbished kingpins came with the antlers, do i still need to diantler them ?
Chris Madge

This thread was discussed between 02/07/2022 and 05/07/2022

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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