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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Fitting new steering rack

Hi,
Happy new year to you all.
I am half way through fitting my new steering rack (Later type) and need a little advice.
Should it be a straight swap, remove the old fit the new, adjust tracking, centre steering wheel/indicator cancelling and go?
Or do I have to make sure the alignment of the new rack on the chassis rail is correct? I have not touched the mounting brackets apart from removing the rack.
The flanges of the new rack (made in Argentina for what it is worth) are slightly closer together (about 2mm) than the old rack and do not fit as snugly between the mounting brackets. Are the mounting brackets adjustable? Should the rack fit tightly between the mounting brackets? If the brackets are not adjustable what needs to be done?

Thanks

Dave
Dave Brown

Yup, straight swap and do the tracking.
Lawrence Slater

The bracket mounting holes should be slotted to allow for some matching to the steering rack itself. With oly 2mm out of alignment, you could just slacken off one side. There should also be some sort of rubber packing that goes between the rack and the brackets (I am NOT here referring to the shims between the bracket and main chassis).

Take care not to overtighten the bolts where the rack clamps onto the brackets as the brackets are prone to shearing.
Guy W

I think the packing is only applicable to the early rack.
Dave O'Neill 2

Dont you also have to change out the steering column also
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

No change needed to the steering column, Prop. Unless it is also faulty anyway.

Dave, - my '71 car uses packing 'though I think it may be one of the last ones before the rack change.
Guy W

My first midget, an early RWA, had the early rack with alloy mounting brackets. It was less than 200 cars from the change to the Triumph rack.
Dave O'Neill 2

So what date was your RWA car Dave? My May 5 built 1971 Austin Sprite uses the alloy brackets and rubber packers. I suspect at around that time they were taking stuff like this from parts bins depending on just what was available rather than to a specific change-over date.
Guy W

This thread was discussed on 02/01/2016

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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