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MG MGA - steering felt bush installation tool

I thought I'd share a nifty homemade tool that greatly helped in installing steering column felt bushes. The problem is getting those nice new puffy felts to let the shaft pass through as it is being let into the column. This is especially troublesome with thicker lower felt. I resisted the tempation to thin the felt by shaving it down thus defeating the purpose of replacement also a tight lower felt bush centralizes the steering coupler. I had noticed the steering shaft was hollow. I took a short piece of 3/4" wooden dowel (4") and in a few minutes with
a shop grinder and a utility knife fashioned what I call my wooden bullet. The shouldered end fits into the hollow shaft and the shaft passed thru the felts on first try. The shaft was tight. It took a strong grip by hand to turn the shaft but in the car with the steering wheel on, perfect. Chuck


Charles O'Brien

Nice one Chuck!

Deserves best tip of the month award at least!

How tight does the column feel once fitted?

Neil
Neil McGurk

Very tight, but I could still turn the shaft by hand (no steering wheel attached) with some effort. I wouldn't worry about beintg too tight unless you can't move it by hand. The first time I tried it was jammed tight, unmoveable, till I noticed the upper felt had slipped during insalation and was being pinched between the indent in the outer column (which is there as a stop for the bush)and the shaft. I ended up starting the shaft into the column with the upper felt hanging out of the column and letting the shaft pull it in the rest of the way. The column is now nice and tight and should stay that way for many miles.
Charles O'Brien

Where did you get the felts from ?
Chris Velardi

I got them last year from Victoria British. I don't buy much from them, normally buy A parts from Scarborough Faire, but threw this in with an order from their Winter Special catalog. They seem to be of good quality and were cut correctly
Charles O'Brien

With column assembled (but not attached to U-joint) you should be able to turn the steering wheel with the tip of one finger. If it drags noticeably it will be somewhat bothersome to drive down a straight road, trying to wander one way or the other as you constantly fight it to turn the wheel in small increments. Normally you should be able to drive in a straight line at road speed with just one finger on the steering wheel.
Barney Gaylord

A few years ago I ordered felt bushes from Moss and they were so tight that I had difficulty turning the steering wheel despite copious amounts of grease. In the end I lightly sanded the felt down and all was OK.
J H Cole

At one time one of the guys on this bbs made some nylon or teflon bushings for the top and bottom of the steering column which were very well received. I think he made a bunch of them at the request of some of the other readers.

I made my own which I've put thousands of miles on and they really take the sloppiness out of the column. The thread is probably in the archives somewhere.

Fred
Fred H

Search for column teflon. One of the materials mentioned is Nyloil.

Fred
Fred H

Tried to search for that thread and came up with nothing
Chris Velardi

Here is the link for the oil impregnated nylon bushings.
I didn't contact Todd C regarding these, but his email might still be good.
Mike

http://www2.mgcars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&access=&mode=archiveth&subject=6&subjectar=6&thread=200401211644234519
Mike Parker

Chris search for: column teflon
and choose the, all of these words, option.

If you are not a member of the BBS then you can't use the archives. At least that's the way it used to be.

Fred
Fred H

I think it was Delrin plastic. I bought a set, but lost my record of it. I think the guy was from Gulf Shores area of FL.
Art Pearse

I don't have a name but the return address on the envelope mine came in is: 912 Water St, Hobart, Indiana 46342.

Randy Myers
'59 roadster
Randy Myers

I just found an email address for the guy that made the delrin bushings for the steering column, not sure if it is still valid. toddc63@aol.com

Randy Myers
Randy Myers

I don't know what happened to the link I posted, but it is from 2007 archives if you want to look. I believe the link was steering bushings.
Mike Parker

I bought a set of the Delrin bushes, and am still delighted with them. If they become available again, I'd recommend them in an instant.
dominic clancy

This thread was discussed between 27/09/2009 and 30/09/2009

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