MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Steering rack play

I just finished replacing the ujoint in the steering shaft, it got rid of some of the play in the steering wheel, but I noticed that when I have the car lifted in the air and I rock the wheels I can hear a little clunk coming from the rack. The tie rod ends are fresh and in great shape, and I've played with the shims under the upper inspection cover and I appear to have the correct amount. Is there any other adjustment in the rack?
If I had to guess I would say that the inboard portion of the tie rod is where the play is.

As usual all in put is greatly appreciated.

-Bill
Bill Mertz

I'm in the process of dealing with this now.
I'm betting you've got a collapsable steering column

Its the column.
And if you look here you will see some kind persons attaching a fix.

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,809905,810625#msg-810625

link to
http://www.gem-enterprises.net/page4.html

I've put a new rack on, because I was chasing the 2.75 chrome bumper ratio (all the new moss racks are 2.75, chrome or rubber bumper)which helped a very little. I'll probably do the glue thing in a few weeks.
Peter Sherman

My guess is that it could be the rack housing bushing(s).

Grab the end of the rack at the joint where the tie rod meets
the end of the rack - and wriggle it.

There should be no slop or play
Daniel Wong

Inboard portion? Where's that? There is a bush on the *passenger* end which wears and allows that end of the rack to flap up and down. The pinion shims control the play at the drivers end. Could also be loose track rods where they join to the ends of the rack at a ball-joint, they are supposed to be stiff enough to need 32-52 pound *inches* to articulate them.

A clunk from the rack doesn't indicate column slop (which mine has), that is best detected as very free rotation of the wheel to some degree when the tyres are on the ground. My 89 Celica manual describes up to 1/2" of movement as measured at the rim as being acceptable, and mine (V8) has never been commented on at the annual test, although I have had to replace the column UJ a couple of times.
Paul Hunt

The looseness in mine was worn inner tie-rod ends. As I remember these parts are not available so I went with a new rack. Never regretted the decision even though mine was one made in Argentina.
Robert McCoy

By "inboard" I simply meant that it wasn't the outer tie rod ends. On other cars the term inner tie rod end refers to the portion of the tie rod that actually contacts the steering rack (the inboard side of the tie rod) but I don't know if that terminology applies to the MGB.

I've played with the shims and was unable to reduce the play/noise. The steering wheel itself has hardly any play now that I've replaced that u-joint, but when moving the the wheels by hand with the car in the air you can certainly hear a noise and feel some play.
I'll look into the rack mounting bushings but now I strongly suspect inner tie rods, which apparently are no longer available.

Maybe tightening up that inner tie-rod joint will do the trick.

thanks for the suggestions.

-Bill
Bill Mertz

Regarding the second link, the plastic does not take any rotational load, so not having it cannot increase wear in the column. You get up and down slop but not rotational play. I replaced my column UJ with a split one (that was how it came) rather than the solid one I had before and there is slop in the splines.
N
Neil22

FWIW it think UK parlance is that the track-rods are the straight bars that stick out of the gaiters on the ends of the rack, and track-rod-ends screw onto those and connect to track arms on the hub.

The inner ball joints between the track-rods and the ends of the rack are adjustable to achieve the articulation forces specified.

Paul Hunt

PS. With the wheels in the air I wouldn't have expected there to be any noise from the rack as there is virtually no force or resitance comoing back from the wheels being on the ground. It could indicate a broken tooth or some other internal damage in the rack.
Paul Hunt

Paul's comment that the track rods inner ends are adjustable jogged my memory. I tried taking the play out of mine but then they were basically rigid. The end of the track ball had worn flat. The PO ran for a long time with split gaiters. I also think the housing bushing was worn out.
Robert McCoy

Check the steering rack mounting bolts. I've found them loose on more than one occasion.
BurgerCokeFries

This thread was discussed between 04/06/2008 and 06/06/2008

MG MGB Technical index

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