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MG TD TF 1500 - TD Steering Rack

Can anyone confirm if this is a TD steering rack & pinion? It was recently advertised here for sale. One of the few items I've not touched on my car is the steering, so here I'm clueless. Though I guess it would be very difficult to tell from the pic but would anyone familiar with TD steering care to express an opinion as to the condition of both the rack & pinion & some idea of what the pair may be worth? Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Hello Peter - Looks to be correct but hard to tell condition from picture. Why are you replacing/repairing yours, is it broken or have a problem? Maybe it just needs to be serviced and some TLC. Tell the group about it maybe! FOG
FOG Frank

Peter

From experience you need to view close up photos of the teeth on both rack and pinion to determine condition.

Sorry I haven't got a photo to upload, but 5 or 6 teeth on my rack and all teeth on the pinion were worn down to a sharp point in lieu of the flat outer edge. I believe this was the result of putting grease in the steering box in lieu of oil. I ended up replacing mine with a modified MGY rack and pinion (extended).

Remember LHD and RHD cars have different rack & pinions.

How much movement do you have in your steering wheel before the rack moves?

Stuart
Stuart Duncan 1953 TD

It looks like the one that is in my 52 TD. I took it apart and it was in good condition. The ninth tooth from the right in the picture looks odd. It may be the photo but there is something not right about it. Also, the teeth on the far left end look sharper and deeper than the ones on the far right side. On the bottom side (side against the table) there will be a worn spot where the steering damper rides against the shaft. The depth of the worn spot would tell you a lot about the shaft's condition and maintenance history. A new steering rack here in the US is about $250. I would think the rack and pinion would sell for about $75 to $100 in good condition. They don't appear to be available here.

Tim
TD12524
TW Burchfield

FOG & Stuart, mine is ok, nice & tight but I figured they would not be easy to come by so perhaps I should buy it & set it aside. (I have 3 blocks, three heads, two complete diffs & housings & 2 gearboxes, just in case..) Tim I'll ask the seller for more detailed information & close up pics especially of the areas you & Stuart mentioned. Anyone able to tell if it's LHD or RHD? I'm guessing the latter as it's here in Oz & the teeth on the rack are on the left. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter - IMHO, if yours isn't a problem and tight without any play, why spend the money. My guess is if you take care of what you have now it will last. It's your money, spend it how you wish. I too have bought parts thinking they will not be available anymore, you see them everyday, many are NOS (Moss circa 1990 <grin>). FOG
FOG Frank

Peter - attached is a photo showing LHD & RHD steering racks and pinions.
The next post will show the wear I found on my Rack & Pinion when I dismantled the steering.
Stuart


Stuart Duncan 1953 TD

The wear I found on my Rack & Pinion when I dismantled the steering.

I should have photographed the R & P on a white clothe.

All teeth on the pinion are worn, but only 4-6 teeth on rack are worn.

Stuart


Stuart Duncan 1953 TD

Thanks Stuart. Really useful pics. I'll add them to my collection. Just for clarification which is the RHD rack? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter
my first photo has "LHD" and "RHD" (sorry about small font size, but that is the largest I could do in Paint) between the respective racks and pinions.

The worn parts are RHD

Attached is another photo showing both R&P set ups as they would sit in a car. RHD is on top.
Stuart


Stuart Duncan 1953 TD

Thanks Stuart. I missed that. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 12/10/2015 and 16/10/2015

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