1971 MGB GT - Making the steering lighter - see page 41

[Peter C]

The MG's steering column was not aligned with the driver's seat and I was certain that this was because I had to set it up like this to enable correct alignment of the upper and lower steering columns, whilst fitting the replacement steering rack.

You can just about see in the photo that the left side of the steering wheel is closer to the driver than the right side.

This has been bugging me for months and today I decided to do something about it.

The alignment of the upper steering column can be adjusted both horizontally and vertically, by loosening two clamps. The process involves removing the centre UJ, re-aligning the steering rack by placing shims (washers) between the rack and the crossmember, fitting two plastic cones on the ends of the upper and lower steering columns where the UJ is usually located and adjusting the upper steering column to get the tips of the cones to align. It sounds complicated but is actually quite easy. I've described the process, with photos, sometime last year. 

I removed the UJ, loosened off the upper steering column clamps and loosened the fixings that secure the steering rack to the crossmember. I wiggled the steering wheel, hoping to align it back into a straight position only to discover that the range of adjustment is miniscule - no more than 5mm, if that.  Evidently, MGB steering columns extend into the cabin at an angle.

I secured the steering rack fixings, aligned the upper and lower steering columns, re-fitted the UJ and tightened up the upper steering column clamps, effectively putting everything back as it was before I started. I was no better or worse off but at least I knew that there was nothing I could do about the misalignment of the steering column. 

I went for a  test drive and everything seemed ok. The steering wheel was centred and the B drove just fine. Until, as I was nearing home and turned into a side road, there was an almighty bang from what felt like the offside front suspension. The B has never done this before. It sounded like metal on metal impact, maybe a spring breaking? I drove home very gingerly, then jacked up the front of the B and removed the front wheels.

There was no sign of any problems. The spring was intact, the droplink and antiroll bar were all fine, I couldn't see anything that could have caused that horrendous sound.

I can't see how loosening off and retightening the steering rack bolts would disturb anything and cause enough slack to allow sufficient movement that would cause any noises. 

I put the wheels back on and went for another drive. Everything was fine, no more noises. 

What had just happened? Answers on a postcard.

 

[Dj_efk]

??

 

[Matty]

On 07/05/2026 at 23:38, vtec-e said:

I had several manual 1300's back in the day and would get around 38-40 mpg (measured by brimming the tank) on a long journey and cruising about 60-65 mph. I also had an auto 1300 estate, but that struggled to get over 30 mpg.

@Peter C following you back around the M25 from Flower Festival 4, we were cruising along at 60-65 according to the Clio's speedo, with the MGB seemingly having plenty in reserve to speed up into a gap for overtaking. At one point we were in the outside lane (lane 4) doing 70 without any problems.

A fair point well made. In anything with a speedometer way past its first flush of youth, id always assume it of pesimism 😄

[colino]

With the suspension jacked up and  loosened off, did the spring wind itself out of its cup and then "pop" back into place?

[Peter C]

19 minutes ago, colino said:

With the suspension jacked up and  loosened off, did the spring wind itself out of its cup and then "pop" back into place?

That’s what I’m hoping for but those springs are in there pretty tight.

[Wibble]

I thought this too 🤞

[Peter C]

I went to the Enfield Pageant today. The autojumble gets worse every year, almost half the stalls are now non-automotive related. All I bought was four jubilee clips and a couple of spare fuel filters.

I did enjoy a skulk around the show cars and marvelled at the wonderful colours that some MGBs (and Cs) came in.

For a moment I thought I saw @HMC’s Roadster…

But he has better taste and wouldn’t be seen dead in an MGB with Minilites. @Wibble - agreed?

[Wibble]

Absolutely agreed mate!

[GeorgeB]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

 

For a moment I thought I saw @HMC’s Roadster…

But he has better taste and wouldn’t be seen dead in an MGB with Minilites. @Wibble - agreed?

HMC would never mount a boot rack the wrong way round.

[Peter C]

The GT is the practical ‘B.

[beko1987]

It's a shame they reacted so badly and warped or you could have washed them down and re-glued them down

Worth the expense of more fuel resilliant tiles or is it cheaper to just make sure that never happens again? 

[adw1977]

I bet that was an unpleasant journey with the smell of those in the back!

Even if they hadn't warped, I doubt you would ever get the smell out of them, also wouldn't they remain flammable unless you could someone soak the petrol out of them?

[Peter C]

20 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

It's a shame they reacted so badly and warped or you could have washed them down and re-glued them down

Worth the expense of more fuel resilliant tiles or is it cheaper to just make sure that never happens again? 

New replacement floor tiles and contact adhesive were delivered yesterday, total cost £120. There was no point in trying to salvage the damaged ones, I only want to do this job once.

[Peter C]

10 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

I bet that was an unpleasant journey with the smell of those in the back!

Even if they hadn't warped, I doubt you would ever get the smell out of them, also wouldn't they remain flammable unless you could someone soak the petrol out of them?

Correct on both counts.

Despite spending the last 72 hours outside, the tiles stunk of fuel. The garage is getting better but it will take a while for the smell to completely disappear.

[Tayne]

I don’t think this is what you’re aiming for but I thought you might like to see the interior detail.

 

[Peter C]

9 hours ago, Tayne said:

I don’t think this is what you’re aiming for but I thought you might like to see the interior detail.

 

I like the finish of the luggage area but the rest of the interior doesn’t do it for me, especially the installation of the modern head unit.

[RayMK]

17 hours ago, Tayne said:

I don’t think this is what you’re aiming for but I thought you might like to see the interior detail.

 

The workmanship looks neat. Not sure that the exhaust will survive for long unless driven on very smooth, flat surfaces with no luggage. 

[chadders]

39 minutes ago, RayMK said:

The workmanship looks neat. Not sure that the exhaust will survive for long unless driven on very smooth, flat surfaces with no luggage. 

Their reimagined version of the V8 is a bit over £200k.

I've bought a few bits from them for my MGB, very good quality and they work well albeit a bit pricey.

[Peter C]

I like it. 

Well done AI.

[MrBig]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

I like it. 

Well done AI.

Headlights aside, that looks great!

[Peter C]

On Sunday, I popped over to the Yattendon annual classic car show. Last year I took my W123 along but this year it was the MGB's turn to make an appearance. A friend of mine has an MGB Roadster and he's a member of the Newbury branch of MGOC. I was invited to join their group, which was good fun - I always enjoy chatting MGs.

Some old bomber plane did three fly-bys. Very cool.

@LightBulbFun

Is this the Supperleggera version of your AC?

I love old trucks. Just ask @Wibble

But this Series 1 E-Type Coupe was the star of the show for me.

I got excited about a Rover P4 that was up for sale for beer money but I decided it wasn't for me.

Today I took the MGB to Spencers Wood, to meet with a client who has had his 1965 MGB Roadster for 40 years. He did a nut and bolt restoration on it many years ago and it's still pretty mint. Puts my GT to shame!

In total, I've clocked up 129 miles in the past two days. 

I would like to say they have been all trouble-free, however when I got home I noticed an oil leak from the differential input shaft seal. Bollocks. I'm off on holiday on Thursday so the MGB will be left in the garage until I'm back and find time to sort the leak.

I'm still having problems with my right shoulder and the MGB's heavy steering isn't helping matters. I've done more research and a lot of people praise this mod:

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/en-gb/castor-correction-kit-cobalt-264--858?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22000034100&gbraid=0AAAAADquM1yeGQmgNunHuS-UQAToWq5Ts&gclid=Cj0KCQjwr4jSBhCSARIsAOX1E-J_VjfiZovWpryVpCoVBYE3n92RLn1BWlD2Rz4-d9U1lc0MADd3mVcaAvUVEALw_wcB

The trouble is, I don't want to pay £80 + p&p for a couple of metal wedges. The spare nuts that come with the kit aren't necessary and I have a set of washers, which are needed to re-align the steering rack to the front of the crossmember. 

The thickness of the wedges is 16mm and tapers down to zero. So, to keep costs down, I bought ten 3mm square washers.

5 x 3mm = 15mm, which is close enough to the 16mm thickness of the wedges.

Total cost £3.30 and I picked them up from a shop that was 3 minutes away from a property that I visited (for work) last Friday morning.

The washers, which will act as shims, need to be fitted between the front part of the subframe and chassis rails. The trouble is that whilst it is a piece of piss to remove the front bolts, to re-fit them, the suspension springs need to be removed and to remove the springs the suspension needs to be partially dismantled - a lot of faff. 

So, my plan is to cut (using a grinder) each washer like this:

And once the bolts are loosened and the subframe is lowered, the washers will slide into position. I will cut the two upper ones along the rear edge, to help the abutment between the washers and the underside of the chassis rails.

The idea is that by fitting these shims, the front of the subframe is rotated downwards, which changes the castor angle, which makes the steering a lot lighter. MGBs' front suspension is designed for cross-ply tyres, which is why the castor angle, which is not adjustable, is set how it is. 

There is a bit of a debate on some forums whether wedges are better than washers. The benefit of the wedges is that, theoretically, they retain a larger contact patch between the chassis rails and the subframe. However, that myth is dispelled by people who point out that the chassis rails and subframe are already separated by rubber bushes and therefore there is no benefit in fitting the wedges and paying extra ££.

To fit the washers, I will also need to remove the bolts that secure the steering rack to the front of the subframe and then re-fit it with shims (washers) once the subframe is installed at a slight angle. Then, I will need to adjust the alignment of the upper and lower sections of the steering column. 

All this sounds difficult but it's not. I've already replaced the subframe bushes so I know how to drop the subframe. I've also replaced the steering rack and I've adjusted the steering column alignment at least three or four times. 

More soon.

 

[LightBulbFun]

4 minutes ago, Peter C said:

Is this the Supperleggera version of your AC?

EJ6342 is a Murphy Auto Electric Carriage, aka the predecessor to the Nelco Solocar, (which was the last of the Open style electric Boneshakers) nothing directly to do with my Invacar, but it is an older Invalid Carriage  good to see it about the place still  

On 26/11/2020 at 22:48, LightBulbFun said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324392272933

another Solocar for sale! EJ6342 this time, 3rd one in about a year now! but this one is beige for extra shite points  (well I say Solocar, technically its an Auto-Electric carriage rather then a Solocar, but the Solocar was a face lifted Auto-Electric carriage)

it is one I have known about but was not quite sure who owned it etc, I remember it well because its one of the very few vehicles that dont show up in ANY of my 3rd party tools (must be something to do with how it was registered with the DVLA when its original reg was V765ed etc)

and it also had a news article written on it  https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=116823&headline=Readers offer details on 1930s invalid carriage&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2017 

its nice to see that its still in good shape, I hope it gets bought by someone who will continue to use it from time to time!

maybe @dollywobbler can buy it and return it to wales?

I love all the detail pictures in the listing, I have of course saved those to my computer for future reference and archival purposes  

 

On 25/08/2023 at 15:45, LightBulbFun said:

EJ6342 is a bit of a special onem I do wonder if/hope the chap who owns it, knows of its history  

https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/original-owner-of-invalid-carriage-found-98229

special in that its one of the few survivors out there that *have* a history and even a period photo, sadly many carriages dont have any known history at all

 

although thankfully far more then 4 Solocars survive! 

 

[Peter C]

The last two outings in the MGB have been hard work due to my inability to comfortably operate the steering wheel. The replacement, smaller steering wheel feels great but provides insufficient leverage. 

I liked seeing original steering wheels in MGBs at the various shows that I attended over the past couple of months. 

I've been thinking about reinstating the original steering wheel for a while now. Whilst I could live with the thin rim, I didn't like how much further the original steering wheel is positioned from my arms compared with the replacement, which is mounted on an aftermarket boss. 

For some reason, on the day of departure (we're going on holiday today) I decided it was the right time to take action. I popped out this morning and acquired a set of longer bolts to replace the ones that secure the steering wheel to the boss. I also made up a set of six sleeves from a piece of copper pipe kindly donated by a neighbour.

The replacement bolts are just under an inch and a half longer than the originals. 

I secured the steering wheel to the boss with the sleeves and new bolts. As there are six fixings, the connection is very strong - there is no risk of anything breaking.

The steering wheel spokes were a bit too rusty for my liking. Whilst I like patina, especially inside an old car, I don't like the idea of getting rusty marks all over my hands.

Out came the drill and wire wheel attachment. 

The result is very satisfying. I now have a rustic steering wheel that isn't covered in rust.

The centre cap (not a horn-push as the horn is operated via the indicator stalk) MG emblem was in very poor condition.

Out came the silver and red paint and I achieved as close to perfection as I could manage - I don't enjoy precision painting. 

And here it is, the original steering wheel re-fitted with a modified boss, which has brought the steering wheel forward towards the driver by approx one and a half inches. 

I like the way it looks and feels but I will have to wait to find out what difference it has made to the driving experience until I'm back from holiday as I really need to log off and start packing.

Beslama my friends.

 

[grogee]

9 minutes ago, Peter C said:

Beslama my friends.

 

Belvita to you too. 

Interestingly I've also been modifying my MG's steering wheel, though via means of an aftermarket wheel. By chance it sits closer to my body by maybe an inch or two. The downside is that it's a further finger stretch to the stalks, but the upside (as you have discovered) is more/better leverage for the unassisted steering. 

It is a wood rim so very out of keeping with the 80s FuTuR plastic vibe, but I don't care and I like holding it. I've also bought a wooden knob for that full organic palm feel. 

[GeorgeB]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

 

 

 

Eeeek!

[High Jetter]

17 minutes ago, GeorgeB said:

Eeeek!

Yeah, I did wonder initially about the use of copper pipe but, as said, each one is about 1.5" long, there are 6 of them, and a tube is strongest end-to-end. I would be keeping a careful eye on them over time for fatigue though - and how might a MOT tester react?

[Peter C]

The copper pipes are just sleeves, the steering wheel is attached to the boss with six robust bolts with threads that pass almost an inch into the boss. Nothing to worry about.

[Bmwdumptruck]

Being a plumber I’d guess that the copper sleeves will crush over time making the bolts loosen up.  You may find you’ll need to pinch them back up from time to time.  

[Jazoli]

1 minute ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

Being a plumber I’d guess that the copper sleeves will crush over time making the bolts loosen up.  You may find you’ll need to pinch them back up from time to time.  

Agreed, that is a proper bodge, why fuck about with safety critical components like that?

[Peter C]

2 minutes ago, Jazoli said:

Agreed, that is a proper bodge, why fuck about with safety critical components like that?

I promise you I’ll be fine.