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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - steering wheel boss spline.

Hi All.

As part of the current rebuild of my racer I am replacing the solid steering column with a collapsible one for safety. Of course the steering wheel splines are a different size! Can someone tell me what years the collapsible column was used and if they were all the same so I can order a new boss. Thanks.
Mark.



Mark Lister

Further to the last, the steering column I'm using has a bent metal top mount and a large flange at the bottom end of the tube rather than the cast aluminium top mount and no flange of the solid one.
M.
Mark Lister

It also has a smaller spline.
Mark Lister

Anybody ?

According to Moss the collapsible column was post 72 in the UK. They don't know if the steering wheel splines are all the same though.
Mark Lister

I'm surprised the other racers haven't replied especially the ones that also sell parts - perhaps they don't want to have another competitor :)

according to Terry Horler's book Original Sprite & Midget The Restorer’s Guide –
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1906133336

the (UK) collapsible steering column came in with the RWA cars at GAN5-105501 (Oct '71)

GAN5-114588 (LHD), GAN5-114643 (RHD) (Feb '72) Triumph steering rack comes in

GAN6-170990 (Dec '75) RHD steering column and toeboard seal changed

this and looking at the reprint of the factory Parts Catalogue - Ref: 0016 - http://www.mgocshop.co.uk/catalog/Online_Catalogue_Parts_Lists_3.html

I could be wrong of course but it looks like to me if the (UK) spines changed it would have been at GAN5-105501 with the (UK) collapsible steering column

HTH
Nigel Atkins

most racers aren't anoraks Nigel ;-)
When I did mine I just grabbed a collapsible column and hunted around until I found a boss that fitted and had the same hole pattern to fit the small suede racy steering wheel to it.
David Smith


This is from Mountney's application list, if it helps...


Dave O'Neill2

consider it as a concourse question then David ;)

with the Mountney boss chart it may be more of a case of matching the boss to their steering wheel design and fixings - or I could be wrong about that
Nigel Atkins

Thanks to all for your help. It looks like an MB037 assuming there were no changes to the spline size post Oct 71

M.



Mark Lister

Mark

Regarding your second post, you still need the cast alloy top mount with the bent bracket.

Dave O'Neill2

in case the new shaft doesn't have a nut, be aware that the different coumns have different size nuts.
HALL JOHN

Dave and John. Yes thanks both - I have a full compliment of nuts and on further inspection of the Moss site I had noted the alloy bracket used as well as the bent metal - not sure what the bent metal adds to the party though.

Mark Lister

This thread was discussed between 13/01/2014 and 17/01/2014

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