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MG MGB Technical - steering

One thing I will tackle next is the hard steering issue when making a right turn. I have to really yank hard on the wheel to avoid going way out when making a right. the left turns are alot easier and feel ok. Im thinking tie rods but they have no play when pr bared so can it be the king pins? Any thoughts on what to look at first? thanks, Doug
dd doug46chief

What is the steering like to turn with both front wheels off the ground?
Ian Buckley

Yes, Ian is right. Jack up under the cross member and try the steering unloaded. It should be smooth and easy to turn from lock to lock.
Mike Howlett

Greasing the kingpins is always good. They can never have too much nice clean grease. After a couple of pumps of a grease gun, there should be a mushroom of grease coming out of the mating faces.

If this doesn't change anything, I would try splitting the balljoints. You will then be able to feel where the stiffness is coming from. Of course, if there is then no stiffness to be felt, it will probably be one of the balljoints getting rusted up.
Mike Standring

I will try jacking the mg up today, thanks Doug
dd doug46chief

Since both ball joints and king-pins swivel the same amount regardless of whether you are turning right or left they would have to be binding on half their travel to affect just one direction of turn. Could be rack or bent column (a pal has BT, DT) or a combination of things, raising the front wheels off the ground and trying then is definitely the way to go. It should spin from lock to lock with a finger-tip, but don't bang it onto the locks. Grease the king-pins while the wheels are off the ground.
PaulH Solihull

The inner ball joints on the rack wear most around the straight ahead position, when they are reconditioned this wear is adjusted out which then makes lock stiff. But as Paul says you would think it would be the same on both locks.........BUT???
It's definitely worth peeling back the gaiters and greasing these inner ball joints, they are pretty well starved of lubrication anyway.#
The rack also wears more in the middle and if isn't centered it could get tighter on one lock more than the other. Look at the track rod threads to see if it is centered. Unless it's a new rack it will be worn and re-cons are a compromise adjustment.....a bit slack in the middle and tight on lock. If you take the top cap off to release the pre=load, then do the jack test, that should point you in the right direction.
Allan Reeling

OK , I put it up with the wheels off the ground and it turns in both directions with ease and no binding at all. I also greased it while up. We lowered her down and straight edged the toe and its ok however the camber is way off on the left front .We did this check by putting a straight edge across the center of the tire and a level against it. The pas side is almost perfect but the driver side is way way off. This i think explains the muscle needed to turn right. I guess my question is how do u adjust the camber? Is there an adjustment or is it a bad king pin on that side.? thanks , DOUG
dd doug46chief

You might want to inspect the lower A arms for ovaling around the lower kingpin through bolt. This can introduce unwanted camber into your steering geometry. RAY
rjm RAY

There is no camber adjustment, so if it is way out there must be damage to some of the components, or they have been assembled incorrectly somehow.
Mike Howlett

since i cant find anyone in staten island ny to work on the front end,how difficult is it to replace the king pins with the sets offered on ebay for both sides? Are there any bushings needing reaming on the uprights or spindles before installing the kingpins? thanks DOUG
dd doug46chief

Doug, I'll do it for the price of a flight and two weeks accommodation! I'll even bring the reamer with me....
Best to get a pre-assembled stub axle with pins fitted and bushes reamed. It then becomes a "simple" spanner job. Easy to do but you will need new bolts, (most likely) thrust washers and top bushes. You might as well change the inner wishbone bushes while you have it stripped down.

MGmike
M McAndrew

A bit obvious I know but what's the ride height on the drivers side and I assume you are talking about excess negative camber. If the spring has collapsed or broken that will alter the camber, as will disintegrated wishbone bushes.
Allan Reeling

mg mike love to have U fly over the pond but alas i am now broke. Thanks i did find those assembled swival axles all done up and was going to replace all the bushings with poly bushns/ Allan a bit obvious to u but i didnt think of that being the cause but that makes sense, I will check it,if its that its a cheaper fix. thanks , DOUG
dd doug46chief

This thread was discussed between 14/02/2012 and 16/02/2012

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