[Zmagnette] Steering

Steve Hanegan steve at betterwitnesses.com
Sat May 31 11:26:03 MDT 2014 

Jon,

It depends on whether your car was built prior to car #15545 or after. The factory modified the steering rack at car #15545. MG used shims between the cast ears on the rack and the mounting brackets on the crossmember (Thick & Thin - early 186566 thick/186567 thick, late ACH6109 thick/ACH6108 thin) to ensure that when the rack was bolted up tight to the crossmember that the ears on the rack were not subjected to bending stresses to bridge the gaps created by manufacturing tolerances. For the early cars, they bolted the rack to the crossmember using HZS0507 (Zinc plated 5/16"-24 UNF x 7/8" long, threaded full length - technically referred to as "screws"), 5/16 lock washers (LWZ205) and 5/16'-24 hex nuts (FNZ105). The rack was a hard mount to the crossmember with no soft rubber shock isolating bushings.

Starting at car #15545, MG inserted some rubber shock isolating bushings into the mix (probably to address some vibration/ride quality issues). These bushings were very nicely replicated in Polyurethane by Ed Sweeney a couple of years ago, and may still be available on Ebay (or by contacting Ed directly). Ed now has two very lovely young daughters, so may not have had time to build up more sets! Lou and NTG both carry the standard rubber bushes, and it is rumored that the rocker box/valve cover bushes from an MGB are close. At this transition, MG went to longer bolts (HBZ0510 -  Zinc plated, 5/16"-24 UNF x 1.25 long - with a shoulder - hence "bolts" not "screws"), PWZ205 (zinc plated 5/16" ID Fender washers), a distance piece (ACH6093), the LWZ205 lock washers and FNZ105 nuts. The fastener/isolator stack was bolt, shoulder washer, bushing, crossmember mounting bracket, shims (as required) rack mounting ear, bushing, shoulder washer, lock washer and nut. The distance piece went over the bolt and inside the bushings, crossmember mount, shims and rack mounting ear. this distance piece was there to allow the nut to be fully tightened on the bolt without over-compressing the bushings. The bushings (ACH6092) were originally made out of rubber similar to that used as shock absorber mounting bushings. This assembly isolated any vibrations from the car/engine/crossmember from being transmitted to the rack and up to the driver's hands. The soft mounting also reduced the chance for the cast mounting ears on the rack to fracture because of shocks ("enthusiastic" use on less than optimal road surfaces...)

With their position directly under the front part of the oil pan, these rubber bushes get oiled pretty well in service (What?? MGs Leak oil??? surely you jest...) and oil/grit/road schmutz have a not very helpful effect on the life of the rubber bits, so they do tend to go away after a decade or so... This will give the rack a bit of wiggle room in relation to the crossmember and a less than secure feeling to the steering.

This assembly stack is illustrated in the Factory Parts Book (AKD 688) on pages 88 through 93. In case you don't have a parts book (Waaaay more helpful than the repair manual IMHO), Cecilia at Scarborough Faire (800/556-6300) has reprints for about the very best 50 bucks you could spend on your car. Alternately, you can hunt for an original on Flea-Bay or through one of the vintage book-sellers out there (books4cars.com, Vintagemotorbooks.com etc.) Barney Gaylord (mgaguru.com) as a very nifty BMC fastener decoder booklet that is a downloadable/printable .pdf file which will turn all of the Nuffield/BMC part numbers into standardized nomenclature that you can take to your favorite local fastener vendor.

As long as you are mucking about with the steering, I would strongly suggest that you take a look at your lower tie bar (ACG4022) where it mounts to the body. The arrangement of bushings that MG used here are a well known corrosion point. When (not if) the end of the tie bar rots away, the lower control arm becomes free to move fore and aft when the road wheel encounters rough spots on the road or under braking. This plays bloody hell with the handling and steering. The upper tie bar (going forward - ACH4001) also has the rust trapping bushes, but they are more protected from the elements and tend to rot out more slowly.

For a "belt and braces" approach, either of the bolts (HZS-0507 or HBZ--0510) can be replaced by Grade 8, though that is not absolutely necessary. At my fastener vendor, the difference between grade 3 (standard strength), grade 5 and grade 8 aircraft hardware is just pennies per fastener. This is strictly a matter of personal preference as MG felt that standard strength fasteners were well up to the task. This is also a fine place to use some anti-sieze between the shoulder of the bolt and the inside of the distance piece and with the treaded end under the nuts... you will be a hero to the next Magnette loving soul that has to renew this assembly! (may even be you if you keep the car long enough...)

Safety Fast!!

Steve H.

On May 30, 2014, at 4:31 PM, "Jon Marino" <jonnyprecious at comcast.net> wrote:

> Happy Friday, folks.
> 
> So my steering rack is missing a couple of bolts. The MGA parts catalog from
> Moss doesn't seem to have what is needed in these pictures (or else I am not
> looking hard enough, which can be entirely true). The larger hole is
> actually threaded. To manage, I think the previous owner(s) put regular ol'
> nuts and bolts to hold it all together on both sides. Steering is quite
> affected (jiggly), so I am wondering if any of you know what's supposed to
> go in there to secure everything. 
> 
> Best and peace out,
> 
> Jon
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Zmagnette [mailto:zmagnette-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of
> zmagnette-request at autox.team.net
> Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 9:38 AM
> To: zmagnette at autox.team.net
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>   1. Re: Test (charles durning)
>   2. Re: Test (jeffmgcar at aol.com)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 29 May 2014 11:27:07 -0500
> From: charles durning <durningcharles at gmail.com>
> To: List for the Z Magnette Group - North America
> 	<zmagnette at autox.team.net>
> Subject: Re: [Zmagnette] Test
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAF682mFRrpzyOZfhEFaXqVWT8qf83XrQrRcFh_n5NW2Gy5i79g at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> David,
> 
> we're good
> 
> Charlie Durning
> 
> If you are using Google or Gmail, Big Brother is watching.
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 10:41 AM, David Halliday <davidh at egopharm.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> Got it.
>> 
>> David
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On 29 May 2014, at 14:53, Steve Hanegan <steve at betterwitnesses.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Reading you loud and clear fearless leader!
>> 
>> Steve H
>> Spelling by iPad...
>> 
>> On May 29, 2014, at 6:28 AM, JEFF <jromans55 at msn.com> wrote:
>> 
>> *Clear & Present....Ready To Continue!*  Jeff Romans
>> 1958 ZB Magnette
>> 
>> ------------------------------
>> From: bachldrs at comcast.net
>> Date: Thu, 29 May 2014 07:38:49 -0400
>> To: zmagnette at autox.team.net
>> Subject: [Zmagnette] Test
>> 
>> If you get this, we're making some progress....
>> 
>> Allen
>> 
>> ******************************************************************
>> 
>> *Allen & Florrie Bachelder       =iii=<Spring Creek Home for Wayward MGs*
>> *'57 ZB, '65 B, '69 C/GT, '73 B/GT*
>> *North Street, MI 48049, USA*
>> *http://www.mgexperience.net/member/bachldrs
>> <http://www.mgexperience.net/member/bachldrs>*
>> *NAMGAR GT39 - REGISTER TODAY!*
>> 
>> *http://www.namgar.com/events/article/gt-39_ottawa_ontario/gt-39_get_r
>> eady_for_a_whole_lot_of_fun
>> <http://www.namgar.com/events/article/gt-39_ottawa_ontario/gt-39_get_r
>> eady_for_a_whole_lot_of_fun>*
>> 
>> **********************************************************************
>> **************************************************
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> ------------------------------
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> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:29:10 -0400 (EDT)
> From: jeffmgcar at aol.com
> To: zmagnette at autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: [Zmagnette] Test
> Message-ID: <8D1497240A59C3A-1D10-346CA at webmail-va043.sysops.aol.com>
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> Got it Allen
> 
> 
> Jeff Becker
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Allen Bachelder <bachldrs at comcast.net>
> To: List for the Z Magnette Group - North America <zmagnette at autox.team.net>
> Sent: Thu, May 29, 2014 5:38 am
> Subject: [Zmagnette] Test
> 
> 
> If you get this, we're making some progress....
> 
> 
> Allen
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ****************************************************************
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Allen & Florrie Bachelder       =iii=<
> Spring Creek Home for Wayward MGs
> '57 ZB, '65 B, '69 C/GT, '73 B/GT
> North Street, MI 48049, USA
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.mgexperience.net/member/bachldrs
> NAMGAR GT39 - REGISTER TODAY!
> http://www.namgar.com/events/article/gt-39_ottawa_ontario/gt-39_get_ready_fo
> r_a_whole_lot_of_fun
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ****************************************************************************
> ******************************************
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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