Steering Wheel shake

[My77b]

I have a 77 MGB, and I have changed bushings, ball joints, new shocks, replaced swivel axles, and I still have a slight shake to in the steering wheel, Do I need to change the steering rack???

Glenn

[Steve Simmons]

More than likely you have one of two things happening...

1) One or more wheels are out of balance

2) You have feathering or other uneven wear of the front tires.

The first thing I would do is rotate the tires from front to rear on each side. If the shimmy changes at all, then at least part of the problem is in the wheels or tires. At that point take the car to a tire shop and have the wheels balanced.

Sometimes a wheel can be damaged from an impact or even from long-term normal use, rendering it impossible to balance. I this is the case, repair is sometimes possible but it's probably best to replace, or in the case of wire wheels perhaps rebuild.

[My77b]

Steve,

First , Thanks for advice,

I have moved wheels around and shake is still there, Tires have even wear. It has about an inch of play left to right in the steering wheel before it effects the steering.

Oh yes, these are Rostyle wheels

Glenn

[Steve Simmons]

You're saying there is an inch of play in the steering wheel before it feels like the steering gear engages? That can't be good! Check the steering U-joint for play, although I doubt you could get that much play from it. Next thing I would do is raise the front of the car (disclaimer: use jack stands), slide under there and turn the steering column back and forth while holding one hand on a tie rod. If the column moves but the tie rod doesn't, and you feel it "clunk" as the gear engages, then the steering rack needs to be serviced.

I would consider pulling the rack and rebuilding, but if you don't want to get into that then consider at least pulling the rack boots back to inspect the rack for wear or other problems. Make sure the oil is reasonably clean with no metal bits. Refill with fresh oil. Next, move on to the pre-load shims. Get these adjusted according to the service manual to eliminate as much play as possible without creating excess drag. Hopefully this will cure the problem.

If you want to see a rack disassembled, I'm in the middle of a rebuild on my '65 B. I plan to put it back together sometime next week.

EDIT: One more thing I thought of. Grab onto the steering shaft where it enters the rack assembly and see if there is a lot of play. If so, the bushing is worn out and needs to be replaced. Do the same for each end of the rack. The boots will have to be off or pulled back to check this.

[My77b]

I will try this evening to see if there is any play

Thanks
Glenn