Did you read the following from THE GENERAL FORUM?
Huge thanks to rich17865.
As title, many thanks to rich17865 for his marvellous HOW-TO on swapping the steering column and his advice that the much-reduced-price LHD column fits our RHD cars with slight modification.
I've had the car 12 years now and for over 11 the steering wheel has vibrated at tick-over on my CDT. Could never find anything wrong but last year replaced the hydramount with new. No improvement.
In the last 2 or 3 years I have also had knocks and rattles over certain road surfaces. Could find nothing wrong (neither could trusted MOT man) but swapped ARB drop-links. Also bought ARB bushes but did not fit them as there was no play what-so-ever and it looked very fiddly.
As I have decided to look for new car and promised this one to son-in-law, I decided to have another play and swapped the steering column which had only slight play in it. The play was not in the top bearing but the lower bush. The steering wheel now has no play at all, the tick-over vibration has gone and no rattles over certain road surfaces.
I am delighted as I have put up with these problems for years (now wondering whether to keep car).
The job went well apart from forcing my 16 stone 65 year old body under the dash board and brake pedal etc. Must admit to waking up a bit stiff and achy this morning. As Rich stated, the wheel and column markings don't line up perfectly. I have had to refit the steering wheel 3 splines anti-clockwise for the wheel to be level when driving straight. This I have marked with a centre punch.
Only test driven for about 5 miles so hope nothing changes. Assume original column fitted with excess play as vibration started at about 4000 miles from new, just after MG-Rover went belly-up.
Once again, many thanks to Rich whose HOW-TO gave me the confidence to tackle the job and more importantly the knowledge that LHD columns were available for £25 plus VAT.
Last edited by tourer; 15th June 2016 at 19:00
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