Front end question

The front end of my 77b has given me concern. When I drove it home for the first time last fall I noticed that the front end steering is difficult to turn the slower I went. (The weather here is too cold to work on the b without a heated garage) It hasn't been inspected since '98 and the PO just drove it around the block once a week. When I got it home I jacked it up and visually looked at the front end. I seen that the steering rack boots are deteriorated and no visible oil/grease anywhere on the rack. While it was up in the air, I turned the wheels back and forth and they moved very smoothly with little effort. But on the ground, it feels like steering an old Mack truck without power steering. I checked tierod and kingpin play by grabbing the tire and moving it up and down an left to right and it has very minimal play/movement.
I plan on changing out the steering rack if needed with a new one. Should I be looking further into the kingpins, bushings, etc. or will changing out the steering rack cure my problem, or at least help.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Comment: I love this site for the people and the information on these wonderful little cars.

"While it was up in the air, I turned the wheels back and forth and they moved very smoothly with little effort."


doubt the rack is the problem...how much air in tires? Grease the king pins and put 28-30psi in tires and try that.

Tires were checked for proper air and all grease fittings greased.

check the toe then.........

Put new boots on ASAP to prevent any further damage to the rack. This article is in the library and might be of some help http://www.mgexperience.net/article/steering-rack-service.html

A smaller after market steering wheel and/or larger width tires wil make it feel like a truck at low speeds. The camber adjustment modification can help this but is a lot of work. I just go faster- not really, but my steering heaviness is also noticeable in todays world of power steering.

My first thought was same as Loyds. R U sure there is aie in the tires? Try putting a few pounds more in them.

You need to replace the rack boots and fill with lube. Then grease all the fittings, and check tire pressures. As others have said with 185s or wider they can be a bit tough to steer at parking speeds.
Bill

Without proper lubrication, the steering will always be heavier than it should be. You need to replace the boots and refill the steering rack with oil. While you're at it, grease all the fittings on the suspension and steering.

Your steering will always be heavier the slower you go because there is more friction while the wheel isn't turning as fast. This was the main reason power steering was invented for trucks and large cars.

Martin; also suggest checking the condition of the knuckle joint in the steering column where lower section attaches to the upper section near the firewall. Had mine finally go bad last year and once replaced steering was much better. The u.joint just dried out and steering was becoming progressively stiffer or knotchy feeling. Proper alignment/angle upon reinstall is critical, so be well informed on how to do properly if you decide you need to replace.