Hey guys,

Long time no post! Havnt driven the little beast out much lately, ive got to work on a few things before hand. One of them being the steering column (im assuming thats its name, but if not, im talking about the column running from the steering wheel to the cars interior floor).

The base of the steering column came loose after the teeth wore completely down, thankfully as I was turning into a carpark (and not doing 80km/h through the hills)! I happened to have a replacement sitting at home, so fitted it in the carpark to get the beast home! Win!

Anyway, its a good few inches longer (so the steering wheel sits higher) . But god dammit, I liked the old one. It was perfect for cruising.

Are there different types of steering columns, or was my original one shortened? I can get photos/measurements later.

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Cheers, Ben

- 1974 Leyland Mini S

Mk1 coloums, up to late 68ish are longer than mini k,mk2 & clubman coloums

Doogie

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I won Hay once, here's the pic to prove it..


Hay, it's not about the car, it's not about the venue, it's about the people that come here. Peter Dwyer, Mayor of Hay NSW.

default two diffident length of Columns. Wifes daily drive is easly longer than mine in the van. Its the Clubby that is Longer

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

Hrrrm, conflicting info. Is there a third opinion?

When I stripped the splines of my Moke's column I just took it to the parts shop and asked for a direct replacement so I ddn't get much info from the guy at the shop.

Miagi,
You don't need to worry about losing the column splines at 80km/hr - when you're steering at low speeds more torque from your arms is required to turn the wheels. Therefore if you have weak teeth in the spline of your column, this is when they'll fail - not when you're applying very little torque to the steering wheel at higher speeds.

hmmm, diff length columns?

wish i'd known that when figuring out where to place my seat mounts.

anyone got the measures of diff columns?

i like my flat wheel but was thinking of a dished to get the wheel a bit closer, maybe there's a longer column i can try???

is an 1100 column any good? we put one in a minor a few years back to get self cancelling indicators.... they may be another length again???

Just keep driving down the freeway, it will be ok as long as you don't try to park it. Great advice!
It will fail eventually. It may end up failing at speed. Don't risk it.
There is a member of this forum that has a bad limp as a result of a column failing at speed.

That's not what I said Morris.

I was suggesting that, once replaced, there's no need to worry about it failing at high speed.

Given the steering column splines are not the sort of thing which people check regularly it is most likely that it will come as a surprise when they fail - thus it's not something you can plan for.

If you'd read the original post you'd see the OP's column was already broken and was being replaced.

from memory there is about 5 differnt length columns -->(if you count the moke ones)

& yeah i think mokes are the shortest,,, then MK2/K type,,, then 850/deluxe(early),,, & then Leyland mini ones

But that`s just from memory

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Funny, I quoted what you said and now you say it is not what you said. You really need to read what you post.

Yes you quoted me verbatim and still managed not to understand what was being said.

I read it the same way M1100 did.

If you mean to say something a particular way, please write it that way and not in a way that contradicts the intent.

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You're only supposed to blow the BLUDDY DOORS OFF!!

MMmmm! Sounds good in theory, but there are lots of variables here. The teeth are usually damaged by a loose clamp over time. Sudden movements at 80km/h to dodge a pothole could provoke failure. We also have to remember that the stripped column has now been replaced with a secondhand one too. Perhaps it is just a good reminder to check the tightness of the clamp on our cars and if loose (perhaps consider removing and checking the spline on the rack and column and if building a car, check prior to fitting.

/*head desk*/

Look, from the outset we know his column is already broken and he needs to replace it. Therefore I was not saying he should just bodge it and ignore it; which was M1100's misinterpretation.

Mr Miagi expressed a concern that it could happen at 80km/hr "on the hills".

All I said was that he needn't worry because a high-torque use of an ailing spline was going to break it before a low-torque use. Therefore, there's no need--once the column has been replaced--to drive around worrying about it.

If it wasn't spelt out enough for you to comprehend in the first place, perhaps you should read the original post once or twice before you start running your mouth off.

If you still don't understand the point I'm trying to make, I am happy to spell it out for you in a PM.

Periodic checking of the lower clamp is probably a very good idea, yes.

Backpedalling is getting you nowhere.
I reread the OP and your post in question. Your wording is up the sh!t.

End of story.

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You're only supposed to blow the BLUDDY DOORS OFF!!