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MG MG Y Type - steering wheel fatigue

would be interested to know whether anyone else has experienced what could be a cautionary tale. My YB steering wheel has some cracking where the spokes join the rim. I found a spare one with similar cracking at Beaulieu and as it was quite good value I thought I would acquire it, have it recovered and then swop over. I sent it to Lancaster Vintage Spares but when they stripped the bakelite covering they found that the spokes were no longer joined to the rim so all that was holding the rim to the spokes was cracked bakelite... I have acquired a new wheel but thought I should pass this tip on.
G H Wilson

This is not uncommon - one of my spokes has parted company with the s/wheel rim so may have to be replaced or repaired soon - you are lucky if you can find an original replacement - s/wheel from other cars (Morris MO etc) fit but are a different colour- but a lot cheaper if you can find one. Possibly buy a new replacement one (who makes them?) but I think they are over £100 now.
David Mullen

The steering wheel from a Series Two Morris Minor will fit a Y Type. It looks virtually identical to the untrained eye, but there is no room for the indicator clockwork, only a horn push. The Morris Minor Centre sell new ones as well.

NC.
Neil Cairns

Just a bit of information, the gentleman ( Mr. Bill Ashburner ) who has an advertisement on the Y Register website under classifieds has two steering wheels. I saw them in a cupboard last Thursday when I collected a propshaft. I didn't see any detail condition. He is in Tring, Hertfordshire, see the ad.
Ted
Ted Gardner

All three of mine were cracked about 2-3mm open between the boss and the rim when I got the car.

I cleaned out the gaps and glued them with epoxy resin coloured with wood stain.

I've seen worse and so far have not been left with the rim alone in my hands.

Pray for me.
Michael Nicholson

Thanks for helpful advice. Am awaiting delivery new recovered wheel which hopefully will solve the problem. Incidentally Lancaster Vintage Spares told me the original mottled finish was obtained by injecting slightly different colours into the bakelite through three different places. The tooling to do that now would be prohibitive so unless one could find an original in good order mottling is no longer on. But perhaps the knowledge that the spokes are firmly attached to the rim is some consolation.
Regards
Geoffrey Wilson
G H Wilson

This thread was discussed between 04/12/2007 and 08/12/2007

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