23-10-2017, 07:47 PM
(23-10-2017, 10:04 AM)Michael Wrote: Here's a question...about steering play as opposed to tightness.
From years gone by I have a vague memory of the MOT allowing as much as 1.5 inches play at the steering wheel, mostly confined to the box. Seemed a bit arbitrary at the time and enforcement was dependant on the tester.
Does this tie in with current thinking? It seems quite a lot but I suppose we have got used to the zero play found in modern cars.
The UK MOT criteria for a steering box is a maximum of 3" free play at the rim of a 16" steering wheel (actually, the metric equivalent). That is a lot!! I aim for 1/2" which is roughly the distance between a pair of finger grips on the back of the wheel. You can get to zero play with work but it makes the thing all but undrivable in a straight line. Only did that once, never again!!
Steve