Castor correction kit

[Gordon Craigs]

Has anyone tried these kits, either the wedges or the spacers? If so how successful were they, did they reduce the effort required to turn the steering wheel and/or improve handling?

[Peter Cresswell]

I've fitted the B&G kit which uses spacers, and it has reduced the steering effort by about 50%. It is still not light compared to a modern car, but is better. I use 185/70 x 14 tyres on 5.5" wheels.

The key to getting the lightness is to take your time realigning the mast from the rack pinnion to the steering column so that they are in line before the universal joint is reattached. It is a bit fiddly to do this but well worth the effort. As the cross member is tilted down at the front by the new spacers, the mast moves up and out of alignment. Shims are provided in the kit to correct this by tilting the rack in the opposite direction and are usually sufficient to correct the angles. The downside of the spacers kit is removing the bolts that are inside the crossmember, as a lot of the suspension on both sides has to be removed to get access. You don't need to removed the rear bolts (studs) as by doing so the cross member will be harder to reattach. It will also help to get new studs (the nuts are part of the kit) as mine were quite corroded.
The instructions advise that the rack mounts are inspected for cracks at the same time.

[Thomas Becks]

What’s about high speed driving? Is the roadholding acceptable or is it more “sensible” than the original setting?

[Peter Cresswell]

The reason for reducing the castor is modern radial tyres have a much smaller slip angle than the crossplys and early radials the B was orginally designed and set up for, and consequently the steering becomes very heavy with modern radials and more so when wider tyres (185/70 x 14) are fitted. Many modern cars have high castor angles - look at a BMW or Mercedes when parked on full lock and the front wheels will have a lot of negative camber on the outside of the turn and a lot of positive camber on the inside. The MGB is 7degrees and BMW and Mercedes in particular run much more castor. Also the caster angle is additive to the camber angle when going onto steering lock. It is possible to drive cars with high castor angles because of the power steering, but try moving a modern car without the engine running and the steering is incredibly heavy so much so that people report the steering seizes up if the engine cuts out.
So reducing the castor to about 4 degrees lightens the steering effort and makes the car 'feel' more modern. It also means that less effort has to put into the steering to make a change of direction, as the car is more responsive to direction changes. The effect at high speed is it still tracks in a straight line as the toe in remains the same, (it needs to be adjusted after fitting the kit). In fact the faster you drive the lighter the steering input but never overly so, and doesn't lack the feel that power steering gives. It is a lot, lot cheaper than fitting a power steering kit too!

[Thomas Becks]

Thank you Peter for your brilliant explanation.

[Gordon Craigs]

Thanks for your response Peter. Now to decide which type!

[Jim Haines]

Just read this post - late, but hope this helps.
A number of years ago I fitted Aluminium Castor Wedges which were then marketed by Frontline Developments of Bath, and which have the effect of tipping the crossmember by 3 degrees. At the same time I fitted a new - 14" - steering wheel and I have to say the overall effect is good, and worth the relatively low cost involved.
Hope you have the same benefits.

[Peter Cresswell]

Jim Haines wrote:
> Just read this post - late, but hope this helps.
> A number of years ago I fitted Aluminium Castor Wedges which were then
> marketed by Frontline Developments of Bath, and which have the effect of
> tipping the crossmember by 3 degrees. At the same time I fitted a new -
> 14" - steering wheel and I have to say the overall effect is good, and
> worth the relatively low cost involved.
> Hope you have the same benefits.

Frontline still offer the wedge kit at 74.95 + vat. This is probably easier to fit than the B&G kit (where you have to replace the pads the cross-member sits on), but costs more than twice as much. I was doing more work on the front suspension so I fitted my B&G kit at the same time as I had the cross-member off the car. Make sure with both kits you have the steering column and pinion mast lined up correctly. You will find separate post by me asking about the gauges Moss sell to help with lining them up.

[Jim Haines]

I have read your response to my post, and feel I should make you aware that fitting instructions for the kit we used, and which we followed at the time of installation, make no mention of any need for any gauges etc., only stating that the tracking/toe in should be checked after completing the installation.
I still have these instructions if anybody would like to see them.
Having driven the car quite a few miles since this was done - a few years ago now - I do not believe there is anything amiss from not using the gauges you have referred to
Yes - it could be said that the price was not cheap for what is essentially only 2 cast aluminium
tapered wedges but I guess I got the benefit of their knowledge and, hopefully, simplified method of installation.

[Jim Haines]

May I please add something I had omitted from my earlier post.
The one thing I now do which is perhaps different to accepted advice is to run my tyres harder than the handbooks state. I like to drive my car 'briskly', and I find the best response all round since I fitted the castor correction kit and the modern shocks comes from front tyres being around 27 psi, with the rears around 23/24.
I have heard lots of people talk about body roll and scuttle shake etc., but my car simply doesn't suffer from these phenomena and I wonder if this is as a result of the good work done by Paul Roach and his team when they rebuilt it as well as the types and condition of my tyres......