MG Car Repair: 75 midget steering column, upper shaft, slide hammer

Question
On my initial test drive after rebuilding my 75 MG Midget the steering wheel is cocked to the right about 15 degrees.  I tried to pull the wheel with the "double hammer" method and a puller without any success, so I decided to live with it.  Then I noticed the steering wheel hub was up against the column housing and made the wheel difficult to turn.  I found the metal mesh around the column was splayed out so I brought it back in with a hose clamp to no avail.  Has the column collapsed and needs to be replaced or can I pull it back out the 1/4 inch it needs to get it off the column housing?  I have dreamed up a puller that resembles a dimple puller used in  body work.  Would something like that be useful?

Answer
Hi Patrick,

The steering column mesh is there so it will compress in an accident. The steering shaft itself is a two piece unit that will telescope in case of an accident.

First look at the column mounting bolts under the dash. You will note that they are mounted in slotted adapters also so that in the event of a crash they will move.

If your steering wheel is fouling either someone has been hammering on the column or the car has been in an accident and the the whole system has been compressed. To relieve a little forward pressure (depending on haw far it is forward) you can just make an adapter for a slide hammer and attach it to the steering shaft (with the steering wheel off) and use the slide hammer to pull the steering shaft out a little. On the MGB models the lower shaft and the upper shaft are held in place with a pressure bolt. I don't remember if there was one on the Midget too, so you can look. Follow the lower shaft where it is attached to the steering rack up until you see it go into the sleeve of the upper shaft and look to see if there is a pinch bolt there. If so loosen it and use the slide hammer to pull the shaft out a little.

Even if it were in an accident the whole column can be removed from the car and usually corrected without replacing all of it.  

I don't see how this can have anything to do with the wheel off to the right by 15 degrees though so you definitely need to look at the mounting bolts under the dash.

Howard