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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Bonnet Alignment query

Hi All,
1972 Mk 3 1275 midget
A very quick query if I may?
I've eventually gotten round to sorting this problem out.
My bonnet is slightly high on the offside rear position i.e. nearest to the windscreen.
I have read that if I remove the bonnet retaining screws and put a washer under the REAR of the bonnet lifting hinge thingy, this will sort this out....or have I got it totally wrong?
Would I need to do it to the N/s as well or is my car "just" out on the o/s
I've got washers ranging from usual size thickness up to 3 mm thickness..is it purely a trial and error thing ? Any suggestions?
BTW, Still can't get my head round the "adding washers " lowers the height , but cleverer people than me on this board say it works!
Any thoughts chaps?
Cheers & thanks
colin
colin frowen

After years of trying one thing after the other, I found that the problem was distorted hinges. I could not correct this with washers, and had to cut the hinges enough to bend them, until the bonnet fitted properly. I then welded up the cuts.
Les Rose

I have done it with the washer method on both frogeye and later style bonnets. The way to think of this relates to the arc the hinge moves through to allow the bonnet to come to rest in its closed position. Exagerated, if the washers went at the front of the hinge, then the "heel" of the hinge, nearest the scuttle, would still be relatively pointing skywards when the front of the bonnet was at its correct level in relation to the slam panel. ( 0r on the front chassis legs for a Frog). So do the opposite: put the washers at the back and as the bonnet closes the hinge moves through its arc and rotates that bit further before the bonnet leading edge comes to a halt and therefore the rear edge drops down a little.

Exceedingly difficult to put into words!
GuyW

This thread was discussed on 18/08/2022

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