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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - LSD / EN24 halfshafts

Hi,

I am still working on my RWA midget which is going to be approx 180 bhp / 160 lbs.ft. 'Sticky' road tyres, std weight.

It's use will be road / track day / maybe the odd visit to the strip.

I am still mulling Sierra Cosworth viscous LSD / IRS route versus using my std back axle with Peter May EN24 halfshafts and an ATB / Plate LSD.

My question: The Peter May / LSD route is going to end up costing circa £1000 but has the advantage of being a very straight forward and a quick conversion. The IRS conversion will be half that in terms of cost but I know I will end up spending 6 months longer creating it!

Has anyone broken or heard of anyone else breaking the Peter May / LSD parts at this kind of power / torque levels?

Cheers
S Deakin

go for the IRS!
You're right about the cost of an uprated back axle (you'll prolly end up with double hub bearings too), I couldn't face doing it - and you're still on cart springs and the end of it.

Look at this old auction 330294477122 on ebay. Complete set of new wishbones and uprights. All you need is to get some propshafts made and you're set.

Once the V8 is finished and running, and the other projects are out of the way, those parts could make their way into my garage!

Matt
Tarquin

S Deakin,

Opinions, opinions, Is there anybody out there without one???

Not me I got an opinion, LOL

I looked into this as well, and frankly you can build a really nice rear end that will be bullet proof, high performance, and at a great price at the level of performance your talking Im not sure the peter may shafts will hold up...you are right on the cusp. Agian just MHOP

I really think your money and time ahead building a dana 9" rearend, or something simalar, Im not sure what you guys have over there...But Id look for something with a straight solid axle case, lots of gearing choics, built in lsd, disk brakes (why not if there there already), then just send the whole lump out to moasers...(sorry not sure of the spelling), then just hook up some new AVO fully adjustable tube shocks a panhard rod, and some anti-tramp bars I just wouldnt skip on high end performance to save 2 months of time

Thats just my opinion...its worth at least $6000, but that to is just my opinion...LOL

prop
Prop

I'm still working on the Ford axle conversion as in Anita's Atlantis. I have Jig made and one axle in prototype build at this very moment. This allows for Ford Diffs which have a very wide range of ratios, a good choice of LSDs and strong half shafts. I'm hoping to offer a 'Bolt in Kit' with an Anglia axle in P/x.

Mark.
Mark T. Boldry

Prop,

Given all that work I would consider something better than a Panhard rod as it suffers from asymmetry in its behaviour, go for a Watts or Mumford linkage.
David Billington

David,

Agreed!!! a watts would be nice, I must have been thinking about my own set up....Im not sure Id trust myself to make a Watts, at that point with the RX7, I might acciedntly make an O'sh*ts system LOL.

prop
Prop

I managed to snap the end off a PM halfshaft with an MGOC 'roadgoing' spec 1340, but I think it was more due to a worn bearing than the power output!
Dave O'Neill 2

Thanks for the feedback

My gut feeling was that I should bite the bullet and go for the IRS and the comments so far seem to support this.

I am working on something similar for another project so I guess I need a narrower version for the Midget as well!

The biggest thing to sort out is the manufacture of the very short drive shafts - Midgets really are narrow!

Can anyone recommend any drive shaft machining people that won't cost a fortune

Matt, interesting ebay link - my plan is either utilizing the rear wishbones from an MX5 or making some with similar geometry if the std MX5 ones don't package under the Midget

Here's the rear diff I have been working on for the other project, 3.62 LSD 7" Cosworth unit

Cheers


S Deakin

Stuart Gunn used shortened Cossie drive shafts on the V8 4WD SuperMidget.

He had to open the pot joints to fit the shortened shafts, I know, but I think he just reclosed the covers and may have welded the canisters closed again.

We expect Stu will be with us on the Brum Tunnels Run, why not pop along, join in and ask Stu how he did it

He is a very interesting bloke and not afraid to answer questions of the "howdya do that?" variety


Bill

This thread was discussed between 29/12/2008 and 31/12/2008

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