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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Steering Arms

Can anyone tell me the difference between the steering arms for early midgets, and the later ones ( AHA9957 and AHA9958 )please ?

Cheers.

Myles
M W Sutherland

AHA9957 and AHA9958 are right and left, late type.

The early ones are BTA648 and 649.

The difference is in the size of the hole for the track rod end.

Early type are used with the Morris minor derived steering rack and the late type with the Triumph rack.

The steering arms are only interchangeable if used with the corresponding rack and mounting brackets.
Dave O'Neill 2

...and then there are the really early ones ATA4130 and 4131 which were only used til about 1962, but still with the Morris rack, never did understand how/why they are different?
David Smith

Hi Dave/David were he really early track rod ends a smaller taper? perhaps?
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

might be?
the v early ones taper from 9/16" down to 1/2".
David Smith

Many thanks guys.
Myles
M W Sutherland

Interestingly, Moss list the same track rod end for Frogeyes as they do for pre-'72 Spridgets, so I'm assuming the same taper.
Dave O'Neill 2

The very early ones were fitted to the drum brake models. The mounting holes are closer togerther and the arm itself is lighter in section. When discs were fitted, the whole stub axle assembly was beefed up, presumably this was part of the change.
Paul Walbran

The distance between the mounting holes are the same, I think the difference is a bit of a stepped offset between the mounting points.
Trevor Jessie

I too had fun and games with these on my 71 restoration.
Here's a picture of the earlier and later ones for comparison. I think the top one is the earlier as the cast numbers are I hope, just visible.
The TRE hole on the top one is noticeably larger.

Jeremy


Jeremy 3

<The distance between the mounting holes are the same> ... OK, I may have jumped to a conclusion, but I have here a steering arm alomst identical to the Midget one, but the holes are closer together and it is lighter in section - so what is it?
Paul Walbran

Paul,

not sure if it's an optical illusion or the angle at which the phot was taken but both arms fitted the car at the mounting holes end. In my case it was the TRE which caused the problem.

Jeremy
Jeremy 3

This thread was discussed between 13/09/2011 and 15/09/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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