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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Wheel arch

Chaps

Nearside square rear wheel arch on 71 mk3 midget rubs on the tyre when cornering. Clearance is almost non-existent. Plenty on the offside though. I currently have the wheel off etc. as I am polybushing the rear. Is there anything else I can do short of taking the grinder to the protruding lip on the top edge of the wheel arch?

Oggers

do a Youtube search for 'rolling wheel arches'
David Smith

Is your axle offset to the left Oggers? I was surprised to learn how common that is.
Other than that - over to Prop. He fixed the same issue on his car with a screw jack, but ISTR he had his heart in his mouth doing it!
Greybeard

I would check that the axle is lined up even on both sides

And it could be putting in the new poly bush will fix the issue

But as nice mod is what's called a pan hard rod, that will transform the ride very nicely

As to what I did based on what are detest did

I took the tire jack from my daily and a few chunks of wood 2x4 2x6 and wedged them in the wheel well and SLOWLY cranked the Jack to push the panel out...i think I left it over night and it pushed the panel out, but as gray said it's unnerving ...like watching children play with rattle snakes

What wheels do you have, that is causing this issue

Prop



Prop
1 Paper

Arie debest ...
1 Paper

Yes, un-nerving but it works. Best done where at the rear intersection of tyre and arch as the arch nerrows towards the rear so that's where clearance is least.

Jack it a bit at a time. Expand then let go repeatedly, going 5mm more each time and measuring after each one so you know when it has deformed permanently. The first few till just spring back to where it started, but eventually it will give a permanent increase. You can gain 5mm safely, 10mm if brave. After that you'll get a wringle in the wing.

BTW, grinding the lip makes little/no difference. If you look at the inner arch you'll see that the rolled out edge of the arch means that the lip is not as far in as immediately above the rolled out bit, and that's where the wheel rubs most of the time.
Paul Walbran

A little bit of easing with a jack, as suggested. I couldn't get my round arch to shift like that, but I know a few that have tweaked the Square arch out with a scissor jack, very carefully so as not to crack the paint.
Rob Armstrong

Paul

Quite right ref. the lip. I had a good look on the inside of the arch now the wheel is off and there is a definite rubbing mark above the lip. I will see what happens post polybushing after everything has settled and been tightened up, but the tips about pushing out with a jack could be useful.
Oggers

Paul

Thanks for the in put ... that's EXACTLY how I did it, to the bone...well put and that's how everyone else told me how to do it, I just left it over night to let the metal fully form to the new shape

But I cant disagree with any of the input... just make sure you have a full bottle of your favorite Intoxin. To get you thru the night..haha

Good luck and let us know how it goes

Prop
1 Paper

This thread was discussed between 10/11/2017 and 13/11/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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