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MG MGA - Fitting MGB front suspension

I have read the archives and I have started to fit MGB front stub axles and brakes to my MGA 1600 Mk.1 race car, which has raised a number of queries :
1. do the track rods have to be shortened by half an inch and re-threaded by one inch on a 1600 as well as on a 1500
2. if so, has anyone done this with the track rods still on the car, and again if so, are there any pitfalls to watch out for
3. the archives indicate that half inch spacers are required to pack out the top trunnions to the width of the MGA shock absorbers - is this dimension accurate enough or do I need more information
Thanks in advance
Maurice.
M. Standish

Hi Maurice-

Greg Fast here-

Been some discussion here in the States about using B dampener arms in lieu of spacers on the A arms. I understand they need to be installed inverted (so the pad used to arrest motion in droop is now facing up).

Before cutting the track rod, I'd assemble to confirm it needs to be done. There are so many permutations of parts out there, I'm not certain I would trust any information without knowing the source. That said, if I were shortening the track rod end on the car, I would be using a pneumatic cutoff wheel. Alternately, use a 4 1/2" angle grinder (Be sure you have a nut on the threaded section to dress the threads after cutting the length off)

While I'm gathering parts to do this change on Juanita's 1600 coupe, regarding the shortening and rethreading- I'm not sure there's enough room in the track rod end (we're refering to the steering rod connecting the rack to the steering arm, correct?) to bury the track rod another 1/2" inside the end.

Say hello to all the guys at Tyne-Tees- The Himmelbergers and Elstens and Dickensons still speak well of the trip we made to the UK in summer 03. We had a grand time.

More later

greg fast

I'm just in this process. I lengthened the threads on the tie rods by an inch but haven't yet shortened them. I'll have the nut at the position that I'm going to cut (once I've determined where that is ) with a cutting disc in my angle grinder. Then I'll turn the nut around on the tie rod.
The MGB shock spacing is 1 3/4". The MGA shock spcing is 2 1/2" so I made up two 3/8" spacers for both sides and they fit perfectly.
Al
Al McMillan

Greg,
thanks for the comments - I have seen your name on this BB a number of times and wondered if it was the same Greg Fast from Long Beach. I didn't realise you had an A and you might now find that I'll be picking your brains again as the next step is to fit the engine and gearbox out of the B racer. Regards to Juanita and all at Long Beach.

Al,
that is exactly the information I needed - half an inch seemed too much like an approximation. Many thanks.

Maurice.
M. Standish

Al.
Sorry I also meant to ask are you doing this with the track rods on the car and still attached to the rack?
If so how did you hold the rods and cut the new threads?

Maurice.
M. Standish

No Maurice, I took just the tie rod ends off the rack and had them threaded at a machine shop ( I don't have large enough dies). I think they have to be off since the rods are so thick that it would take some serious torque to cut the threads in such a confined space even if you could somehow hold the rod steady under the car. Optionally you could just remove the whole rack to do it.
I turned off the ends with a pipe wrench thus ruining the special lock washers but I couldn't pry up the three spots (you'll see)that are pushed in to capture the ball socket fitting. I hope that this is clear... I'll have these new washers later this week so I can finish the job.
Cheers
Al
Al McMillan

I found that an off the shelf 1/2" diameter shaft collar from the hardware store worked perfectly as spacers for the upper trunion. An easy fix if you don't have access to heavy wall steel tubing to make spacers from.
Bill Young

Just finished the conversion. I ended up cutting 3/8 " off the tie rods but 1/4" would have been fine.
Slick, slick, slick conversion !!!
Al
Al McMillan

For spacer material I have used the spacers for the MG-TD bumper. Cut to 1/2" they worked perfectly. The large spacers are a little over 1" long so that cut in half you get two from one.
Sandy Sanders
Hudson florida
conrad sanders

Conrad are you saying 1/2" thick ? That would spread the shock arms too far apart and put stress on them. Since the difference between the spacing of the A shock and the B shock is 3/4" then the two spacers should be 3/8".
Al
Al McMillan

Hi Al

Is there any bump steer evident with the shorter tie rods?

Thanks

Ian F
Ian Fraser

Ian, I'll let you know once the three feet of snow is gone... :-(
Al
Al McMillan


Thanks Al
Ian Fraser

This thread was discussed between 12/02/2005 and 23/02/2005

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.