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MG MGA - front suspension--lower pivot

I'm trying to take the pivot off and am stymied by the front, outside nut and bolt. The nut is on the bottom and easy to get to but the head of the bolt is in a cramped space (topside) right next to the nut of a bolt that holds the frame extention on.

There is no room to get even an open end wrench on the bolt head. Do I have to take the other nut off first? I'm thinking about cutting the nut off from the bottom side but I doubt there will be enough room to pull the bolt up even then. I can't imagine how it was put in there to begin with.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
JM Morris

It has been a while, but as I recall you have to put one bolt in from the bottom with nut on top. To install that bolt from top might require a special length shorter bolt, and maybe grind one side off the bolt head. In any case, use and open end wrench on top and a socket wrench on the bottom.

If a wrench won't fit on top, jam a flat screwdriver between the bolt head and frame (or against the other nearby bolt) to prevent the bolt from turning while wrenching on the bottom end.
Barney Gaylord

Thanks, Barney. I had to take the frame extension nut (on the bottom) off first. To get to the head of that bolt (down in the channel of the frame extension) I was able to come in from the top and use an open end wrench at about a 30 degree angle and go in slightly sideways, dipping down in the channel. It was basically more of a jam than an actual grip. The screwdriver jam would probably have worked too (didn't think of that).

The removal of that nut allowed me to get to the nut holding that pivot mount bolt.

Everything would have been easier if I had removed the steering rack boots, since they've got to be replaced too. Furthermore, after the boots are off I think I'll cut a slot in one side of the frame extension channel wall to ease future access to that bolt head.

The whole access issue seems to have been an engineering afterthought. Locating the frame extension nut/bolt just 1 inch forward would have vastly simplified access to the pivot mount nut.

Thanks much!

--Jack
JM Morris

This thread was discussed between 28/05/2011 and 30/05/2011

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