MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Longer Rear Suspension U-Bolts

Hi everyone,

Any sources on sourcing a longer set of rear suspension u-bolts? I would like to lower the RH rear suspension to balance out the bachelor lean. I understand Moss sells a lowering kit for the early MGBs but all I need is the u-bolts and nuts. For spacers I'll use some leaves from the leaf springs I bought years ago from Moss with way too much arch.

You simply can't find that kind of thing here in Japan and it would have to be fabricated. Yeah, I know.

Thank you!
Tommy Baker

I would personally be against modifying the suspension on only one side to compensate for a loading condition, but most any spring shop can make custom U-bolts for you. One thing I found, is that the originals appeared to have been bent around a metric mandrel to fit the dimensions of the housing, and the Moss replacements were bent around a slightly larger inch size mandrel. Probably because that was the closest size mandrel in the possession of the shop Moss contracted to make the u-bolts.

Many people who have used the Moss u-bolts have noted a tendency for them to stretch, so the nuts need to be retightened after the car has been driven a while. I think this is due to the u-bolts not fitting the housing exactly when new, and then "settling" in use to conform better to the axle.

I was also not terribly happy with the fit of a standard nut to the u-bolts supplied by Moss. So, I had a local spring shop make new u-bolts; they also had only inch size mandrels so they made them to the next closest size. When they were finished, I found that the nuts were just as loose on the threads as with the Moss units, andthe fit around the axle was not as good. I wound up using the Moss u-bolts, after having thrown them in the box with all of the hardware I had replated.

Some discussions elsewhere indicated that modern u-bolts normally use a special style of nut that becomes an interference fit when torqued, while the MGA u-bolts use plain nuts that are not torqued, but tightened only snug and then double nutted for retention. I think this is why I (and others) have noted that the fit of plain nuts on the replacement u-bolts seems looser than it should be. I actually measured the amount of slop present using a dial indicator, and at the time Barney said he thought it was still within spec for the correct fit (I forget which class fit he quoted). They seem to work okay, and having had them replated seemed to have helped a little also.

-Del
D Rawlins

MG owners club spares are able to sell the longer u-bolts,

Paul...
Paul Burcombe

Grayston engineering make/supply U-bolts and lowering kits.

Their website is very difficult to navigate.

http://www.grayston.biz/suspensionpage.htm

They say that they only supply the trade, but when I contacted them to ask about a supplier of their spring assisters, they said they would supply me directly.
Dave O'Neill 2

Check the "Summit Racing" website catalog for rear axle U-bolts. If you have dimensions, they've possibly got something useful.
I think these guys supplied mine.
Good luck - and have a happy Christmas, too!
John
JR Alexander

How nice to hear someone from the USA talk of a happy "Christmas" rather than happy "Holidays". Good on you John - none of that politically correct stuff! Probably creating a storm here but it's one of my niggles. Sorry. So, it's a very happy Christmas to all from me too.
Bruce.
Bruce Mayo

Yes Bruce. Becoming all too prevelent here in Oz too. A Merry Christmas to all.
IBM
I B Morris

TRY www.stengelbros.com They made me a set of U-bolts
(3/8” x 2-3/8” x 8-11/16”.) They accept PAYPAL and ship every where

Bill
WRJ JAMES

Thanks for all the suggestions. I know this is not a great solution, but it is temporary to get my car through the Japan version of the MOT. Years ago I had a bent rear leaf spring so I purchased a set of replacements from Moss.

As is well known, they are taller and have too much arch and can even help in snapping the rebound straps. Anyway, I took those off and found an original set of springs and the car has been running those for 8 or 9 years.

I was going to use a couple of leafs from the springs to act as spacers to lower the RH side hence the longer u-bolts. Instead, I replaced the LH original spring with one of the replacements effectively raising that side of the car and balancing it out.

This also helps out the look overall as I replaced the dry rotted Michelins with some Vredestein Sprint Classics that are a little taller in the sidewalls so I need to extra clearance.

Still going to find a way to correctly address this later but that is the temp workaround.

Tommy Baker

This thread was discussed between 21/12/2015 and 31/12/2015

MG MGA index

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