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 - Moss Swaybar (original type)

Just wanted to vent a little...

Moral of the story is whenever you order parts, always examine everything carefully, even if you won't be using them for a while... A couple years ago I bought Moss' reproduction of the original type swaybar kit when they first became available. When it arrived, I opened the package enough to make sure that all of the parts were there, and then stuck it on a shelf.

Now that I finally have the body off my car and the chassis exposed, I am getting ready to make my chassis repairs, and the front extension mod for the sway bar (1500 extension wasn't set up for the bar from the factory). I dragged the box with the kit down from the shelf, got all of the parts out, and I'm fairly disgusted with the quality of the bar itself. The ends are not well aligned with each other (one is higher than the other with the bar laid flat on the bench), one of the end bushings is pressed in all cocked, and between the frame bushings where the bar is supposed to be straight, it is distinctly bowed.

On the plus side, the modified wishbone links appear to be of decent quality, although I'm planning to clean off the weld spatter they left and re-powder coat them. The links are okay, and the frame mounting brackets appear to be fine, although I am planning to re-paint or re-powder coat all of the parts due to chips and poor coverage. I'm sure that the bar itself is perfectly usable as it is, but the main reason I'm posting this (other than to vent my spleen a little), is in case anybody is considering buying this kit, just be aware that while it appears to be perfectly serviceable, the manufacturing quality isn't really commensurate with the price you will be paying, unless they have improved things since they introduced it.

Del Rawlins

A picture showing the misalignment of the ends. It's only about a half inch off, but it's still aggravating.



Del Rawlins

The messed up bushing. It may be possible to straighten this out.



Del Rawlins

The curve in the center portion of the bar. It probably won't affect the way the bar works, but geez. As proud as they are of the kit (as reflected in the price), you'd think they could at least make it straight.



Del Rawlins

It's a lot easier to make something like that straight than to make it curved (since the stock you start with is generally straight).

Are you sure that is not the way it's supposed to be?

JIM in NH
AJ Mail

The misalignment of the ends is bad, since it puts an asymmetric preload in the suspension - the car will be different depending on which way you are turning. The last end link bolt should slide in with zero force when the car is assembled level and at normal ride height. Depending on which way it is out, you might consider it as a correction for driver weight, but it is a piss poor way to setup suspension.

"It's a lot easier to make something like that straight than to make it curved (since the stock you start with is generally straight)."

Not really, when you are bending spring steel over old water pipes. That bow is likely a result of "correcting" for errors in the corner bends. And it is very likely that it is still not right. Check carefully that the distance between end fittings matches the spacing of the link holes in the A arms when the car is in static position on flat ground - the links should be vertical in both planes. Of course you have to assemble the car to figure it out, but it is silly to waste effort powdercoating such a suspect piece.

These things can be corrected by judicious use of a big hammer and a very solid anvil, guided by careful thought. Since this is in fact a spring, it "should" be heat treated, so use of the torch is out, unless you can find somebody (spring shop) who can re-heatreat the bar entire. I have fabricated bars with heat, and have reworked badly made ends (very famous maker!) and hardened and tempered them under desperate conditions, but it is not recommended. IF stresses are low enough you would be OK, but breaking a bar while in a corner at the edge of adhesion would be less than fun. The most difficult and possibly unfix-able error is if the length of the arms going back are seriously unequal, which is also a bending error.

FRM
FR Millmore

Hi Del

I asked Bob West to fit a sway bar recently and he didn't fit one beacuse firstly you can't get the correct 5/8" diameter bar size at the moment and also beacuse of poor quality.

John

John Francis

The bar is 9/16" in diameter, which I gather is the originally used diameter. Perhaps somebody could measure an original wishbone arm from a swaybar car, so I can check that at least they got the A-arms dimensionally correct?

I'm pretty sure if I had access to the original dimensions, that I could do a better job of making it, and maybe then have it heat treated by a spring shop or something. It's just frustrating to spend 3 bills on something and have it turn out to be mostly crap.
Del Rawlins

Del -
The A arms are standard parts as fitted to most MGB (unless they did something really strange!). This is a common replacement part and I do not know of any problems with them. The dimensions are exactly the same as the OE arms you have, except the reinforced hole for the link. That should match with the "extra" hole in the spring pan.
I don't actually know when that hole was put in, as it would have been unnecessary prior to the first cars fitted with bars. It was probably when the bar first became an option on MGA - I have a 1500 here that does not have the extra hole. Moss shows the same pan for all TD through B, and I think all OE and replacements since about 1960 have had the hole for the link.
The 1/2" link hole is slightly inboard from the 5/16" hole for the outer pan bolt, or 5 11/16" c-c from the inner pan bolt. The 1/2" hole center is also about 3/32 below centerline of the 5/16 holes, and the big end of the reinforcement is down. This is what makes the reinforced arms "handed". You will need to drill the 1/2" hole on the old spring pan if it is not already there, and it really ought to have a bit welded on to duplicate the correct pans, since this hole will be very close or through the pan edge. I remember welding a thick washer here long ago when we retrofitted ARB.The link stud replaces the outer 5/16 pan bolt, since they interfere with each other.

FRM
FR Millmore

I was wondering about fitting a sway bar as my new chassis extension has the cutouts that the original didn't have. Seems I'll be better off waiting unless anyone can report that the current supplies are OK.

Dominic
dominic clancy

If anyone is interested, I have an original 5/8" sway bar. The bushings are fine.

Chris


CM Harter

The Moss distributor that I bought my kit from is a member of this forum, and is contacting Moss to see if there is anything they will do for me. If not, I may be interested in your 5/8" bar, assuming somebody else doesn't buy it off you in the meantime.

FRM; the wishbone arms are basically as you described, with the link holes being maybe 1/16" farther out than yours. I felt around under the spring pans on my car, and they appear to be the original style, so I will have to modify them. Thanks for the heads up, otherwise I might have blasted and powder coated them without thinking about it.
Del Rawlins

This thread was discussed between 09/09/2010 and 10/09/2010

MG MGA index

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