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MG MGA - Sway Bar

I am looking to add a frontend sway bar to my '59 roadster. It will be installed under the front extension.

Options so far include the ADDCO 111 (MGA), ADDCO 144 (MGB) or the Moss Tourist Trophy hollow sway bar (MGB). The latter is twice the cost of either of the ADDCO products.

I am not planning to race or otherwise compete, just bump the handling a bit for the twisty roads. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

John
John Backman

Barney recommends the 3/4 inch sway bar (we know is an anti-roll bar here in the UK)

I upgraded from the standard 5/8 inch bar and definitely noticed a big improvement in front end grip and sharpness of handling.
If you check out Barneys article FS-101 you will see his entire write up about this.

Colyn
c firth

Just my two-penneth fwiw. I recall Bob West recommending me away from upgrading my 5/8" roll bar to a 3/4" as it would, in his opinion, place too much strain on the front of the chasis due to its extra torsional stiffness. Hope i recall that right. Probably starting a storm here!
Bruce.
Bruce Mayo

My 1500 has just been through a major rebuild. Whilst fitting a new front chassis extension, a standard MGA anti-roll bar was fitted; there was none before. The improvement in handling is more than noticeable and - unless you are racing - is probably as good as you need.
Shane
Shanerj

Bob West sold me an MGB 5/8" roll bar with short links. These links had to be cut, realigned and welded to fit the MGA - which he did as part of the purchase. Easier to fit on an already assembled car than the standard MGA version. Handling very good for a street car.

Steve
Steve Gyles

The usual after market bars with end links that use compressible rubber washers are a poor alternative.

Here is my alternative, using all MGB parts.

http://www.rhodo.citymax.com/f/Fitting_an_MGB_sway_bar_to_an_MGA.pdf
Bill Spohn

I fitted an original 5/8 bar and there is no significant roll detectable. Didn't drive it without so can't compare b4 and after but its very good.
Art Pearse

Actually, I think the original MGA was only 9/16"
Art Pearse

Actually the other way around. Original MGA (optional) sway bar was 5/8, and early MGB was 9/16.

When I ran race tires with the 5/8 sway bar there was still enough body roll to lift a rear tire off the pavement (not good). See here:
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/suspensn/fs101b.htm
Changing to 7/8 bar for racing solved that problem. It is a bit of overkill though. For modern radial street tires a 3/4 bar is the cat's meow.
barneymg

Barney, I'm pretty sure you are incorrect on the sway bar diameters. When I was still on the other site one of the guys there measured his original MGA sway bar (mounted in the factory position, and apparent original fitment) and it was definitely only 9/16" thick. OTOH, all of the original MGB sway bars I have seen advertised for sale have been 5/8" diameter, including the one I bought from a member here, which I mounted in the original MGA position.

Given that the MGB is a slightly heavier car with a more powerful engine, it doesn't make much sense that they would have gone to a thinner, less stiff sway bar. Also, I defy anyone to show me a set of MGA sway bar bushings made for anything other than a 9/16" diameter bar. I spent a lot of time looking for a set, and such an animal does not exist.

-Del
D Rawlins

Since the stiffness of a torsion bar varies as the 4th power of diameter, and my 9/16 bar seems to resist all roll, I can't imagine why you would need a 3/4 or 7/8 bar.
Art Pearse

Del,

I just picked up a what was marketed as a early MGB sway bar. It is 9/16". It came with the MGB locator hardware (Moss 263-778). The Moss catalog indicates that the MGB used the 9/16" sway bar through mid-1974. I don't have any info on the OEM sway bar for the MGA.

John
John Backman

Thanks for the info. I was just going off what I saw for sale on Ebay, when the seller listed a diameter. The MGB bar I am using on my MGA is a 5/8" bar. I still think the original MGA sway bars were 9/16" diameter, although it's entirely possible there were thicker bars available as special tuning items.

D Rawlins

This thread was discussed between 16/08/2015 and 26/08/2015

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