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MG MGA - Towing

I sometimes travel long distances and breakdown and retrieval is a concern on the poor brain ...though only once has the trustworthy one let me down!
However being a retired mech eng I pondered on the issue .
The problem is the extremely weak front chassis extension of the car..especially under any lateral load.
I came up with attached as per drawing....key elements...
....the load is taken back via bolts into the main chassis via two tension members. They will be fairly slim as in tension. Would probably design each to take something like 4 Times car weight to allow for dynamic loads
.....to stabilise the geometry of the tension members they would be bolt connected to the front X member of the front chassis extension .
.....the tension members are both connected to a plate as far forward as possible . This plate will have with the towing eye hole and nuts to secure such.
......the tow eye passes through the starting handle hole and through the plate above.

The geometry should be very stable and drawing is a plan view but it seems to easily fit in vertical section as well.
Lateral loads on front of car would be taken on angled tension members and very little passed to x member.
Whole thing could easily be designed for removal...but it will not be of much weight so I would only remove tow eye ( I have never used the starting handle and have owned my car 30 yrs) .
Any thoughts on the general subject and above?



Neil Ferguson

Most of the worriers in my local group have just welded a U loop of reinforcing rod to the bottom of the main crossmember
Dominic Clancy

Dominic

How do they stop the rope biting in to the valance?
Bolney Coupe

Of concern. The MGA transmission does not lubricate while being towed, even though components are still turning. Tow very far and damage may occur! Suggest trailering or disconnecting the drive line.
Phil White

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/gearbox/gt201.htm

My dad built a towbar for the MGA back in the late 70s but by the time I needed to tow it again, the piece that connected the towbar to the car had been lost and I didn't know what it had looked like. I removed the front bumper and valance panel, and made an attachment that connected using two of the bolts that hold the front extension to the frame. Those points were intended to carry the majority of the load, and then I added two verticals to the front bumper mounts just to hold the thing up. It could probably be done without removing the valance but the mount would be more elaborate than what I made.

I think my dad's mount probably attached only to the bumper mounts... The front extension was cracked in a couple of places which I discovered while building my own mount and I welded up the cracks prior to towing.

-Del

http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/mga/images/bar1.jpg
D Rawlins

Dominic..nice and simple to install a U eye I agree and then to use..just attach a rope and see the front of the car torn apart ?
Neil Ferguson

Phil......I have a Sierra box ..no issue ..and I see from Barneys site that it may not be a problem for many mga standard boxes..
Neil Ferguson

Most tow operators use either a flat bed truck or hoist the front wheels. They don't "tow" the car.
Art Pearse

Lots of opinions on whether or not damage will occur to the gearbox, but considering how incredibly easy it is to disconnect simply by removing the battery cover and going in from the top, I figure why not. Even safer for the car in general would be to use a flat trailer, but then you have to deal with a trailer...
Steve Simmons

I have certainly had my standard gearbox car towed in dim and distant past and decades later I am still using same gearbox.

Can someone tell what is the potential problem?

By the way I have always towed off front wishbone without problems.

Paul
Paul Dean

This thread was discussed between 20/08/2018 and 22/08/2018

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