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MG MGB Technical - Axle Way Off

Recently I installed new rear stock springs from Moss
and a Superflex bushing set.
I notice now that the drivers side tire is about 3/8"-1/2"
from the fender lip and the passenger side tire is about 1 to 2 inches
away from the fender lip. I don't know if this existed prior to the install.
I know that the left side on MGB's is always closer to the fender than the right
but isn't this excessive?
I loosened up the Ubolts and tried to reseat the axle but it didn't change.
Any ideas out there?
Sam

Try swapping the springs from side to side and see how the axle lines up then. Like you I've never seen a B or midget with the axle perfectly centered in the body. I guess that if jigs were used at Abingdon they didn't have very close tolerances.
Bill Young

Sam, mine is the same. 1/2" less on the driver's side. although you have considerably more than I on the other side. I have about 1-1/2" on the passenger side and about 1" on the driver's.

For the experts: Is it possible a PO replaced an axle (not the complete rear end assembly) from a steel wheel car?
Luigi

Most observations have the axle shifted to the right on 50% of the cars, I've never seen or heard of one (on an undamaged car)to the left. If it is a RB car, the front spring mounts are tall enough that side impacts to the axle can bend them laterally, leading to this condition. Or rust or badly repaired floors get the same result.
FRM
http://www.usacgoice.net/gofanu
FR Millmore

This does not sound out of the way , most cars have the LH closer to the wheelarch , by about 1"
S Best

Sam,

The LHR is a problem on both US and UK cars, probably worse on later models as the problem still exists with Heritage Shells, so my assumption is that the tooling was worse for wear and is a bodywork problem.

Paul
Paul

As a last resort you could cut the spring perches from the axle housing and reweld them in the correct position to center the wheels in the fenders. Not a pleasent idea, but if you ever chose to run larger tires or wider wheels it will pay in the end.
Bill Young

SB & Paul,
Are you saying that the wheel rubs on the LH wing edge or on the inner arch next to the boot? My observations and reading have all indicated that the axle is shifted right. Since I am right now doing a wire wheel conversion, I just measured this car, and had a discussion with British Wire Wheel, and we are agreed that 50% of axles are to the right, and the rest are centered. My theory is that there were two sets of tooling, one off center, but maybe there is another shifted left -Well, it averages out well!
FRM
http://www.usachoice.net/gofanu
FR Millmore

Like Sam,I recently fitted new rear springs (believe to be ex Moss)to my 1964 MGB. I am positive that the tyre is closer to the lip on the left than before.

In fact the tailshaft is closer to the left side of the tunnel now.

The left was close before, but the new springs seem to have exacerbated the problem.

If swapping the springs helps that would be great, but I cannot see how it would.
Ian Buckley

I am glad to hear most of you noticed the left rear wheel opening being about 1/2" closer to the tire (as compared to the right side), as I have recently noticed on my '72B. I no longer will worry about it since it doesn't rub and no ride issues with the rear.
Joe

Last night I loosened the Ubolts and put a hydraulic jack between the pumpkin and the upper 'chassis' frame and moved the axle to the right by 1-2 inches.
Had a floor jack under the pumpkin so the force would not be downwards.
I tightened the Ubolts up, then removed the jack.
Lowered the car and bounced it to reseat the springs.
I think I picked up 1/4" clearance but won't know until I drive the car around.
I guess as long as the tire doesn't hit the wing it will be ok. I may switch springs out of curiosity, if so I will repost. Thanks all.
Sam

To centre the axle you do not need to reweld the spring location plates, just drill two holes immediately on the 'inside' of the plates to take the 'U'bolts ,offset the axle by fitting one pair of 'U'bolts inside the plate and one outside, and weld up an extended spring location plate.

This way you keep the plate in the correct position in relation to the spring.

Mike

Michael barnfather

I have never heard of an axle being offset to the right before, but there have been hundreds of observations that they are offset to the left, including both mine. I have had 4-wheel alignment checks done on both cars and confirmed that the front and rear wheels are running in line, so I can only think that moving the axle wrt the body will actually make the car travel slightly crab-wise and possibly increase tyre wear. I have had 195s on the V8 and no rub, but 165s on the roadster rubbed badly when I had wire wheels on a steel wheel axle, even with conversion hubs. RB springs (on a CB roadster) cured most of it but raising the ride height a little and being stiffer, but they gave poor ride comfort over some surfaces. Eventually I swapped the rear axle for a proper wire wheel one, went back to the correct springs, and had no more problems.
Paul Hunt

Unlikely as it seems, Could there be an intentional offset, to do with RHD vs. LHD cars? I've read lots of accounts of RH tire rubbing on the outer wing lip, I've measured a number of cars including the '77 one I'm changing to wires right now, and British Wire Wheel who have way more experience than most of us put together say that half the cars show axle offset to the right. These reports would be mostly or entirely LHD cars. The car I'm working on had 185/70/14 and was rubbing on the RH outer edge, with about 2 inches clearance on LH. No sign of crash damage.
FRM
http://www.usachoice.net/gofanu
FR Millmore

No offence but I'd have to pigeon hole that with the suggestion (elsewhere) that rubber bumper cars were designed for LHD because the battery was on the right to counteract the weight of the driver :o)
Paul Hunt

Paul,

Ah, but what about the bonnet release, mine's on the LH side !

Mike
Michael barnfather

FRM

Just checking International convention
The LHR is for LHD the Drivers side

Paul
Paul

Paul, Surrey - yes, Left Hand Rear.
Paul Hunt - You do know that as you are 1/3 of the way around the earth that gravity operates on a different angle? And the streets are depressed at the edges so the actual cars are tilted, not to mention deviations in drivers and mechanics?
Seriously, your experience with the axle change leads me to the idea that perhaps it is the axles that vary, not the cars. Sam's story indicates that summat be fishy with repro bits, a totally shock to all I'm sure! Perhaps we should all sight down the spring edges for straightness, I've seen springs with lateral curvature.
FRM
http://www.usachoice.net/gofanu
FR Millmore

FRM,

We call that camber in UK!

I think Paul H mentioned the 4 wheel alignment, which indicates bodywork and I believe spring hanger positioning has been checked in past.

Re repro bits, if early cars did not have a problem but were then restored with some new panels, this could provide a reason for some early cars showing this problem.

Paul
Paul

We, or at least I, call it camber too. But, if I started talking about camber in the rear, someone would no doubt start a discussion re camber in the rear of solid axle cars, and so round the houses we'd go!
I just measured 3 wire wheel axles -all identical. The incidence of this anomaly is far higher than the "repaired car" scenario. I am inclined to suspect poor assembly of the axle cushions - it is easy to squish them out of position. I'll see when I take my customer car apart, as it is very off.
FRM
http://www.usachoice.net/gofanu
FR Millmore

I had an axle alignment problem, too, on my 63 B. The tire rubbed bad on the left side after fitting a new set of minilites. After some discussions on this forum, I replaced the springs with a set from Brit Tek and everything lines up perfectly. Upon removal, the old springs were obviously banana shaped.

Sam, if you do end up taking the springs off to swap them, you might want to check them for straightness. Not to knock Moss, but I have received several parts from them that were not of the best quality. Maybe you have a bad spring or two?
Todd Alkire

This thread was discussed between 24/05/2004 and 27/05/2004

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