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MG MGB Technical - Front wheel bearing kit

i recently purchased 73 BGT. The PO said I should get a new front wheel bearing kit installed - it will improve the ride. The ride is quite harsh, especially on country roads.

I'm not mechaically minded, so what will this job entail? Is it expensive & will it be worth the hassle?

Thanks
Mark Whelan

Mark

The wheel bearings are just that, they allow the wheels to revolve and have no effect on ride quality.

Did you have the car serviced? If so your mechanic should have checked them for looseness or noise. Wear or running dry is when they need attention.

Maybe the PO was thinking of the shock absorbers which some people change for telescopics. I'd check tyre pressures and if your mech has given it a clean bill of health otherwise there's nothing else.

Rich

Rich

Mark,

Agree with Rich. Also the ride IS harsh compared with a modern vehicle. If your car has original type lever arm shock absorbers these are perfectly adequate and cheap to replace. Front telescopics will cost over £200 plus fitting and won't necessarilly result in a better ride.

Maybe you just need time to adjust to the cars handling!

Regards, Bumpkin.
Bumpkin

Ditto, in fact most people find tubulars are way too harsh unless on their softest setting. They fail just like the lever arms, but are about 10 times the price to replace. My (PO fitted) rear tubulars adjusters have now seized anyway, when they need replacing again (already had to do them once) I'm going back to lever arms.
Paul Hunt

Mark, agree with all, I purchased my 74.5 Roadster in July 04. I thought I was a good driver until I crunched a few gears, had to really press on the non-power brakes, and build up my arm strenght to turn the unpowered steering. Geez, I even had to turn the headlights on manually not to mention use a crank to roll up the windows! When I first got my license in 1972 very few cars had the power assists common today, I learned to drive on those old cars, but how soon we forget; and by that I mean how soon we forget the fun or driving, actually controlling the car. The rage with modern cars now is the over powered stereo and cd player, sub woofers and TVs. I took the after-market radio out of the "B" and blanked the opening, I don't want anything to interfere with the burble of the exhaust, the rythymic tapping of the valves, or the sound of the air rushing over the windscreen. Besides, with all the aforementioned racket I couldn't hear the damned thing! It takes a bit of adjustment to drive an older car properly, the good part is the only way to make that adjustment is by driving it!
John

Mark,
It is a simple matter to check your front wheel bearings, jack the wheel off of the ground and give the tire/wheel a tug north/south; east/west. Check for looseness and grumbling noise as you spin it.
You can tighten the bearing to reduce free play provided the bearings are in good shape. That would be a good time to repack them with grease.
Harsh ride may be caused by other factors: condition of the front shocks, or seized suspension bushings. Good luck.
Pete
Pete W.

If you think the ride is harsh, try a 1984 Mazsa RX-7 of a 'vette from the same period. MGB's are soft compared to these.

The ride is not near so harsh with the lever shocks in good condition and is even pretty good. Worn shocks cause a 'choppyness' to the ride because the car has relatively high spring rates and rebound needs control.

Tried a Moss rear tube shock kit several years ago. Ride was absolutely horrible. I now have rebuilt (Apple Hydraulics) levers with the heavy duty valves and, although firmer than the original, is not bad at all.

You will also probably be better off with the original rubber bushings in the upper fulcrum up front. I have tried every aftremarket bushing and have gone back to these. Several years ago, someone on the BBS (Paul Hunt???) talked about making sure these rubber bushing are the ones shaped like 'little flower pots'.
Richard Smith

My roadster had Spax tube kit all round so when I restored it I decided to leave the Spaxes just to see the result. The car was way too hard especially at the rear even with the seized adjusters set to the softest position. Added to that they were noisy. I went back to uprated lever arms at the rear and left the tubes on the front this resulting in a comfortable if slightly firm ride but a car that generally handles well. The only other suspension mod I made was to fit the V8 bushes to the front lower arms. The top arms obviously have the "little flower pots"

On the subject of tightening a front wheel bearing, bear in mind that the only way this can be done is by the removal of shims to provide the recommended .002" hub endfloat. If the endfloat was originally correct and is now excessive then either the bearing has worn and is "shot" or the outer races were never properly fitted in the first place. Either way make sure you examine the bearings carefully before ajdusting or replacement.
Iain MacKintosh

This thread was discussed between 07/04/2005 and 11/04/2005

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