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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 TD TF 1500 - Brand New Rear Axles

The latest edition of the UK Magazine Practical Classics reported that the Indian firm Hindustan are still making BMC cars from the 1950s and one of them has a TD / TF rear axle. This is available brand new. They have an agent in South Wales who actually has one of the axles. I e-m him and he has suggested that someone who is knows TD /TF parts and who lives in South Wales might want to visit him to inspect the axle. Is there anyone out there who could oblige.


Jan T
Jan Targosz

Jan, I live in Mid Wales but South Wales could be as far as 130 miles away depending on where this guy is located. Could you let me have an address as I have a friend who lives closer than I do and he may help.
Rgds
David Tinker. Wales UK
David Tinker

Lets see. Mid Wales is 130 miles from South Wales so that puts North Wales at same. Wales is 260 miles tall? Thats a commute for the folks who live in Los Angeles I would think :-)

Chris
Chris Couper

I would think that even a person who knows TD TF axles, can look at it and say that it looks OK, but with out testing it, or using it, how can that person give a good indication of the quality of the metal or manufacture ???

SPW
Steve

I take your point Steve but surely someone needs to first verify that these are in fact TD/TF style axles. If they are indeed correct (I think they are likely later Austin/Morris saloon units) this has got to be great news! After that we can check the ratios and quality of build.
I have a 1960s International Harvester tractor built in the UK. The tooling went to India where the tractor is still being produced. Dealers have started to appear in North America. Parts are now available new in 2003, good quality and about one third the price I would pay otherwise.

Tony
Tony Cove

David - have sent you full details to your personal e-m. The chap who is the Hindustan agent is apparently a TF owner. He informs me that the axle is only used on a diesel variant of the Hindustan car which is a mix of BMC and Japanese designed parts. They are complete with half shafts, drums, brake internals and even the brake pipes. Also available in different ratios ! For the price of £205 delivered to the docks in Calcutta I would be prepared to drive my TD down there, fit the new axle in the docks car park and drive back. I know it sounds too good to be true but I'm only passing on info from the Practical Classics magazine and it must be worth investigating.


Jan T
Jan Targosz

Thanks Jan,
Sounds encouraging so far. A few digital pics would really be nice. Another thing you could determine is over the phone is the bolt pattern of the drums. If there are five lugs then it is more likely a useful swap (for those of us not lucky enough to have wire wheels). That may also mean you have discovered a source of heavy duty wheel rims which would be good news for my TD vintage racer!
Tony
Tony Cove

How can anyone get a hold of this company??? Any website, email address,etc???



Mac
MAC ASKARI

Tony and Mac,

I've sent full details to David Tinker and now await a report from him on whether the axle is a T series or maybe the later BMC banjo type. Could still be useful though for uprated crown wheel and pinions.


Jan T
Jan Targosz

The web site I have found is
www.hindustan-motors.com.
Dennis
D F Sexton

I just took a virtual tour of the Plant (thanks for the website Dennis). In one of the pictures there is a stack of axles that looks very like TD/TF. Also the wheels are five bolt 15 inch, although they have oval slots. My question is how Jan is going to fit my axle and wheels into his car when he goes down to pick up his axle?
Tony
Tony Cove

Tony:
Hope that is OUR WHEELS and axles, esp. wheels. I too long for a good set for my TD MKII racer. However, I don't know if I can get the oval ports past the CCC @ VSCCA. Should of seen the guff I got for a ZA engine in my Lotus VI.
Safety Fast

Paul
Paul

Hi All, Got the message about the 'Brand New Rear Axles' and I am on to it. I have already put out a few feelers and am awaiting a response-though it may take a little time.
Chris, your calculations are quite accurate and it might be commuting distance for folks in LA but this is Wales. The last time I was in LA the roads were straight, the cars were big and powerful and the fuel was cheap. Here in Wales the roads are bent, the cars are not so big and fuel is at a premium. If I travel South from Mid- Wales to South- Wales the first 30 miles has one bend in the road for every day in a year! and I exaggerate not.( Ideal T Type driving ) but not if you are in a hurry.
I must say that I am quite surprised at the interest in 'New Axles ' as the originals are very well engineered and have an extreemly long life. OK they are low geared by todays standards but higher ratio CWP's are available and might be more cost effective than a complete unit.
That said I will do my best to report on my findings.
Regards

David Tinker. Wales UK
David Tinker

David,
Should you find this is a viable story & source for rear axels, you might want to send off a note to the Octagon Club to include in the Bulletin for all the T types who might not be on this BBS.
BTW, I envy you, would that I could take a ride on your roads!!
Robert Dougherty

Robert:
It is all David presents. On the 'Circuit of Britain', the realization of how well the Ts fit the roads, especially when a lorry came round the bend of a road that seemed to be 6' wide, was a true thrill. I recall remarking to my son that finally I understood why the cars were the way they were. It also helped that for once, I felt truely at peace in my RHD.
Safety Fast

Paul
Paul

On a somewhat related note, I recently ran across a company on the web named Lucas-TVS, also in India. They advertise a S700 headlight that looks like the original for a TD. Anyone ever heard of them? I'm having trouble finding headlights . . . . Thanks.
jean

Hi, Just a quick update on the current situation re- New Axles.
I have spoken at length to Darryl Davies who has imported the Axle and who now has also imported a new Ambassador ( in fact 3 cars I think one of which is a diesel ) and they are all fitted with different axles!.

He imported an axle for one of his own projects ( which he talked about briefly but did not want disclosed ) but needs to narrow the track so it will involve a complete strip down. He is not absolutely sure that the axle is identical to the TD/TF.

I have asked for some pictures of it together with a few Key dimensions.

As Jan said the axle is delivered to Calcutta docks for something like £210 and is absolutely complete with brake drums, brake shoes, pipes and wheel cylinders. The downside is that by the time it gets to the UK the price has slightly more than doubled!!.

There is also a question of available ratios and Daryl has promised to find out about these.

As his project is on hold at the moment he has offered to drop the axle to me if he comes my way so that I can have a detailed look at it.

If that happens watch this space!!

Rgds

David Tinker. Wales UK
David Tinker

Hi Robert, I have already been in touch with Harry Crutchley the Secretary of the Octagon Car Club and he had no knowledge of the axle. He and I communicate quite often so I will keep him informed.

Rgds

David Tinker. Wales UK
David Tinker

Hi, Have no additional news- just further thoughts on the cost of this axle. Maybe you all have thought this through but it has only just occured to me the value of the parts in a complete imported axle. On the assumption that all these parts are pattern parts I have priced the main component parts at current UK prices from the Brown & Gammons catalogue. Some of the main parts are no longer available such as the LH & RH
axle casing.
Brake shoes, axle set, £38.00
Wheel cylinders each £16 £32.00
CWP 4.875 ratio £250.00
Half shaft £112 each £224.00
Brake Drum £95 each £190.00

Grand Total £734.00

This does not include the bearings, spacers and the dozens of smaller parts.

Maybe we should create a Buying Consortium!!!!!!

David Tinker. Wales UK
David Tinker

I am more interested in the half shafts as I have just broken one and the other is dodgey. I have done some research and it would apper this rear end is also used in the Wolseley 4/44,4/50,Morris Oxford MO, what I don't know is if the wheelbases are all the same,as the design would allow for different length tubes between the hub and the diff housing. The Morris Oxford appears to have 8" brakes where the TD has 9".
Dave
David broadbridge

Re previos message I meant track not wheelbase. Dave
David Broadbridge

Hi David,
if I remember correctly, the Wolseley axles are longer as you suspected. I can remember checking this out years ago. Dufor made axles for our cars and there should be still some around at the dealers, but at what price I wouldn't know.

Cheers,

Paul.
Paul van Gool

David:- if you have trouble sourcing a halfshaft perhaps suggest contacting "MG Workshops" down here in Melbourne. They did the whole task for us last Sept/02, and opined that they don't have problems sourcing suitable bits both used & new billet-machined.


(no association with them, just a satisfied customer)
Will

This thread was discussed between 25/01/2003 and 03/02/2003

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.