MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

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 - Front Suspension

On my 1950 TD (1851) a PO put on wire wheels but I am guessing that the hubs and drums are original. I have replaced all the brake cylinders and have a few questions. Behind the castellated nut with the cotter pin I have a grease retainer. (Moss part No.39 264-260 GREASE RETAINER, hub TD to (c)6034).
I remember reading in the archives somewhere that the retainer goes on with the bevel toward the bearing (facing inward). Looking at the Moss parts book page 19 parts numbered 38 & 39 I see the retainer with the bevel facing outward. Also my car does not have the felt hub seal No. 38. Is it necessary? Should I get a set?
TIA This T series community is fantastic!!
Mort TD 1851

Mort, As long as the bearing is packed with a quality wheel bearing grease and the outer dust cap is in place, I see no reason that it would be a must have. Actually, Moss states it's not even available new. JMHO. PJ
P S Jennings

pj, the early td's did not have an outer dust cap. there was a goofy mod that could be done, but the cars did not originally have the caps. i say goofy because it involves drilling and tapping threads..when every car for the previous 20 years had dust caps you just tapped in place with a hammer and "presto" they were in place and worked great. i may be misreading your post pj, but if not, i think you maybe mixing the grease retaining hub (which mort says he has..they are NOT available from moss) with the felt seal (which mort says he does not have, but moss stocks)
mort, the felt seals are available, but i have tried a couple of times to use them and eventually ended up with just a cluster of felt balls in my bearings. the retainer is oriented with the concave of the outer area TOWARD the bearing. it is in this area where the felt seal rides. you should have a couple of thin sheet metal barbs within this concave area to keep the felt from spinning with the wheel. i like to refer to them as "felt shredders". i hope this helps. regards, tom
tom peterson

Great answer Tom! You taught me something as I have a later car with the dust caps.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Little T came with the early felt seals but I have purchased a couple of later made drums so I can use caps instead. The funny thing is the original felt seals were still in place when I removed the front drums and all in one piece so I wonder what the difference between old and new was that kept the original from being chewed up. Maybe the original felt was a different texture that didn't catch and spin with the works.
Richard Taylor TD3983

I think we are confusing wire wheel hubs and steel wheel hubs here. The steel wheel hubs have the tradditional grease caps. The wire wheel hubs for the TF and when fitted on the TD do not have a provision for grease caps as the MGB's do. Wire wheels on the TF/TD should be equipped with seal retainer # 31 on the same page. A better soultion is probably a sealed bearing. Here is a picture of a couple of MGB grease caps for wire wheel hubs. The black one is an original and the silver one is a Moss replacement. Because they sit deep in the hub on a wire wheel car they require a tool to remove them. There is no need for the seal on a steel wheel car that has the one piece drums with a grease cap.


LaVerne

i don't know laverne, although mort mentions wires, the poster provided the correct part numbers for the items we are discussing. regards, tom
tom peterson

Makes a difference if original hub/drum with some type of bolt-on wires, or original type knock-off hubs/drums. Either way, the sealed outer bearing takes care of that. See Bud's T-talk for info on that. George
George Butz

This thread was discussed between 28/10/2010 and 29/10/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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