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 bush problem

As you can see from the photo I got the MGB V8 bush into the wishbone arm Ok but I'm having trouble getting the wishbone onto the pivot.

I had to use a wooden hammer to get the wishbone this far onto the pivot. Didn't seem right as the wishbone was locked solid on the pivot. I bolted the pivot to the car to see if I could move wishbone up and down. It does but the bush is locked to the pivot and the wishbone rotates around the stationary bush.

My intuition tells me it should be the other way around to stop the wishbone moving off centre and the bush should rotate on the pivot with the wishbone. However, the bush fits so tightly on the pivot that the wishbone rotates on the stationary bush.

Can anyone tell me how this is supposed to work? Should the bush be such a tight fit on the pivot?


A R Jones

Hi AJ, I just installed my wishbones using MGB V8 bushes. I lubricated the pivots with anti-seize compound and the bushes slid on easily. Movement takes place at the pivot. Are you pivots corroded? One thing I did find though was the V8 bush kit came with new washers and castle nuts, but the castle nuts had the wrong thread, so I have reused the old ones. Matt
Matt Davis

Long discussion recently on MGA board; I bumped it up since it was about to disappear into archives.
"MG v-8 bushings - too tight! John Bissett "

FRM
FR Millmore

Matt, Thanks for you comments.

The pivots aren't corroded but it's a really tight fit to get them on. I'm going to have to hammer them on. I used silicone lubricant fitting them to the wishbone arm and they went on using the technique recommended by Dave Braun quite easily.

I've read in the Workshop Manual that the original bushes are not supposed to rotate on their surfaces when they are clamped up. So it seems that bashing them on with a hammer will do no harm! This tight fit actually ensures they do not rotate on the shaft. The fact that the wishbone currently rotates on the bush reflects the fact I used silicone grease to get it on and will probably be eliminated by torquing up the pivot bolts. This means that the rubber will take up the flex which seems to me now how they are intended to work.

Anyone else have a comment on that?

AJ
A R Jones

AJ, so does that mean you will now have to remove the bush to clean off the silicon grease? regards, tom
tom peterson

Tom,

I don't think so I think that torquing the nuts up will lock it up.

Unless you know differently!!!!

AJ
A R Jones

I've given up on V8 bushes. I got one halfway way onto the pivot arm with a hammer. I was hammering away when I realised that when I get them fully on I'll never be able to get them off again. If I ever need to replace them, I won't be able to get a puller behind them.

Back to the standard bushes.

AJ
A R Jones

Standard rubber ones don't last very long or provide very solid handling; get poly bushes. Best compromise between stock and hard bushings, and easy to install.

Tom
t lange

AJ,

You don't have to use V8 bushes , polybush (see link)
supply all bushes for the TD suspension, in both touring and performance hardness. I have fitted them to my TD with no problems at all. They slide on to the pivot arm easily. For information the touring bushes are the same hardness as the rubber bushes and performance bushes are harder and give a stiffer harder ride.

http://www.polybush.co.uk/shop/view/284_mgtf_TD__YB/227_Kit_65_-_MG_MGTF_TD__YB_(MGTF_TD__YB)

hope that helps Chris

Chris Pick

This thread was discussed between 09/04/2011 and 10/04/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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