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 - Rear spring U-bolts revisited

I am in the process of reassembling my rear suspension. New U-bolts from B&G, with MGA axle protecting shields. Nylatron interleaf pads and polyurethane bushings from John James.

New U-bolts have coarse thread, as opposed to the old ones. Nuts supplied are Nyloc, four nuts each side.Nuts seem to be of a rather soft material, and one of them stripped its threads upon tightening. I am not really comfortable with the situation. Any suggestions? I know this has widely debated over the years, but here we go again!

regards,

Jan

PS Picture is off topic but I love it. Instant penalty for driving to fast.....


JE Kristoffersen

Have you enough room to use four regular steel nuts on each U-bolt?
David Werblow

Yes, there is enough room for four regular nuts. Perhaps I should go for that instead?

regards,

Jan
JE Kristoffersen

Jan. On my restoration of the rear springs I also used the MGA axle shields as there was wear from the U bolts on the axle housing. This I repaired using a metal welding product in a tube, not wanting to risk distorting the housing by applying heat. The only problem I encountered was the interleaf rubbers. The replacement rubbers were thicker than the original, so much so that on reassembly the distance between the spring eyes had shrunk due to the increased curvature. This meant that without warning the rear shackle would spring up alarmingly to about 45 degrees above horizontal! Had the rear apron been installed there would have been two very ugly big dents & some serious panelbeating required. I had the springs in & out about five times before I finally solved the problem. My solution was to lay the assembled original springs on their side & mark out the position of the eyes & to then ensure that the restored spring dimension eye to eye matched. This meant throwing the aftermarket rubbers away & reusing the originals which were still in pretty good condition.

On subsequent investigation I discovered this had actually happend to a few beautifully restored TD's here, resulting in some very costly repairs & the expression of some even more colourful oaths from their owners! Be warned!

Cheers
Peter TD 5801



P Hehir

Jan - I would not hesitate to throw the Nylok nuts in the trash - they are inappropriate for this application. You do indeed need good-quality steel nuts, double-nutted. Re-tighten them all after a few hundred miles.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Thank you for your comments. Will set out on a search for 3/8' BSF nuts today.

The Nylatron interleaf pads seem to be of the correct thickness, as my spring pack came up nicely to both front and rear mounts with correc angle for the rear shackles.

regards,


Jan Emil.
JE Kristoffersen

Jan. You say the new bolts have "coarse threads as opposed to the old ones". If that's the case, BSF nuts won't fit. The rubbers sound like they shouldn't give you any problems however.
Peter
TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter,
If the old springs are being replaced because of "sagging",,it would be most likely impossible to match the eye to eye dimension (as you state in your picture) with new springs that have a more proper curve,,, There must be an eye to eye dimension given in one of the WS manuals that should be used instead. If the measurement of the eye to eye on the new springs is the same as the old springs, the car would have the same "sagging" ride height.

SPW
STEVE WINCZE

Steve. The original springs in my car hadn't sagged. They were just repainted. It was the replacement of the interleaf rubbers that caused my problem.
Peter
TD 5801
P Hehir

peter,
I only mentioned it in case some one else was replacing their sagging springs, and was trying to make sure that they were the same eye to eye measurement as the old ones,,, I should have been more explicit in my posting.

SPW
STEVE WINCZE

I found 3/8 inch BSF nuts today, grade8 steel. 2 pounds each was a steep price, but they are "made from Unobtainium" in Norway. We were forced to go metric during the nazi occupation 1940-45, and never really recovered back to inches, feet and yards.

They fit nicely on my new U-bolts, but the old ones have a finer thread, and the old U bolts are actually thinner than the new ones.

Moss telescopic rear shock absorber kit fitted as well, a genuine bolt on kit, with no filing, trimming or milling. But will handling improve?

regards,

Jan
JE Kristoffersen

This thread was discussed between 17/12/2013 and 18/12/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

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