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 - Sway Bar

From reading the threads I know many owners used the sway bay from later MG's. After much research I elected the Austin Healey set up. I am posting the finished product and should anyone be interested in a sway bar you may want to considering this arrangement. I have the complete parts list if needed.


Mort TD 1851

Mort-
I'm sorry, but:

The adaptation of the link plates to the lower control arm is appalling. Drilling the flange of a channel section is very bad practice, causing a great reduction in strength. Adding a cantilevered twisting and reversing load at the weak points is even worse by far.

In this case, you can expect loose bolts and eventually cracks in the control arm. Healey got away with this arrangement because the control arms were forgings with through holes and bolts. Even so I remember replacing link plates at times.

Consider that BMC had the Healey parts available when they added sway bars to the MGs, but instead they redesigned the arms & spring pan with the rubber bushed end links.

The only thing that saves many of these cars with such "upgrades" is the fact that they rarely get used much or hard. This is a dangerous alteration.

FRM
FR Millmore

Mort
Suggest forwarding your pix and parts list, how-to-do instructions to Bud Krueger to add to his TTalk.info/Tech Anti-sway bar page as a great "repository" for these frequently used/referenced technical topics.
Randy
Randy Biallas

I'd add it into Ttalk, but I'd also add FRM's caveat. Bud
Bud Krueger (TD10855)

we are redoing a TF and added a sway bar using MGA fittings correctly not drilling hole in the A arm. IT works very well! If anyone is interested I can send parts #s and pictures.
mike michel
l michel

I used the A arm from a B that has the hole in it and it is reinforced. Drilling holes in the A arm can only weaken it IMHO.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

Mike, I'd be interested in getting the info to add to Ttalk. A bit of wording to go along with it would be very helpful. Thanks, Bud
Bud Krueger (TD10855)

This is not the first time my research did not uncover all aspects of my project. FRM, I understand what you are saying and agree with you in theory. Hopefully my diving will not test the limits of this arrangement. If I see any signs of deterioration I will consider welding the plates to the arm and filling in the holes with weld also.
Moss has a technical expert who is in the automotive business. Among his possessions is his own TD that he races out in California. He espoused several reasons for preferring the Healey set up to the MGB. He has been using this set up on his racing TD for a long time. It all seemed quite logical at the time so I ordered the parts and installed them.
Good Luck to me and thank you all again for your comments.
Mort TD 1851

Mort -
Best to ya!
One thing certain - these cars are very over engineered in many ways, and take a lot of abuse. I just do not like using a known bad practice when a better one is at hand. Just keep your eye on it; I reckon bolts coming loose or red oxide stains will be the first sign of trouble, and it may well never happen in casual use.

The arms only cost about $15 each, so replacement is cheaper than welding, and welding channel flanges is also evil. You could keep the general configuration by bolting or welding a bar across the bottom of the spring pan for the ARB link point. With the bad crosswise and fastened at both ends, the local loads will be greatly reduced.

I am curious as to what exactly you find preferable in the arrangement you used. just for interest. As well, I'd not mind hearing from your friend on the same points.

FRM
FR Millmore

Mike Michel,
Could you post the photos and parts list here or e-mail them to me.
Thanks,
Mort
Mort TD 1851


For more clarity on this:

This set up may be "sorta" like the Healey set up, but the attachment of the link attachment plate to the thin flange of the control arm is entirely different.

I have an Austin Healey 3000 and the plate that the anti-roll bar links attach to is held by bolts which go through the spring seat plates and then through the control arms vertically. The lower spring seat plate is a substantial thick piece of metal and the control arms are thick cast I-beam type construction with bosses cast for the bolt holes.

This is may simulate the Healey setup in suspension theory (even though the link assemblies are upside down)? , but it is not mounted like a Healey set up.
Dallas Congleton

FRM, Per your request here is a copy of today's e-mail.

"Mort,
I have had this set-up on my vintage racer for over 30 years. The car has been raced hard and often, as well as having done nearly 10,000 miles of (usually hard) street driving. So far, there's absolutley no sign of cracking, weakening, loosening of bolts, etc. Even the rubber bushings are still in good condition.

Why this set-up? I preferred the simplicity of the installation and the neatness of the look to the awkward angles of the MGB swaybar. It works effectively (my car corners really well) so I foresee no problems using it.

Lawrie Alexander"

"Lawrie,
Thanks for the quick reply. I agree with you. After all I've had mine on the road for 8-1/2 miles and not sign of trouble.
Seriously, I followed your advice and welded tabs on the end of the brake shoes. Three out of the four needed it. Now all is well. Just got back from a short drive to test everything. The cornering seems a lot better and I will know more with more experience.
May I use parts of your reply on the bulletin board either with or without identifying you?
Thanks again for all your help,
Mort"


"Mort,

Good to hear that the brakes are now OK and that the swaybar hasn't come loose yet (!).

Certainly you may quote me that this Austin-Healey bar works well and has lasted for 34 years on my race-car without any problems. I doubt that many T-owners would drive their cars the way I have pushed mine so I have every confidence that this installation is safe and durable.

Cheers,

Lawrie"
Mort TD 1851

Mort -
Thanks, good to know, especially for you! And a good recommendation. I still wouldn't drill those arm channels like that, but it does show they are seriously overbuilt.
There's a great example lately on the MGE Motorsports board, of the front crossmember and suspension of the Al Pease MGB - little left but holes, but it has survived for many years. they drilled the arms but not on the flanges.
Full story of Pease car: http://www.britishracecar.com/MikeAdams-MG-MGB.htm

FRM
FR Millmore

Mort:
Could you tell us/identify why you welded tabs on the brake shoes?
Best Regards
Rod Murray
Rod Murray 54TF 3006

Rod,
Apparently the PO's had the drums turned several times. With new shoes , cylinders and adjusters I still had difficulty, on three out of four wheels, in locking the brakes with the adjusters. There were several considerations. New drums...not easily available. Over-sized brake linings. Building up the non adjustable tip of the brake shoe with weld. Then grinding the weld down to conform with the width of the shoe metal and grinding the end to give a nice contour. I built up approximately 1/8 to 3/16 at the peak. Before I did this I would have to pump the brakes several times to get the brake cylinders to reach the drums. Not a safe condition especially in an emergency. When fully installed I checked each wheel and adjusted carefully after centering the brake shoes by applying the pedal. I confirmed that each brake cylinder had good solid adjustment and not at the last of the adjusters notches.
I have about 1/2 to 3/4 of free brake before the MC engages and a very short stroke to a good hard brake(1 to 1-1/2").
Sorry for the long winded explanation but I forgot to take pictures.
Mort
Mort TD 1851

For anyone who's interested in adding an MGB sway bar on their TD - I just placed an ad in the classified section of this site listing a used 9/16" sway bar assembly from an MGB that I wish to sell. See my ad for the details.
Regards,
Michael
M Marini

For $30.00 you can buy two new front A frame pieces for an MGB designed for a sway bar. I, along with others, do not like drilling or welding on any steering/suspension parts. My TF had one welded lower control arm that was done at some time in the past, it's in the trash pile now, replaced with new. You definitely would not want yourself or family to be in the car if a lower A arm broke while driving! JMHO. PJ
Paul J

Paul,

You would also need the spring pans to go with the front A-Arms as they have a holed tab to match up to the reinforced location for the anti-sway bar link. The pans, unlike the A-Arms are interchangeable side to side.

Warmly,
Dave


Dave Braun

Here is a picture of my anti-sway bar set up. It uses the original pans and A-Arms. A friend of mine made the parts and worked up the links. A heavy boxed welded bracket is formed to take the loads, one bolt is removed from the A-Arm and pan, an additional hole is drilled and the fasteners are doubled up as the slight offset in the new bracket will introduce both shear and varying amounts of compression and tension. In retrospect, I should pull the 5/16 BSF fasteners and put in a set of grade 8 5/16 bolts. A full description is in the on going maintenance section of my website.

warmly,
dave


Dave Braun

This thread was discussed between 12/05/2011 and 17/05/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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