MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

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 Midget and Sprite Technical - Stripped Thread on Wishbone Pivot

Anyone ever stripped the threads on one of the front suspension wishbone pivots?

Nut nut and bolt and its badgered. Getting the bolt out was easy but can't get the new one in whilst things are under load (spring is in place).

I nipped them up, put the spring in then tried to tighten them fully and bugger! Wondering if I should make sure they are fully tight before installing the spring? But won't this distort the bushes? Or am I just unlucky in stripping this one?

Cheers,
Malcolm
M Le Chevalier

Ive never heard of anyone stripping this thread

Theres the rightway and then theres the hill billy way

Hill billy would just recut some new threads maybe even add some JB weld

Proper way is to replace the king pin

Just a flash thought I had....

Make a sleve thats treaded outside and inside...screw the sleve over the damaged threads with red locktite, drill the trunnion link out over sized and slide the trunnion over sleve and rebolt down with a bigger nut

Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Okay....sorry, I mis understood

We are talking about the 2 bolts that connect the wishbone to the sub frame??

If thats the case, moss has them cheap...I wouldnt use normal off the shelf hardware because this bolt has a little dog loop that fits into the frame to keep the bolt from spinning

Most likely someone will have a spare laying around

Personally... I wouldnt try to force modify the bolt to work correctly...others will im sure

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Your talking about the bottom pivot assembly? I rebuilt a front end recently and was horrified to see how fragile the whole set up was designed. Its a small car and Im used to seeing more robust front end parts in automobiles. It definately takes the prize as far as tinyest components for a front end Ive ever encountered..

I would want to make sure its all fixed properly as it looks like one spot that if isnt working correctly would cause major issues down the road. I havent had issues with new components but have totally destroyed
the wishbones removing rusted and siezed pins trying to get them apart. I was really surprized at cost of new wishbones and components which tallied close to
$1000 for stock parts. King pins wishbones tie rod ends bushings springs.etc. You guys can correct me if this seems high on price but this was my experience.

If your going to try to save money do it somewhere else fix the front right. You only have one life,
dont risk it for a few dollors on the front end.

I hope it doesnt brake the bank on your project Malc.
My little speech is more based on your safety and just a thought for yours. Please dont take it as being preachy but more of advise you can use and that is helpful and hopefully informative.

Good luck you are making great progress! :-)
Steven Devine

Malcolm,
New one required and remove the spring for fitting. What kind of bushes you using? It's best to tighten it fully with the spring in and the suspension at or around ride height. I would say you should hold the wishbone up to slide it in horizontally to prevent the bushes winding up. Not easy to do I know. Use new Nyloc nuts and remember, the nut doesn't need to be very tight as the bolt and washer with the spigot mate on the bolt raised pivot section. Just an average spanner tight is enough.

Best of....
MGmike
M McAndrew

No, never stripped one.

As Mike said, spring out to replace.
Dave O'Neill2

Malcolm, inner pivot onto chassis leg, yes? Those nuts only tighten until the special washer meets the shoulder on the pin, then lock solid. If you over-tighten then it will strip. Don't know if there's a torque setting but it does not need a big heave-ho! About 15 years ago I switched to 3/8" drive socket set and ratchet as I got fed up stripping threads using the 1/2" stuff, the latter encourages one to over-tighten. I can post you a very good s/hand bolt if you want, got loads.
David Smith

Steven,

Unfortantly, $1000 is about right for a stock set up, do high performance of barry king HP bones and a frontline kit 40 degree angular bearings, a big brake kit, aluminum hubs plus odds and bits and you can be looking at north of $3000 usa. way before you kids decide collage is cool status symbol

needless to say, ive been collecting my front end rebuild pieces over the past 5 years

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Thanks for the offer David, order new when I got home from my frustrating garage sesh last night.

I didn't think I was heaving too hard. I was aware that the funky washer should bottom out on the pin but I didn't think I had even got that far and *smoosh* knackered.

Fortunately there was enough thread left to get the nut off again without hassle.

Mike, using rubber bushes.

Prop, yeah, you got there in the end, and no I am not doing anything hilly billy and modifying things. Just standard pins, washers and nuts.

I will be a lot more gentle on the others!

Malcolm
M Le Chevalier

Note that those suspension parts seem to be way more expensive here in the States, hence the costs quoted above.

But yes, a new pin/nut are definitely indicated here. You'll need to remove the spring (different techniques noted in the archives; letting the arm down with a jack vs. letting the spring down through the arm with a couple of long bolts). If you haven't been into the A-arm mountings yet, you'll notice that the holes at the front-most and rear-most faces are much larger. When reinstalling the arm, imagine the four bushes are numbered 1-4, starting from the front... install bushes 2 and 3 first, then fit the arm to the mounts. You may need to slide in a putty knife or similar to squeeze the bushes into place. Once the arm is fully seated, fit bushes 1 and 4 into the arm through the large holes in the mounts, then run the pins into place and tighten up the nuts snugly, but DON'T OVERTIGHTEN. The Nyloc inserts will hold them there.

It was mentioned earlier that you need to tighten the nuts onto the pins with the A-arm in the loaded position; is this actually the case? Aren't those bushes fitted with steel sleeves? The important thing to remember is that the pins only fit one way, with the locking tabs in the little square holes, and the shoulder fitted in the large round hole.

Hope this helps -

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

malcolm I have stripped one onf those in the past. I think the threads can get worn over the years. The originals apparently where secured with castle nuts and split pins.
Bob Beaumont

Gryf
I have seen the pins fitted the wrong way around!
Alan
Alan Anstead

Have a look at the Moss UK site, because a pair of kingpins and all the bits around them is around 65 dollars US, and the pans are around 100 each. So for 300 plus taxes, you have everything you need.
Dominic Clancy

Thanks Gryf and Bob. All noted, yeah figured out how it all goes together. Not doing anything untoward and still badgered. :-(

And Alan, I have seen them fitted the wrong way... on my car when I bought it!

Malc.
M Le Chevalier

They are 3/8 UNF, so I use 30 lb-ft.
Paul Walbran

Hello Paul,

You wrote...."They are 3/8 UNF, so I use 30 lb-ft."

I really wish you had been my previous owner.

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

This thread was discussed between 17/02/2014 and 18/02/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS now