MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey 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 MGA - Knock On Material

Does anyone know if the original MGA wire wheel knock ons were made of steel or bronze?
James Johanski

I thought all the original knock ons were bronze.
Bill Young

James. Hard to say. Like Bill, I would have thought bronze. However, I went out to check the knock-offs on my MGA and they are slightly magnetic--i.e. the magnet has some attraction to them, but not sufficient to stick to the piece. This may indicate that they are of two piece construction as the "ears" after years of use, show a brass color under the plating where the plating has been damaged and broken through. I suspect that destructive analysis might be required to determine exactly how they are made and from what material(s).

Les
Les Bengtson

Considering bronze is a loose term for copper alloys then it is difficult to know exactly the content. Normally tin is part of the alloy but I dont know if the element tin is magnetic or not. We need an expert.
Bob (robert) Midget Turbo

Real MGA ones (with MG stamped in)are steel, MGB & most replacements I've seen are bronze. Not sure if the change may have been a bit confused around the end of A production, and it may be that all fine thread ones (includes early B) were steel. Bronze with MG stamped are repro.
FRM
FR Millmore

.....mine are chrome....
WYATT WOLCOTT

Bob,

Tin is not magnetic but chromium is slightly. It used to be used for recording tape (possibly still is).

Malcolm
Malcolm Asquith

My knock ons from a mk 2 are in a bronze alloy type material without the mg logo. These were definately original. The advantage is that the chrome does not readily peel but of course their still vunerable to mechanical damage.
J H Cole

I have had 3 original WW mga's in my lifetime and none of them have had the MG logo in the middle. I believe that these knock offs (as I call them) were used on Healey's and other brit cars of the same period and there fore the MG logo only came about as an after mkt item. I could be wrong of course and I'm sure some one will correct me...

I have noticed though that the repro's from moss with out the logo have had a very crude attempt at recreating the UNDO --> script which appears to be a very rough sand cast. The ridges between the letters are mostly gone and void of detail. Is that what we get for $36US each?
J Bries

Could it be that the current knock-offs are knock-offs? (Sorry - couldn't resist it!)
P. Tilbury

Clausager mentions in his book that the earlier A knockons had MG logos but the later did not when commonized with the Healey. He also mentions that the Twin Cam knock ons were first steel and then bronze.
James Johanski

The unrestored Mk II frame I am currently stripping had rusty steel knockoffs, with the MG logo.

Kelvin.
KJ Dodd

This thread was discussed between 30/01/2008 and 05/02/2008

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGA BBS now