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 MGB Technical - Rear bump stop pedestals

These are very rusty and need to be replaced but I am struggling getting the old ones off. I got the nyloc nuts off the u bolts, but I cant get the bottom plate off and I can't shift the bolts upwards. Have tried penetrating oil and tapping with a hammer but they won't budge.
I guess I will have to cut through the bolts with a grinder or hacksaw, but is there anything else I can do before resorting to that?
A second question is how different are the pedestals for tube and banjo axles? I believe my car, 1981 reg GT, has a tube axle, but the pefestals and u bolts I have say they are for a banjo axle. I want to make sure I have parts that will fit before cutting off the old ones.
Regards
Stephen Elster
SJ Elster

Put the nuts back on the U-bolts flush with the ends then you can give them more of a whack with less chance of damaging threads. Also if you have the body safely supported try jacking up the axle and that should lift the U-bolts out of the bottom plate. Alternatively if the spring is supported as well as the body try lowering the spring which should do the same thing. I'd be inclined to put the nuts back on half a dozen threads while you are parting axle and spring in case it comes free with a bang.

Refitting the U-bolts can be a bit of a pain if the ends have moved together or apart so they won't slide through the plates.
paulh4

When re-fitting you may find the plates are bowed (big hammer on an anvil) and the holes have burred edges (file) both as a result of over-tightening. I would doubt the pedestals were different between axles-it would require different U bolts and lower plates but googling part numbers might shed more light.
Michael Beswick

Different pedestals and U-bolts between banjo and tube. This may well be because the 'tube' tapers down from the diff housing on banjo but is straight on the later axle.
paulh4

I definitely have the wrong parts, so will have to wait for the correct ones to arrive.



SJ Elster

Just to complete the story on this,I got the correct parts and using the advice received here got them on ok. I am attachjng a picture showing the pedestal for banjo axle on the left, tube on the right in case it is useful to anyone. The one for banjo is smaller and also less symetrical, so that one side is longer than the other.
Thanks again for advice and assistance,
Stephen Elster

SJ Elster

This thread was discussed between 13/06/2019 and 10/08/2019

MG MGB Technical index

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