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MG MGB Technical - Suspension

When checking suspension bushes and track rod ends etc. should the wheels be hanging or supported?
Rod Merrall

Rod, hanging is the way to go.
hold wheel top and bottom to check stub axle bushes and 3-9 o'clock to check track rod end and wheel bearings.

If you need a hand give me a shout and I'll pop over the bridge

MGmike
M McAndrew

Thanks Mike I'll check it and if I have problems be only too glad to take you up on your kind offer,
Rod Merrall

Mike are you a member of the MG Car Club by any chance?
Rod Merrall

You need to jack it under the bottom arm to check that bottom trunion and outer shocky bushes otherwise they will be loaded from spring pressure
William Revit

Also, while you are there, check the torque of the damper and rack bolts.
Allan Reeling

I've checked the front suspension now and could find no movement in any of the bushes or track rod ends. The only fault is cracking of the bush ends on the spring pan 9see photo) but the bush shows no movement. Is this an issue?

Rod Merrall

Yep they're stuffed-When you do them I'd use the matal/rubber V8 bushes, much better than those and a direct replacement
What are the seals like out the other end of the arm--
and give the kingpins etc a good grease up while you're under there-----
William Revit

V8 are said to be better but FWIW they go the same way. Mine look like that - in fact worse as the A-arms are not equidistant between the brackets, another set waiting to go on.

With the V8 bushes it's important not to tighten the crossmember pivot nuts until the weight is fully on the suspension. If you tighten them with the wheels hanging down they can tear when the suspension compresses. Not a fan of poly but I'm wondering if they would be better.
paulh4

The original bushes can look pretty grotty from either end, but still be OK in the middle. Whereas I've found with V8 bushes wear on outside can be more of an indicator of what's going on inside. However, whilst time consuming, hopefully not too difficult to get apart. What I found last time I did it, was a) Pivot bolt had seized in spacer at bottom of kingpin, needing to be angle ground out (despite regular greasing) b) I found a crack near one of the mounting holes of a wishbone pan and c) despite earlier fitting of polybushes to the top fulcrum mounting, the pin, over at most a couple of years, had seized in the stainless steel crush tube. Thus more angle grinding.

I seem to find many suspension components (and some rear brake ones) tend to be sacrificial, so I tend to buy in earlier knowing that I'm going to need them sooner or later.

Peter Allen

Rod, I'm a Poly fan myself, but there are lots of views on that issue.
But can't tell whether it's a camera angle thing, but the end of the pivot looks bent up to me.
Allan Reeling

Thanks for the advice. Could someone talk me through the dismantling procedure or point me in the direction of such instructions please. The workshop manual isn't too clear.
Rod Merrall

Rod
IF you only need to do the inner bushes, then this is the method I use---
I'm sure somebody on here will disagree but it works for me--
Side 1-
Jack the front of the car up and onto stands-leaving the suspension clear to work on
Remove the 2 splitpins from the inner pivot
Remove the 1 splitpin from the outer pivot
Loosen these 3 nuts off a few turns
Loosen the 4 nuts holding the bolts through the spring pan by 3-4 turns, 1 larger on the swaybar link and the 3 smaller--
Place a jack under the spring pan and take the load on the jack, remove the 2 inner springpan bolts and gradually lower the springpan, it will swing down on the outer bolts and allow you to remove the spring out the bottom
Undo the remaining outer rear springpan bolt
Remove the 2 castellated nuts and washers from the inner pivot bar
Pull the rear arm back off the pivot and then push the other arm forward off the pivot
You can now remove the bushes from the arms and pivot bar
Clean the pivot bar up so that your new V8 bushes will slide on
Now it's time to fit the bushes to the cleaned up arms--DO NOT use rubber grease to fit these as this makes the rubber twist around in the arms and causes premature wear--The bushes are'nt an overtight fit and depending on how strong you are can be pushed in by hand or if not use a G clamp to help push them in--Use dishwashing detergent or idealy hairspray as a lubricant to fit the bushes--Hairspray is great as it dries right out and sets like glue, just push the bushes in till they are centralised in the arm eyes
A light smear of grease on the inner pivot shafts to prevent them rusting
Slide the front arm onto the pivot and fit the washer and nut
Fit the rear arm up and fit the washer and nut--refit the rear outer pan bolt and washer/nut
Fit the spring back up in the tower making sure it locates properly up in the top of the tower, swing the pan up and jack it up into position, refit the inner pan bolts and washers/nuts
Remove the jack, tighten it all up and refit the 3(new) splitpins
Side 2---same
William Revit

I found the show-stopper with that was the ARB drop-link tapered pin corroded into the thicker part of the A-arms. So instead of undoing those nuts to let the pan pivot down I remove the lower trunnion pivot and let A-arm and spring-pan assembly pivot down.

As soon as the trunnion drops off the king-pin reinsert the bolt and loosely fit the washer and nut to keep those parts together

That allows you to get the A-arm with spring-pan off the car and deal with it on the bench. I was changing the A-arms as well so cut part way through by the drop-link pin and chiselled the cut open to release the pin.

Suitable sockets in a large vice can be used to press the old bush out and the new one in, but the V8 bushes had bonded to the A-arms so I had to drill through the rubber to get the bulk of it out then clean up with a coarse file. The sleeves can also bond onto the pivot pins, so you may have to remove those from the crossmember as well.

If the holes at the outer end of the A-arms are ovalled the pivot pin has been loose so they will need replacing (or welding up) and the bolt replaced if it is grooved.

With the lower trunnion detached you can replace the thrust washers, which wear against the trunnion and cause a clonk when braking. Although only one side wears so theay can be simply turned round - once.
paulh4

That's great advice thank you
Rod Merrall

Rod,
sorry, don't know how but missed your question and updates!
Yes I'm a member but, to my shame, not an active one!

regards

MGmike



M McAndrew

This thread was discussed between 05/02/2020 and 11/02/2020

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