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MG MGB Technical - Top fulcrum pin

I am ashamed to admit that my mgb has been off the road for 2 years. Today I decided that I would finish renewing the front suspension and was quite pleased when I got the new spring in place and started to fit the swivel axle, all was well until I tried to put in the top fulcrum pin, no matter how I try it won't go all the way across , can anyone give advise on how to acheive this.
J E Turner

JE - I took a page from iron workers who use a spud, which is a tapered round rod that they use to pull the holes in two pieces of iron work into alignment prior to inserting rivets or bolts. I use a center punch or a drift punch that is relatively close to the diameter of the holes for the fulcrum pin and work the holes into alignment so I can get the pin through with a minimum of dramatics. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Only 2 years? I wish!
Dave O'Neill 2

There's a flat side on the head of the pin that has to aligned. It will hold it out a bit. Other than that the long taper punch really works.
T Lea

I cant remember any problems doing this, Its a job you do regularly on the B, but not since I put the MGOC roller bearing king pins on. I imagine you have the lower sprig pan or trunnion supported by a trolley jack and can just swing the king pin up to engage in the lever arm shock. I think I might have shoved a scewdriver in to line things up and then tapped the bolt home. I did think there was a flat but the thread would show even if that was in the wrong place.
Stan Best

The pin should easily go through the sleeves in the bushes, the large hole in the swivel axle the bushes fit in, and the arms of the damper. If the top nut of the swivel axle has been removed and refitted slacken this before fitting the pin then retighten afterwards, it's possible the trunnion is out of line with the king-pin as well as the damper arms. If you got the pin and bushes in a kit what nut did you get? For a long time it was normal to supply a Nyloc, but these are totally inadequate as the nut is too deep and the bolt threads barely engage with the nylon insert. It should have a castellated nut - low-profile at that - and a split pin (despite supplying a Nyloc the pin has the hole for this). Coat the pin and inside of the sleeves with a non-rubber attacking lubricant.
PaulH Solihull

Hello,

I had a similar issue last year, all new parts. could not get the fulcrum pin through the whole way.
Spent ages thinking it was an alignment issue. till I tried the old fulcrum pin and it went straight through with no problem. On comparing the diameter of the new and old items there was a small difference. This thing was common to both sides of the suspension and both new fulcrum pins. I was very frustrated at purchasing new pins that the thread ended up getting damaged whilst trying to install all due to being basically oversized. The original items were reused. There was no noticable wear or markings to the original pins, just like to use new when replacing items. The new items were purchased through possibly the main supplier for MGB spares and accessories. I was a bit dissapointed due to this fact.


have you tried your original fulcrum pins to see if the assembly is lined up ?

Dave
dave bignell

On my MGB the lower wishbone on one side was distorted, the previous owner had hit a curb. The old shock absorbers were shot and I replaced them. It was impossible to get the pin into the new shock absorber. In the end I undid the shock absorber and fitted the pin, re-bolting the shock absorber to the cross member as the leverage was greater. The car was drivable and got its TÜV (MoT).

I ordered new A-arms and the problem was solved.

Mike

Mike

Thanks for all your surgestions , have now complete side one so onto side two, and as the saying goes I will be back [for more help]. J E T.
J E Turner

This thread was discussed between 05/02/2011 and 10/02/2011

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