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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 TD TF 1500 - Front anti-sway bar?

Good? Bad? PITA?

There are a few tight turns on my country road that......

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MAndrus

Single best modification I did to the TF. Zero down side from my perspective.
MG LaVerne

Several different methods used as shown on Bud's ttalk site. When I took a look at the new Abingdon Spares site I was taken back when i saw a price of over a grand for their set up. For me the least painful is to just use off the shelf MGB parts.
MG LaVerne

Quite happy with mine. I just followed LED's procedure of the videos after buying used components from folks on the forum (except bushings, bought them new through LBCarCo). See http://www.ttalk.info/ARB_systems.htm for the videos. Bud
Bud Krueger

Thanks. I'll save the link and the videos.

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MAndrus

Mitchell, if you enjoy "a few tight turns," come on down on August 15 and join us (Foothills British Car Club) for a leisurely drive starting in Gowensville and going through Greenville (SC) County, Polk (NC) County, and Henderson (NC) County ending with a picnic (bring your own food, beverage and blanket) in Powdersville (Pickens/Anderson County, SC). This invitation is, of course, extended to everybody on the forum but I don't know who else is close enough to make the trip. If you are interested contact me at jchapin3 at aol dot com and I'll send detailed directions to get to the starting point and additional info about the drive. Jud
J K Chapin

That's my TD in LaVerne's video and it was a 100% improvement in handling!! Note that the front section of the A-arm are "handed", correct LaVerne? The "pyramid"'s on the arm should point up for strength, not down as in the video. We swapped them over a few weeks later. (Well, mostly LaVerne swapped them over. I helped.)
ed
efh Haskell

Anyone have an approx total on the cost? Maybe a parts list handy?

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MAndrus

J K, email sent.
MAndrus

I have some of the parts to do mine from an MGB, but it's going to be a Winter project. I need two B pans and two lower arms. PJ
Paul Jennings

Just thinking, I don't believe I need a pair of B pans, do I? I believe I can just drill them, right? PJ
Paul Jennings

If you look at the b pans you will see that there is an extra piece welded on for stability. You will not have that ifyou just drill a hole. I would not reccomend that at all. I am with LED, best single cheap thing you can do to alleviate that turn in when handling curves.
TRM Maine

Stock pan on the left..MGB on the right... Notice the opening for the sway bar link Paul. If you drill a stock pan you will wind up with a half a hole.

MG LaVerne

Stock arm on top...MGB on bottom... Notice that the gusset weled in on the B arm. The hole is not ceneterd and We (I) put it in upside down on Ed's TD in the video. We corrected it later as Ed said.

I have a good set of MGB pans, a good 9/16" B sway bar, new urethane bar end bushings, the frame mounting brackets and some used links I'd make somebody a fair deal on. I also have a set of the B arms but the holes are walloed out and I wouldn't use them myself.

MG LaVerne

They should have been built with sway bars. Great modification.
David
D. Sander

Thanks LaVerne, I'll get a pair of B pans also. PJ
Paul Jennings

I did mine on he cheap. I welded a reinforcement to my stock pans so that they resembled the MGB pans. I found a 9/16" MGB sway bar and links on ebay for forty five bucks. I shortened the drop links following Jim Mertz's method. Gave about $25 for the brackets and bushings. Total cost about $70.00. I think Jim's pics are on Bud's site. I posted a few pics of some of the pitfalls I ran into a while back. Unfortunately, my car is still unfinished and has been in a state of stagnation for a bit because of my wife and I moving so no report on how the car handles.

Good luck,

Kirk
Kirk Trigg

I used an Austin Healey anti-sway bar and just drilled my arms. Doesn't matter which one you use just do it. About 5 years of heavy usage and no problems. Excellent modification. Everyone wit a T series should do it.
Mort
Mort 50 TD

I used the Mort Method, car now handles like a go-cart.

Jim
James Neel

Talked me into it.

Thanks all.

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MAndrus

Further point: passengers love having a sway bar - they don't get thrown around as much.

David
David Provan

I smile every time my wife grabs the 'Oh My God' handle.
MAndrus

This kind of body roll goes away with the addition of the bar.

MG LaVerne

Does it keep the comes from blowing down because of the severe vortex created as we drive past them?

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MAndrus

Pretty sure it does :-)

MG LaVerne

My dad's TD feels top heavy. Body rolls to the outside of the turn pretty hard. Is this what the front sway bar modification helps to reduce? And is there a rear sway bar as well?

Stuart
S Grimm

Stuart,
Yes and no.

All you need/want is the front anti-sway bar and you will be a happy camper.
Mort
Mort 50 TD

Thanks Mort. Sounds like a worthwhile project for the future.

Stuart
S Grimm

Rear sway bars are only needed with independent suspensions. As we have leaf springs and a stiff axle, their not worth the effort for normal driving, only the front is beneficial. JMHO. PJ
Paul161

MG LaVerne, I would be interested in purchasing the sway bar and what fittings you have. You can contact me at rufnek66@gmail.com. Thanks, Gary
G B McGovern

Lots of old MGB parts around. Try Craig's List and you can probably get a a whole front end for $50-100, put the sway bar on now and have the disc brakes in stock for next time you need a project.
kylemorley

Mort (et al)
You identified that you used a roll bar/kit from a Healy using your standard existing arms/pans etc. do you have photos of your installation that you could share?
A few years ago I bought of off eBay what was touted to be an anti sway bar kit for a TF. The drawing/info said that it was for a 1971 Sprite and a TF, however it said the frame attach bracket for the TF was different from that in the drawing BUT it didn't show a drawing of that different bracket.
A neat feature is that the end of the roll bar is horizontal rather than the MGB end which is vertical. So! It is going to be fun fettling this to fit. Thus has anyone installed one of these and could share photos.
Many thanks
Rod 1954 TF.
Rodney G Murray

Rod I don't have your email so I will post a series of photos.
This was the set up for installation. I clamped the bushing brackets to the dumb iron and the ends to the A Arms. I had the jack stands under the spring pan so the suspension was under load. When I was satisfied with the locations I drilled the holes. Remember to use high strength (grade 8) bolts and check the rest of your A arm hardware to be sure they are 8's.


Mort 50 TD

Top view of end assembly

Mort 50 TD

Bottom view of assembly

Mort 50 TD

This is a view of the original threaded stud. I had interference between the top of the post and the bellows during extreme turns and it punctured the bellows.

Mort 50 TD

I shortened the center shoulder and re-threaded the post. This eliminated all interference and I have been driving it for 4-5 years this way.


As a side note, I had a nylock nut come loose on a trip and the sway bar separated from the bracket. I re-bushed everything and put new nylocks in. I had pre-drilled one flat of each of the nylock's for a cotter pin. When I had everything seated I finished the drilling and added the cotter pins.

Safety Fast,

Mort

Mort 50 TD

Mort:)
Many thanks for your posts! Your set up is a very similar to what mine has to look like with the horizontal ends on the sway bar. I will use high grade hardware.
Would you mind letting me have your email in case I have some questions later?
Again many thanks and best regards
Rod
Rodney G Murray

Rod,
You have mail.
Mort
Mort 50 TD

Hi Mort:)
Email didn't come through yet , email address is
Rod dash (not underscore) murray at hotmail.com
rod-murray@hotmail.com
Best regards
Rod
Rodney G Murray

This thread was discussed between 24/07/2015 and 05/08/2015

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