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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 - MGB/T SeriesFront Ends

Knowing where a bare bones TF chassis is located and an idea I've had for some time, will a complete MGB front end, consisting of upper and lower control arms out to and including hubs fit on a TF chassis without any modification to the chassis? Just curious. PJ
Paul sr

PJ, I used the MGB lower arms,spring pans and sway bar and it bolts right up. Not sure what issues if any there would be with the shocks.
Richard Taylor TD3983

Richard, I to plan on using an MGB sway bar and pans on the TF when it's completed.
I'm just curious if a complete MGB front end will bolt up to another T or MGA cross member. I have loads of MGB parts, drive trains, engines, sheet metal, etc, etc. Thought up an idea for a speedster from a conglomeration of different BC parts. MGA chassis might even be better. Who knows if it ever gels, I have 2 years of work still left on this TF. PJ
Paul sr

Paul, Richard,

MG in their frugal wisdom, used (basically) the same front suspension on the TD up to that last MGB.

It's easy to adapt a sway bar to your TD or TF. You need to change just one wishbone arm, and add a sway bar kit. All this is shown in the Moss MGB catalogue on page 47 of the 2013 Spring/Summer issue.

I couldn't find a sway bar kit in the T-Series Moss cataolgue, or on their web-site, but Abingdon do still show it on their site. See:- http://www.abingdonsparesllc.com/catpg59detail.html

However, I found that there are lots of used MGB swaybars and wishbones around, without paying the Moss prices.

The 5/8" bar is entirely adequate. Anything larger makes the ride rough.

If you chose to also add the stiffer MGB springs, note that the lower pan will have to be changed as the MGB spring is smaller in diameter than the T-Series.

I suggest you use the rubber sway bar mount, as against after-market ones in Delrin/Nylon/Nylatron, etc. Those are for racing.

There's a virtual plethora of information on this conversion, many with excellent pix, in the archives - suggest you look them up.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.

Gordon A Clark

As a penance for former sins I recently rebuilt my Lotus Elan. One of the important points to address was bump steer. If you were to draw a diagram of the lower wishbone, upright and shockabsorber you would have a sort of parallelogram. The knuckle joint in the steering rack needs to positioned at a centre point so that when the suspension rises or falls, the road wheel is not pulled in or out - otherwise you will get bump steer. I would assemble the MGB front end without the spring and lift the wishbone through its full range and check that the road wheel remains static. If it doesn't you will have to put shims under the rack mountings.

Jan t
J Targosz

I have a 5/8 sway bar to use and a couple spring pans with the mounting plate on them for a sway bar. I like the way LaVerne hooked up his links to it, which are eventually very successful. In other words, I have the parts, it'll just be a while before I get to the mod. PJ
Paul sr

It is "easy" right up to being a Mk II to putting in a sway bar. To actually do so, you have to give up your Andrex shocks (ask me how I know). Another 'problem' I encounter from being a MkII owner is the negative camber lower arms offered on eBay right now (and for the last 6 mo or so) which don't have the extra block of steel for mounting the Andrex shocks. I'd love to go that route especially cornering at 60 MPH.
John Redman

Paul, Dan down in Missouri just recently put a B bar on a TF in his shop. He said that he had to modify the control link as it would hit the tie rod on full lock of the steering. Mine did not but I just wanted you to know that in advance.

The B and the TF share the same spring pan (except the B has the eyelet for the roll bar). The pan arms are the same except once again the B has a large opening for the roll bar. The springs on the T series are slightly smaller in diameter that the B springs. The upper spring locating cup has the same placement for the mounting screws and can be interchanged with one from a B. However the one from a B will not fit inside a T series spring because of the increased diameter. The spindle assembly is a different animal altogether. The shock from a B will mount to a TF chassis but I can't say what the issues would be if trying to fit the full B assembly.
L E D LaVerne

I insatlled a 5/8 MGB front sway bar on my TD and only changed the spring pans and the front A arm to those from an MGB. The holes in the pan and stronger arm provded the stength for the sway bar mount. I use my TD springs and shocks with no problems. I did shorten the vertical sway bar links to eliminate a tie rod and gaiter interference. The mod makes a world of difference in steering and stability.

Jim Merz

I have boxed brackets installed on my a-arms to support longer links with easy to source GM suspension bushings. The bar is the 5/8 bar from a BGT. No harshness, but the steering became more precise, along with controlling body lean.

Dave Braun

So LaVerne, is there a proper fit of the TF spring in the lower B spring pan?
Jim, how did you shorten the link arms and to what length?
Jim, I think there's a tiny scratch on the tie rod! Thought you might like to know that! Grin. PJ


Paul sr

Paul I saw no differences in the two spring pans other than the lug for the sway bar on the B pan.
L E D LaVerne

Thanks LaVerne, I have a good pair of B pans. I'll get them and ready them for the blaster. PJ
Paul sr

This thread was discussed between 27/08/2013 and 28/08/2013

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