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MG TD TF 1500 - Rear brake backing plates

Hi
My TD came with an MGA back axle, I have managed to source a correct TD axle complete out to the brakes and hubs. I can source the hub, drum and brake parts but I am struggling with the backing plates left and right. My usual sources say NLA. Has anyone any ideas, I see there is a second hand LH one on ebay US but €40 shipping is bit steep for a €15 item.

Thanks

Barry
B Bridgens

Hi

Looking through the archives there is some debate as to whether the rear backing plates for early TDs ie no anti rattle springs are interchangeable left to right. If they are then the guy in the US has two left hand ones which I could use which makes shipping less of a pain.

thanks

Barry
B Bridgens

The abutment block mount holes are offset and they carry different part numbers so I presume not swappable L/R.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Hi Barry

My TD has two LH backing plates (the are both stamped "LH"). The only difference between the LH and RH plates is the location of the tang for attaching the anti-rattle spring. To overcome this issue, the PO drilled some small holes in the backing plate used on the right hand side to allow the fitment of modern anti-rattle springs. Matt.
Matt Davis

Hi Matt

Thanks for the info, they look the same although I can only look at pictures just now. I'm not worried about anti rattle springs my car was not fitted with them. If I want them I can make a bracket and weld it onto the plate. Anyway I have bought the two LH ones so we will see when they arrive.

Ray

The holes don't look offset from the pictures but it is difficult to say. If when I get the plates I can always weld up the existing and re-position. These plates are scarcer than rocking horse ****.

Thanks
Barry
B Bridgens

I believe the discussion got away from the main point of having two different TD backing plates on a TD. There are separate plates for LH and RH. The difference being the aft location of the abutment block holes and the location of the actuating cylinder on the forward side. The only interchangeability is that the early plates had no anti rattle spring attaching brackets while the later ones did. The parts manual illustration shows the difference and separate part numbers.
Jim Merz

Hi Jim

Here is a picture of left hand one, to me it looks symetrical judging by the fixing hole to the axle. The mounting holes on the axle are not horizontal so it would not be a straight plug and play. The mounting holes would need to be re-postioned to take account of this. If anybody knows of a pair I would be more than grateful as I have bought two LH one which should be here in a couple of weeks so one will need to be modified

Barry

B Bridgens

Hi

Here's the axle back plate mounting holes are not horizontal but canted backwards, I don't know why.

Barry

B Bridgens

Did you try Hugh Pite? I just bought a carrier from him . He just might have what you need.

Cheers

Bill Chasser Jr
TD4834
W. A. Chasser Jr

BJR Barry, Perhaps the attached illustration that I copied from the factory parts manual will help explain the difference between the LH and RH backing plates. One is a mirror opposite of the other. Reference 9 is the RH and 10 is LH. No comment about the bolt hole patterns since I never paid any attention to their orientation.

Jim Merz

Hi Jim

If you put it on the other side and rotate 180 degrees it is the same. The only problem is then that the bolt holes for fixing to the axle don't line up, which should not create a great problem. Anyone know why the fixing seem to be canted back very slightly?

Barry
B Bridgens

Barry,
I think it is canted to allow the cable to be above the spring. The cable abutment is on the spring plinth and the cable end slightly protected from road muck.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Hi Ray

That makes sense,it never ceases to amaze me how these little subtle items crop up on classic cars.

Barry
B Bridgens

Hi Bill

I've sent Hugh an email, thanks for the lead.

Barry
B Bridgens

See http://www.ttalk.info/RearBrakeBackingPlates.html for a bit about rear backing plate iding. Bud
Bud Krueger

As I recall, the plates are symmetrical top to bottom, so they can be flipped vertically. After flipping vertically all the holes remain the correct position for fixing to the axle, and for the location of the wheel cylinder. A left hand plate can therefore be used on the right and vice-versa. The only thing that is not symmetrical is the position of the anti-rattle spring fixings because of the leading and trailing brake shoes. Thus the reason for having two differnt plates with different part numbers for the right and left.

The cant on the axle fixing bolts would only be a problem if the fixing point for the shoe abutment and the wheeel cylinder hole were not on the line of symmetry.

I discovered my car had two left hand plates when I tried to fit the beehive type antirattle springs (the PO having fitted modern springs). This was fine on the left side, but initially I could not understand why the spring would not engage on the right until I noticed that my left hand and right hand plates were identical. I did try to source a genuine right hand plate, but decided in the end that as the plates are not visible it did not really matter.

Matt
Matt Davis

My apologies for my comment (3 down) I was looking at the wrong picture(front).
The rears do appear to interchange.
The fronts are not interchangeable as it would put the banjo bolt under the steering arm.
I worked on a friends car where the DPO had managed to put them both on the wrong sides by putting washers under the slave cylinder to give clearance.To compound it, twin TRAILING shoes don't work very well!
They had also managed to strip the thread in the stub axle nut and the wheel was held on only by the splitpin.
As you can imagine we nearly dismantled the whole car to check it over.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Hi
As you can see in the photo, the placing of the brake slave cylinder is different from left to right. The pair of backing plates are for sale as a set.
If interested please contact me. I have many other spare TD parts for sale.
garykrukoski at yahoo dot com

Maple Grove MN

Gary


gl krukoski

Hi Gary

Thanks for that but I managed to get a set from Hugh Pite.

Barry
B Bridgens

This thread was discussed between 22/10/2014 and 26/10/2014

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