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MG TD TF 1500 - Sway Bar

Can anyone provide any advertising documents for a sway bar fitment during the period the TD TF was made?

Also I recall seeing adverts for Abingdon Spares many years ago?
Rod Brayshaw

Abingdon Spares, Page 59, Items #6 & 7.
http://www.abingdonsparesllc.com/catpg59detail.html Bud
Bud Krueger

...are you kidding me...$700+ dollars... A used MGB one for $25.00 and two links even new are $50 each...and a couple bushings from JC Whitney... whew!!!!
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Not a period correct up grade, however the NEMGTR has approved this as an approved up grade.
(My Roller lifter camshaft is a period correct up grade)
Len Fanelli

Rod I used the Austin Healey sway bar from Moss Motors 031-281. It came highly recommended. I've had it on for 3 years now and it was a great improvement. I've made one slight modification. If you are interested I can provide more details.
Mort Resnicoff (50 TD-Mobius)

The TD and the TF should have been bult with sway bars IMHO.
-David
D. Sander

A word to the wise.

Don't just drill a hole in the stock spring pan to mount the link. It is not reinforced for the extra load and drilling a hole makes it weaker, still. Try finding a set from an MGB or beef them up similar to the B's.
JIM NORTHRUP SR

Rod,save your money!!! I found an MGB that was being salvaged and bought almost all I needed including nuts and bolts. As I remember, it is a 5/8" diameter bar, a couple of bar retaining brackets (with new rubber bushings), the two vertical links, the front A frame bars with the extra hole to mount the link and the two spring pans that have this extra hole as well. It makes a world of difference in the way my MG TD corners!
Jim Merz

Here is a picture for you, Rod.

Jim Merz

And this is the MGB pan showing the difference that Jim Northrup is talking about.

Jim Merz

This is the MGB front A arm with the beef up. Rear arm is the same for MG TD, TF, MGA and MGB.

Jim Merz

Here's my 9/16 MGB anti swaybar set up using a boxed bolt on flange bracket and homemade links with Chevrolet bushes.

Dave Braun

Rod, I have a used stock MGB 9/16 sway bar that I bought off of ebay that I will sell for 25 bucks plus shipping (What I payed for it). Not sure what it would be to ship to New Zealand.

Regards,
Rich
Richard Taylor TD3983

And I thought all rod wanted was a period advertisement . I missed this one....

Regards, tom
tom peterson

Good point, Tom.
Dave Braun

Tom. I read it the same way and then went searching my old magazines looking for one. I did not find it.
Then when you posted your comment I looked back at Rod's original request and the 'period' word was not there.

So at this point I think Rod took the word out just to trick just you and I :-)
Chris Couper

Add me to the group. Bud
Bud Krueger

I did not expect such a response, its a really great forum to be connected with.

The period word was always there, I don't know how to edit a post made.

I race my TF in NZ Vintage Car Club events and for some unknown reason the organisers have made some additional rules, one being no sway bars unless they were period available and one can prove this. A silly rule that in my opinion proves nothing as who wants to race a TD TF without one, certainly not me.

Since making the initial post I remembered the YB was made with one.

So I wonder if someone has a YB brochure or a specification sheet that describes this addition that the YA did not have, and can scan it for me please?

Without this I cannot enter next years race meeting.

Rod Brayshaw

I don't remember ever seeing a period ad for a sway bar; I've owned a few 50's racers, and none ever had a sway bar.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Rod, what would be the period for your car? Bud
Bud Krueger

The YB saloon from 1951

My TF is 1954

The YB sway bar would have been able to be purchased as a spare part from 1951 and will fit the TF as the front suspension is identical.

If available at the time of TF production then it could have been fitted to a TD or TF by anyone who chose to fit one.
Rod Brayshaw

Rod,

in the YB workshop manual there is a drawing of the suspension with the anti roll bar. I'll send you a scan as a reply on your email to my Gmail account: vdveery5888 (at gmail dot com etc.)

Willem
Willem van der Veer

I don't know if it's adequately "period" but just for funzies I went back to my 1975 Abington Spares catelog and it shows a front anti-sway-bar for the TF (PN 550833) and for the TD (PN 550835). Perhaps someone has an earlier AS catelog. If it's of interest I can scan and post the pages tomorrow.

Jud

J K Chapin

It would be nice if someone could post a scan from the YB manual here, as I think a lot of people reading this thread would be interested to see it.
kylemorley

Rod, You've got mail.

I'll try to resize the file tonight so I can post it here on the BBS.

Willem van der Veer

Here's the 1975 anti-sway bar from Abington Spares.
Jud

J K Chapin

Thank you Willem

I have a YA manual, it shows a diagram of the complete chassis and all the components in exploded view.

Is the YB manual also have this? If it does that would be most use full to have also.

Thank you for your efforts.
Rod Brayshaw

Rod, I'll have a look tonight for the complete chassis picture of the YB.

In the YB catalogue the anti roll bar isn't in the picture! I'd have to study it more carefully but suspect they didn't bother to produce new YB pictures and used the ones of the Y-type.
Willem van der Veer

Rod,

You've got mail

Willem van der Veer

Bravo, Willem! It is just this kind of help that keeps out cars on the road. Thank you from all of us.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Rod, Pease E mail me.
Len Fanelli
Abingdon Performance
Street & race T series parts
Len Fanelli

Which brings up an interesting question - if MG had a sway bar sitting on the shelf that fit the TD/F, why didn't the factory ever make it available for the T's, why didn't racers try them,, and why are period ads for them non-existent? One would assume that however the factory felt about them, someone would have at some point decided to try them on a racing or sports car and the word would have gone around quickly if they were as good an addition as generally thought today.

My suspicion is that sway was just not considered that detrimental to handling in those days of skinny, bia-ply tires, and sway bars were considered a comfort rather than performance item.
kylemorley

What I have learnt from this exercise is that the front suspension spring pans from the YB on right through to the last MGB had the two holes in the pressing to attach the sway bar pivots. Looking at a YA spring pan today, no holes.

So the provision was there and the parts were in production to use.

Must have been other reasons, cost cutting could be one, cross ply tyres another.

I had previously studied the TD's that Dick Jacobs ran, looking at FMO885 it looks relatively flat on cornering but these cars had the extra front shocks fitted, so that may have improved the handling in those days as much as a sway bar had.

Dick Jacobs certainly raced a YB in 1953-4 UHK111,& MG662, so he would have been aware of sway bars.

I could find no reference to their use, so far.
Rod Brayshaw

This thread was discussed between 09/11/2013 and 14/11/2013

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