MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

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 Midget and Sprite Technical - rear axle alignment

hya all. just noticed on my midget that the gap from tyre is closer on the right hand side wheel arcg to the right, i have recently fitted lowering blocks would this cause this and whats the best way to fix the problem

cheers james

ps...exuse all the regular questions im a newbie to classic cars and just want it rite!!
james gibson

James. Do not know about the Sprite and Midget, but the axle being off set to one side is a well known situation for MGB owners. I suspect that the Sprite/Midget also had this "problem" to some degree. As long as the tires do not rub on the inside of the fenders, there is no real problem unless the off set is rather severe. Sufficiently so to cause the prop shaft to be obviously tilted to one side when viewed from under the car.

Les
Les Bengtson

Hi Janes

This is a very common feature of both Midgets & MGB's. As far as I can tell the difference is in the wheelarch rather than the axle position. Certainly I can recall it is has been something present on some near new and never-been-damaged cars. On ones I have measured the axle has been symetrical about and square to the centreline so the actual alignment is OK.

So, no need to do anything. In square-arch models, if the tyre is at risk of making contact with one of the wings (usually the left) then the offending wing can carefully be jacked about 5mm in line with where the tyre crosses the lip of the wheelarch.
Paul Walbran

I think they're all like that sir!
Mine, at a guess is about a half inch closer on one side than the other.
If you have just fitted lowering blocks, did you tighten up the U bolts with the car on the ground? I've just polybushed the whole of the rear end (thoroughly recommended btw) and when I did the rear spring pads, also fitted with lowering blocks, the right hand wheel was noticeably closer to the front of the wheelarch than usual. However I only did the bolts up little more than finger tight, dropped the car, reversed it out and back into the garage and then tightened the whole lot up with the car on the ground and it went back to its normal alignment. I think you need to give al the bits a chance to settle into place, making sure of course that the locating pins on are all well seated into their holes.
Matt1275Bucks

Measuring is an other thing than right alignment on these 50 years old cars. I measured the gaps and aligned the axis by making even gaps with the panhard rod. Driving behind my own frogeye I saw it was still driving like a crab. But I could correct it again with the panhard rod. The front and back wheels are in the same track now.

Flip
Flip Brühl 948 frog 59

It seems that most are off center a bit, usually offset to the left side. Must have either been a reason for that small offset (centering the propshaft perhaps?) or just poor chassis jigs in the factory, don't know, but it's a common problem especially when mounting wider alloy wheels and larger tyres. Fitting lowering blocks shouldn't change the offset but it will make it appear worse in some cases because the top of the tyre is now closer to the wheel arch and the distance more easily visible.
B Young

I studied this on a number of cars and found a couple of reasons for it.

The spring hangers were not always absolutely in line (on my car if you fix the front of the spring in the front hanger and swing it up at the rear it needs a good push to engage the rear shackle!!)

The wheel arches a very rarely identical at either side!

And suprisingly if you measure between the spring mont on the rear axle to the brake backplate more times than not you will find small differences side to side. This would mean one wheel will be slightly further outboard than the other.

My car was a heritage shell some 20 odd years ago and it was full of issues I have jacked out the arch that was tighter than the other.

I have shortened the rear axle to allow wider wheels to fit inside square arches (185s) and I subsequently accurately welded the spring mounts onto the axle to ensure things would be almost inline.

At the moment I have done nothing with the rear spring alignment that is not at present causing undue problems.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

James,
As I understand you, one wheel appears closer to the wheel arch forward of the wheel, rather than being offset sideways? I think the real issue is whether the axle is wrong, or the bodywork is wrong. You could try measuring the wheelbase on each side, that at least will tell you of the back axle is parallel to the front.

Guy
Guy

This thread was discussed between 22/06/2011 and 23/06/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.