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 MGA - Nuts and Washers

As I start to reassemble my car I seem to notice things that I missed on the disassembly. First is I notice my car had no flat washers or lock washers on any of the eight threaded ends of the four u-bolts holding the rear axle on. Looking in Moss catalog it shows only nuts-no washers. Since MG seemed to put flat or lock washers on about everything else, is there some reason not to have washers here?

Secondly as I assemble this car I notice there was a lot of lock nuts used. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to their usage. Did the factory do this or just pervious owners using what they had available.
Joe Holtslag

U-bolts on the rear axle are securing rubber pads, so the joint moves around some would not hold a lock washer. It uses double nuts jammed together to lock the U-bolts. I suppose it doesn't need a steel flat washer when it is on a steel plate.

The factory did indeed use a lot of lock nuts, like on just about everything that moves. It was common to use both a helical spring lockwasher and a self locking nut. Suspension parts, propshaft, engine mounts. Their most favorite lock nut was the all steel Stiffnut:
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/restore/rt104d.htm
But they also used a few Aeroquip nuts (similar to Nylock). The specific fasteners used can be found in the Service Parts List.
Barney Gaylord

Ah...double nuts...it must have been apart before as only single nuts were on the u-bolts. I'll double up the nuts...thanks.
Joe Holtslag

Joe, Barney is correct as always there are double nuts on each U bolt thread although most vendors sell the new u bolts with nyloc nuts instead.

When you tighten the nuts do them all gradually and I try to get them to around 15 to 20 ft/lbs. If you do them too tight the rubber squeezes out.

Andy
Andy Preston

This thread was discussed between 02/11/2012 and 03/11/2012

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.