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MG TD TF 1500 - Girling/Armstrong rears?

How do I determine if my car is fitted Girling or Armstrong rear shocks. My shocks are very thin verticlally and very long horizontally, in other words they don't look like the one pictured on page 19 of Moss catalog. Also the arm that is connected to the shock, which is an integral part of the shock mechanism, not the "link" that goes to the #21 "bracket shock link", has a rubber bushing in it but there is no bushing listed in Moss catalog. Item #2b 282-710 is described as BUSH,shock link (for Girling shocks only) but the arrow points to the bottom of the link where it attaches to the "bracket, shock link". So now I am cornfused, and looking for a blessing of help from MG Heaven (this forum).
Greg & Grimm
52TD 65BSA650
G.J. Cenzer

From my memory, the shocks you have in your car are the Girling shocks and the ones shown in the Moss catalog are Armstrong. I have both (my Girlings are stuffed in a box) but I do recall a different set of attachment hardware for the Girling and Armstrong including the bush. I will try and find my Girling stuff tonight and confirm.

Dave
D Runnings

Greg,

I just sent you an e-mail with pictures and my detailed notes from when I renewed bushings and remounted rear shock absorber assemblies earlier this spring.

Larry
Larry Shoer

Hi Greg,

I did manage to locate my Girlings and put them beside the Armstrongs and the links are quite different. As Larry has sent you photos, you probably can now see what you need. If there's other questions, let us know.

Dave
D Runnings

Larry,
Got the pics and text. Printed all out on paper. The only question on the pics is that it looks like there is NO nut on the link that traverses between the shock link and bottom plate, whereas my shock has a nut there. Maybe I should take a pic and send along.
Greg & Grimm
G.J. Cenzer

Hi Greg,

The shock link you described in Larry's photos is what I also have, NO nut, just a bush to put the bolt/pin through. If you look at the Abingdon catalog, Page 19 shows the different shocks. Page 25 shows a Girling shock & link for the TC (Item 56. The lower link pin/bolt (Item 57) that attaches to the bottom plate & bush (Item 58) are also shown. As you can see, no nut, it just pushes through. Maybe a change was made as they progressed from early to later TD's before changing to Armstrong shocks.

Dave
D Runnings

Well now ain't this a fine mess we have here. After studying all of the above, Abingdon, NTG, B&G, and Moss catalogs, 1950 MGTD Factory Manual, and 1953 MGTD/TF Factory Manual, I have come to the deduction the some ADPO fitted ARMSTRONG LINKS UPSIDE DOWN. Moss says that Armsrong links don't work on Girling shocks but, I got 'em and they are downsideup.
Another thing that the ADPO did was to use a 3/8W nut on the upper thread and a 3/4 American nut on the lower.
So, now to the BIG ? Do I buy Armstrong shocks and save the links or do I buy the proper Girling links and bushes (sound political EH)and save the Girling shocks. Maybe I should just convert to Spax, is that's still available in this Lovable World.
Gotta find a web site so I can make the pics available for all and sundry to see.
Gonna work on that one.
Have a happy dinner with some good wine on me, check is in the mail.
Greg & Grimm
G.J. Cenzer

OK
Question about Girling link bushes. I aquired a set of Girling links from Hugh Pite which still had bushes in them albeit sorta deteriorated looking but they came out in one piece and they measure 1" in length whereas the MOSS bushes measure 5/8" in length. You mean to tell me that the MOSS bushes are going to elongate 3/8" after assembly, I don't believe it.
So who/what is the proper length?
Greg & Grimm
G.J. Cenzer

Greg,

I would recommend you forget the moss bushings and order the type Larry Shoer used. I tried twice with the moss bushings (2 sets) and the moss tool sheared off about 25% of the bushing material during install. I tried with all types of lubricants as well. In my opinion, the moss bushings are junk.

The bushings Larry found look to be the original type.

Good luck,
Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

OK Gang, incase anybody wants to re-do their rear Girling shock link bushes and dosen't have big buckos to buy the Moss tools, I have just had great success followinf Larry Shoer's directions with the only deviation being that I used $5.00 tools to PUSH the bushings. I went to Lowes in the electrical dept. and bought two galvanized conduit connectors of such a dia. as to allow one to fit inside the other. Now they are super easy to grind off the ridges and stuff that you don't want to be there and hacksaw off some other bits and they worked great. I loaded some pics out on the webshots site: http://community.webshots.com/user/52mgtd
feel free to go and look and give some opinions (Moss probably won't go and look) but that's OK I spent enough money with them as it is. I used the Abingdon bushes per larry's rec.
Greg & Grimm
G.J. Cenzer

OK, I have finished my Girling rear shock/link assembly! Pics will be uploaded about Sat. morn.
However I would like to relate the most wonderfull lubricant that I used was sooo good I could almost push the bushes through by hand! What I used is called "LIQUID STEEL WOOL-LUBE" manufactured by BHLEN, Rt. 30 North, Amsterdam, New York 12010 part #B730-1365.
Now I probably bought this stuff back in early '70's when I was into antiques and funiture refinishing. The first bush I did I used Bestine rubber cement thinner but that evaporates too fast, then I tried liquid soap but that wasn't really slippery enough. So I'm walking around my basement workshop (whole basement is workshop) looking at all my 2X4 panel joists/supports which also serve as shelves and I spotted this bottle, and then it dawned on my how I used to use this stuff, so I tried it and I'm telling you you can't beat it for being slippery, and its water soluble and it dries good and fairly quick.
I know it's like food, everybody has their own recipe for the same dish, but I just thought I would pass this along.
Greg and Grimm
G.J. Cenzer

This thread was discussed between 29/09/2004 and 27/10/2004

MG TD TF 1500 index

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