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MG TD TF 1500 - TD Front Brakes # 2

Hello again, I wrote about trouble with the right front wheel locking up during normal braking on my friend 1952 TD. Since then we have carefully gone through the system again paying close attention to part positioning and orientation. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so no pictures, but compared to the shop manual and the pictures you folks provided all seems as it should be.

My friend who owns the car is getting frustrated and is considering discs for the front. I have an MGB front end and it seems to measure out right but I can find nothing about such a conversion. The biggest issue would be the TD 5 bolts and the B 4 bolt lug patterns.

This car, as is my B, is a driver not a show car and gets lots of travel. Safety is a large issue. Can such an upgrade be done, is there a better match of parts (MGA perhaps) and if it is possible does the master cylinder need to be upgraded?

Once again thanks for your help and suggestions.
Norm Peacey

MGA brakes and hubs will fit.

However, I and many others have no problem stopping our TDs with standard brakes. Something is still amiss. Check out my restoration site at www.dbraun99.com

Warmly,
Dave
Dave Braun

Norm,

My '53 TD has MGA front discs and I had a problem for some time with the right front calipher sticking/dragging. Turns out it was the flex line to the calipher because the inside of the line was collapsing. Replaced the line and the brakes worked as they should and the disc seemed to gradually lose the warping caused by previous over-heating (upwards of 360 degrees.) This last part sounds a little dubious, but seems to have happened.

Regards,

Bobby L.
B. F. Loughridge

When I first rebuilt my TF a long time ago (when I was very young) the right front brake was locking up on me, everything was brand new and installed all exactly per the picture in the work shop manual. I finally realized that the manual is showing one side and the other side needed to be opposite hand... I reversed the wheel cylinders and it fixed the brakes!

Joe B
Joe Buchmiller

Those "twin leading shoe front brakes" are a very good design. Swap to discs is not very difficult, but a great deal more work than tweaking existing brakes. In general, the drum brakes have less drag than the discs, too.

Check the rolling resistance of that wheel and see if there's extraordinary drag from bearings.

The right front may be locking up, not because it has a problem, but because the others have problems and are not doing their part. When I hear tires squealing on braking with modern twin circuit brakes, the first suspicion- there's one circuit down, and that's usually the problem.

Check other shoes to make sure they haven't gotten oil or brake fluid on them at some point. With drums removed, observe the brake cylinders and play with them to may sure all brake cylinder pistons work freely. Inspect drum surfaces to verify uniform, shiny metal. A quick check for extreme brake drag is to feel each wheel for extreme heat after a brief drive.

I assume by "wheel locking up during normal braking" you mean the brake is locking up and squealing the tire while braking. Or, do you mean the wheel stays locked up after braking? The latter is often caused by a pinched/blocked hose- lets fluid in under high pressure for braking, but the shoe springs can't push the brake fluid back to the master cylinder adequately.

I did MGB front discs and rear end, mainly to go to Euro splines/wire wheels and 3.9 ratio. Also installed modern metering/proportioning valve as well as dual circuit master cylinder, for added safety. Single cylinder master cylinder will work.

Find your digital camera and post photos. A picture is worth a thousand words, and the charge for posting pictures here is quite reasonable!

If your buddy is in the Windsor area, have him drive on over the bridge to Ann Arbor Hydraulics and we'll get it up on the hoist.

JIM
JIM NORTHRUP SR

Jim makes a good point- the right front may be locking, perhaps because the left front is not working correctly. Joe's comment important also. Something is still wrong. George
George Butz

did you turn the drums when you did the brakes? regards, tom
tom peterson

Flex lines can be a problem, they collapse and get full of rubber inside. I would check them out first. Converting to disc brakes is not all that tough and I love them. finding the parts is the hard part. I used MGA brakes and I have wire wheels.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

This thread was discussed between 30/10/2012 and 31/10/2012

MG TD TF 1500 index

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