Moss Motors, Ltd

I want to convert my 57 mga to front mgb brakes.  Does anyone have a parts list of what I will need?  I seem to recall that MGA! had an article on the topic, but I can not locate it.  Thanks  Cheers  Jeff

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Jeff

Jeff:

There are a couple of different ways to handle the upper end of the conversion, but first of all you will need a complete MGB king pin and vertical link assembly which will have to be sourced used, or buy a rebuilt assembly and forfeit the core charge. The MGB hubs are not available new, so these will have to be used. Make sure to check and ensure the inner bearing races are tight and have not been spinning inside the hub. You can buy rebuilt calipers and new rotors, but will need to get the special caliper mounting bolts to go with them.

The MGB king pin mounts to the original MGA A-Arms using the MGB lower bolt, spacer and seals which are readily available.

Now the fun part, there are three ways to handle the shock to kingpin connection.

 You can keep the MGA shock by fabricating spacers to go between the shock arms and the MGB kingpin bushes. This is a bit iffy and I don't recomend it.

You can install an MGB shock by slotting the body mounting holes slightly and using bolts to install it instead of the original studs. Again, this is iffy and I don't recomend it.

The best way to do the installation is to send your MGA shocks to a specialist that can rebuild them with MGB arms. This gives you a straight forward bolt together installation without any messing about.  The arms are installed upside down, but other than that they fit right on the original shock shafts.

The last requirement is that the steering rack track rods will normally need to be cut down slightly to allow correct alignment.

Kelvin Dodd

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Kelvin Dodd
Global Sourcing Engineer
Moss Motors, Ltd.
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Disclaimer: Working on automobiles is inherently dangerous. Moss Motors, Ltd. is not liable for injury or damage due to incorrect installation or use of their products. All products are sold with the understanding that the safe and proper installation and use of the products is the customer’s responsibility. Follow factory workshop manual procedures and instructions, but use current shop safety standards and common sense. Some tasks will require professional advice or services which Moss Motors cannot provide.

Kelvin:  Thanks! 

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Jeff

Hey Jeff

Kevin has some good points there - if you go for the B brake set-up get yourself some oversize carbon kevlar pads and have directional groves cut into your rotors (start with new ones)

Alternativily try and get the A MKII set up and do the same thing

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Life's to short to drink bad coffee.....

I take it this is an MGA 1500 that you have.

Another way to go about it is to fit MGA1600 front hubs and rotors and use MGB calipers and pads with a special mounting bracket which is (I believe) available from Moss and other suppliers. This saves having to source the hard to find (and usually well worn) MGA calipers.

I have accumulated the parts to do this conversion on my own car but haven't gotten to it yet, so I can't speak to the results.

 

Rich

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Life is too short to go slow-Safety Fast!

Just opened the page and saw your question. I happen to be the one that wrote the article in MGA!. We have been putting the complete MGB front suspension on MGAs now for about 30 years. Safer as the true kingpin from the MGB will not break above the lower trunion as the MGA swivel pin does (Broke two on my own MGA before I changed and MANY friends and customers that have had the swivel pin break, NOT FUN). There are no parts necessary other than the complete MGB kingpin assembly including the brakes and spindles! Use the MGA shock and lower springpan and arms. We have a complete "kit" but if you have a good MGB front suspension, I can talk you through doing the change. A VERY good investment!

Keith Ansell, kma4285@msn.com

I agree on the use of the B parts with the A shock arms. I found that 1/2" bore shaft spacers from the local hardware store used one on each side of the upper trunion bushing filled the gap perfectly. Buy a new bolt from Moss or use a grade 8 bolt for the upper mount and you shouldn't have any problems. Shortening the steering arms and rethreading to get the proper toe adjustment is the hardest part.

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'73 Midget (V6)
'59 MGA (I6) under construction
'73 Lotus Europa
'52 MG TD kit car body project.
'98 Jag XK8

"There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness"

I'll be happy to talk you through a MGB brake conversion for the MGA.

Keith Ansell  Phone: 360-882-3596 or e-mail: kma4285@msn.com

 

If you have to shorten the steering ends in any way, this means the steering arm location on the knuckle has moved inboard as compared to stock.

Therefore, in plan view, the static ackerman has changed. (defined as the plan view intersection of the two lines drawn through each side's kingpin location and its steering arm's location).

"Normal" ackerman has its intersection point at the rear axle.

Whether the change in ackerman is good or bad is dependant on where it is on the stock MGA.

Anyone have any data?

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59 MGA 1500 -- 3rd in the restoration queue

Hi there, I just bought my 1st MGA, had a few B's over the years. Mines a '58 1500. Have only just taken delivery. 1st time on the forum and have luckily found your post as one of the 1st things I'd like to do would be to get discs on the front. I live in Melbourne, Australia but get to London about once a month so could take parts back for the job. Would love to ring and have a talk about this sometime if you don't mind, sounds as if you know what you are talking about. Is this a landline number? and could I give you a call sometime to ask you about this 360-882-3596  Thanks in advance. My email is 777200er@gmail.com...     Cheers   doug P