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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - wire wheel Bugeye

Hello all,--before I spend another weekend in a junk yard,- can anyone tell me just how many 1/4 elliptic rear axles were true wire wheel assemblies from the factory? I have seen 1/2 elliptic units from later Spridgets that were true wire wheel deals.The wire wheel axles were shorter and do not seem to go fully into the diff for full engagement.Any ideas out there? Thanks,--Bob C in Kansas
Bob

Bob.

The Wire Wheel option on the Frogeye (Bugeye) was done by bolt on adaptors which gave a very slightly wider wheelbase. My Frogeye has a correct W/W axle, but I guess it has either been converted at some stage or is from a Mk2 Sprite / Mk1 midget, but I believe these are very scarce.

Hope that helps a little.

Mark.
Mark Boldry

Mark is correct and the correct width axle from a MKII Sprite or MKI Midget will be a little hard to find, but there are some out there. Of course you could have the housing narrowed and use the half shafts from a later Spridget as well, or make up the correct spring mounts and weld them on a later axle. The only Bugeyes I can think of that used wires were the Sprinzel Sprites and I don't think they used bolt on adaptors, but actually had the correct width axle. http://www.sebringsprite.com/
Don't know where you are in KS, but if near KC check with Craig Vaughn at Foreign Car Enterprises, he might have a housing, he has a lot of parts stored away.
Bill Young

Bob,
Do yourself a favor and spend your money elsewhere.

Djever notice that the TD was not available with wires? MG had already realized that wires add unsprung weight, cost too much and are not particularly useful. Unfortunately, the American public wanted their wire wheels on British cars, so wires returned as an option to the end of MG shipping to the USA.

Having said that, allow me to add that the Bugeye did not ship with wire wheels, so they aren't "correct" and there are no concours reasons for doing it; there are no performance reasons for the swap. To do it right, you should be buying NEW halfshafts and front hubs and NEW wire wheels. Probably cost more than you paid for the car. Forget about having a spare set of wheels, too.

Buy a nice set of the correct perforated disk wheels for it, add a nice set of alloys with better rubber on them and you will still be saving money. OTOH, it is your car and I will defend your right to do whatever the heck you want to with it ;-)
David "me? opinionated?" Lieb
David Lieb

but if you want "Genuine" this is what Jonathan's Sebring has on the hubs

Follow the link and browse a work of art while you are there

http://tinyurl.com/4pezhz

Me? I prefer solid "drilled" original wheels or Gary's banded wide ones

Chrome nave plates always do it for me


I cant find my pictures of Gary's wheels at the moment, but think Steve has them too
Bill

I saw some of those for sale on ebay just the other day but i cant see them now.

my wheels by the way
are here



V




G Lazarus

I think the point about Gary's wheels are that they aren't banded. In fact I just came across a reference to them - they're a proper Special Tuning Part.

In the 948 & 1098 ST Midget and Sprite booklet (C-AKD 5097), they're right at the back as part no. C-AHA 9266: 'Do not exceed the maximum wheel nut torque of 45 lb. ft. (6.2 kg. m.)', it adds.

Serious stuff.

TC
Tom Coulthard

Thanks for that Tom. Nice to know that I have a special tuning part (or four)on my car.
44lb is my max torque for the wheels.
G Lazarus

This thread was discussed between 10/04/2008 and 11/04/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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