MGB complete FRONT SUSPENSION rebuild - Resto Part 11

In this video, I perform a complete rebuild on the front crossmember/subframe on my 1974 MGB and reinstall it onto the car.
Details on the servicing of the lever arm dampers and the disassembly process are featured in other videos on my channel. Installation of front bearing hubs, steering rack and braking systems will be featured in another video.

[@TheM1lum]

Thankyou, without this, I could not see how those bottom trunnion rubber seals fitted.

[@simonhiggs5742]

I have one more layer of paint then rebuilding front sump! Thanks for the vid!

[@michaelmeza8261]

Wonderful real life work on an MGB to encourage us all!! Thanks!

[@hawkmoon560]

Brought back memories from the early to mid 80's of when I replaced the old top hat rubber bushes with the V8 type. Subframe assembly looking really good!

[@Endfloat]

Thanks! It'll be a long time before I can test the front subframe out on the road but I'm really happy with how it shaped up myself.

[@davidkenny3516]

Great job Ross. I feel your pain. I also buy from just mgs. Laurence a Gentleman and has great stock. No messing with customs, vat, extra chages etc. Keep up the good work.

[@Endfloat]

Thanks David! Good sense of victory here with me, not just getting the subframe installed, but getting this video finished and uploaded! It came from 53gb of footage!

[@timsiggs7993]

Another interesting video. Just good honest hard work, love it.

[@Endfloat]

Thanks Tim! I appreciate that!

[@Dave_Stafford]

Nice bit of progess Ross.

[@Endfloat]

Thanks! It feels that way for me!

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Another Great Video Ross, really enjoying this project taking shape.

[@Endfloat]

Thanks very much! Between this and the beetle, I think I'll have plenty of content ideas for the next while! 😲

[@Mickyrst43]

That subframe and the 4 bolts went in very handy,thought it would be a nightmare for you!! Making great progress all the same.I know youre switching to the Beetle,looking forward to that too.

[@Endfloat]

I think for my own sanity I'll end up going between the 2. But yeah I was delighted with how easy it went in! That's why I love working on this car. It's really well engineered in many ways.

[@douglasgreen437]

Well done keeping the old MG's going 🤔👍

[@Endfloat]

Thanks very much! Lots to do but I'll stay at it!

[@MGB-learning]

Outstanding video and presentation.

[@Endfloat]

Thank you very much! 😁😎

[@davyp7107]

Great job 👏

[@Endfloat]

Thank you!

[@carstenmoore5760]

Good work Ross. That crossmember ain't the easiest of things to reassemble. Just a little tip for you.... 😉 A small racket/luggage strap wrapped around the spring pan and lever arm makes a great way compressing the two together to get the kingpin bolts lined up. And just another observation before you go too far.. Are you sure your droplinks are installed on the correct (left to right) side? The tops should run parallel with the crossmember so the antiroll bar bushes drop straight in. Hard to see on your video, but it looked like the angle was way off... I could be wrong. Keep up the good work!

[@Endfloat]

Thanks once again for the advice Carsten. I did offer up the ARB and it seemed right but I decided to hold off until I have the steering rack in, and I've some reading to do about that. In the end, with the bolt hole alignment it didn't put up too much of a fight once I bounced the suspension a bit. It'll be a while before I get back to this car I reckon.

[@carstenmoore5760]

@@Endfloat For what it's worth Ross, I shimmed my steering rack without the UJ initially. That way it's easy to add or remove shims without fighting with the steering column. Alignment for the rack and column can be done by eye. (I know there is a special tool for this but I've yet to find one). Once I was satisfied with the fit I removed the rack noting where the shims went, popped the UJ on and the whole lot slipped together with no dramas. Anyway, onwards and upwards with the Beetle! 😁

[@Endfloat]

@@carstenmoore5760 I was half tempted to give fitting it a try but decided to hold off until I did my reading. It can be done when I'm fitting the hubs and brakes. Then I can get the car back on its wheels!

[@alfaromeoalfettarestoratio7817]

Yes, droplinks on wrong sides, but a relatively easy switch around. After I read or saw somewhere early on in my build that the cross member could be dropped and refitted with the brakes suspension and steering all still intact, I made sure to negotiate the reftting of the entire assembly as part of the deal with the body shop(s) I was using for all the welding. Had it all re-assembled including rack, pivots, discs, calipers - but minus the springs, etc before handing it over to a transporter, (whose guys promptly dropped it on my driveway 😫), to deliver to the shop. The engine and gearbox had already gone in so they were able to use the weight of the car to compress the spring. I had used the ratchet strap method when disassembling while it was on my bench. Anyway, another great video. Seriously wish this level of detail had been there when I was doing mine! Keep up the good work!

[@TD-Industries]

Im gonna be a man of two camps in this comment section. Great video. Really enjoying this series. But you used the adjustable wrench backwards.

[@Endfloat]

Hey, at least I didn't use it as a hammer!

[@americanpatriot2422]

Another great video

[@Endfloat]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stevenserabian7366]

I am in the process of tearing down the whole front suspension and crossmember on my 72 MGB and this video was very helpful in seeing how it will all go back together. Thank you for posting it. Did you media blast any of the parts before you epoxy painted them and did you take any precautions to keep the bolt holes (threaded or unthreaded) to facilitate the reassembly?

[@Endfloat]

I dipped the parts in an alkaline rust remover solution before painting. Some of the smaller components I blasted with aluminium oxide. And no, the bolt holes were fine.

[@donthuis]

Congrats on using V8 (NOS) rubber bushings: mine were mounted in 1986 and are still doing fine. BTW pressing them in the swivel arms can also be helped by using concentrated dishwashing detergent. Getting the top trunnion inbetween the shock arms can be done in several ways: next to yours it is also possible to prise the arms further apart by some bolt on the inside, put someting like a screwdriver between these arms to keep them apart and also use some palletknives if the rubber needs to be pressed further in. I found it better not to tighten the small bolts holding the lower springpad to the arms before the bottom of the kingpin assembly is duly in place (these thin metal plates with their tiny rubber seals are otherwise a PITA to shift inbetween as well and do not last long anyhow). Thanx a lot for these fine video's once more...

[@Endfloat]

I actually ended up swapping them for poly bushes further down the line.

[@donthuis]

@@Endfloat Hope you won't regret this in the future: most poly ones the graphite-filled black ones excepted firm up the ride too much and need repeated lubrication to keep squeaking away. For an early RBB as this one the socalled "Hopkins" conversion was sold for an extra stabliser at the back, a solution that only came in as standard from BL in 1978. Fortunately this very early 1974 RBB already has the stabiliser fitted up front. PS I still have a set of NOS V8 bushes, maybe I will have my MG mech have swap them with my 38 years old existing ones from my 1986 resto. Doing such jobs myself is becoming more difficult now having reached 80 years of age....

[@stuartreid8381]

Hi Ross. Thanks for your very informative demo. Please advise how to handle the steering boots when doing wheel alignment. The boots get all twisted up when winding the steering arms to set the wheel alignment. Thanks again. Stuart Reid. MG B GT owner South Africa.

[@Endfloat]

You might be able to just put a dab of Vaseline where the rod comes through the small end of the gaiter. Remove the clamp of course.

[@David-wy9jl]

Ross - Great video. I think you might have installed the top trunnion washers incorrectly. It looked like you installed the 2 thin shim washers and then the thick bronze spacer washer on top. I think the correct way is that the bronze spacer washer should be sandwiched between the 2 steel washers. That is, steel washer on bottom, then bronze washer then steel washer on top. My guess is that this is done make the steering a bit easier and possibly protect the bronze bushing from premature wear. You might want to refer to the manual to verify.

[@Endfloat]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll check that out and put it right if necessary.

[@gordonblank6845]

According to Moss Motors, two adjustment shims first then bronze thrust washer then trunnion.

[@troygolding1020]

Can this be done without pulling the engine? Just starting my journey of buying a 1977 mgb

[@Endfloat]

Yes absolutely. In one of my more recent videos, you can see me swapping the front crossmember on a 1980 GT with the engine still in.

[@25kmgb]

If you don't know to or simply don't care how to properly shim the trunion then you shouldn't offer instruction to other owners. There's a reason the shims are available in different thicknesses. And your refilling of the steering rack provided no reference point or procedure for determining how much oil you need to put in. Good luck with your car, all I can say is please, for your own safety, buy a copy of the factory workshop manual!

[@Endfloat]

Do you suspect that the shimming is that far out that it's going to cause a problem? Because I don't. Also, I didn't measure the amount of oil I put in. I just put in enough to ensure that the rack is sufficiently lubricated across it's full length.