MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Noise from wheel/rear brake

I have a 948cc frogeye with standard wheels and hear a light click type of noise occassionally when I drive, both under load and also when just cruising in neutral. It sounds like it is coming from the suspension beneath my seat. I can also create it when I bounce the rear right hand side of the car.
I have looked underneath but can see no obvious culprit.
I am thinking two possible reasons, but would be very grateful for any suggestions:

1. I read in the archives about a "floating" rear wheel cylinder knocking against a wheel stud. Is this possible? But I am not sure how I can tell if that is the problem (other than removing the cylinder and driving with no brakes!) nor how to correct it, if it is. I tried with handbrake on, but it didnt silence it.

2. I also remember reading somewhere about "worn out" wheel nuts, where the tapering on the wheel nut has flattened and so the wheel is not held tightly enough. Could it be this?

If anyone has any views, I would be very grateful. Many thanks
Graham M V

Sorry to go on about this but it is driving me crazy. I changed the wheel and wheel nuts and had a look at the brakes, and no solution there.
But I do have play in the half shaft that allows me turn the wheel slightly , about three quarters of an inch movement at the circumference of the tyre. I had thought this was normal, but am I wrong?
Other than that, it has me stumped! There is no lateral movement in the wheel, and I can't see any wear in suspension.
Thanks
Graham M V

"I can also create it when I bounce the rear right hand side of the car"

Have someone do exactly that, as you are under the car.

I've had similar over the years. The handbrake linkages of click in this way, when they wear at the ends.
Lawrence Slater

Worn shocks?
Alex G Matla

Graham,
3/4" "lash" at the wheel rim is not at all bad. Up to 2" is apparently acceptable, so I wouldn't worry about that on your car.

On a Frog, it could be caused by wear in the trailing arm bushes. Check and see if there is any slackness there.
Check also that there is no slack between the backplate and the axle. It is held on with 4 small bolts and if the bolt holes in the backplate wear oval then you get a click on braking and on accelerating as the backplate tries to rotate with the wheel. (and maybe just with suspension movement)
And look to see if there is any evidence of the shock absorber body moving relative to the triangular plate that it bolts to.
Guy

Thanks for feedback.
I seem to have traced it down to the quarter elliptic springs. As you will know, it is made up of about a dozen leafs, and it seems that on bouncing the suspension, the bottom leaf parts slightly from the others, and then the noise is caused as it clicks back. I can just about slip a small electrical screwdriver into the gap, when it opens, and that seems to deaden the noise.
So my question is please, what do think I can do about it? I am assuming it is not serious, just annoying.

Many thanks
Graham M V

I think I have solved it, at least for the time being.
So in case anyone here or in the archives is interested, here is the answer (I think). I believe that when the spring is under pressure, the individual leaves need to slide slightly in relation to each other when taking the strain. I think mine were coroded together at certain points, so the only way the pressure could be relieved was by bulging away from the adjoining leaf, between "coroded joints". Anyway, I sprayed WD40 liberally on the leaves, bouncing the car all the time so that it would soak into the gaps as much as possible, and just doing that seems to have resolved the problem (fingers crossed).
Graham M V

This thread was discussed between 23/03/2012 and 28/03/2012

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS now