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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Clive Wheatley Stead Bar

Enthusiasts,

Does anyone have a picture handy of Clive Wheatley's steady bar mounted?

I'm working through various options and would be interested in anyone's setup, please. I see that Clive markets a steady bar, but I'd like to see it mounted on the car.

My application is a Rover 4.2 in a 76 B.

Thanks,

Johnny
John Wells

John,
I built my own steady bar, ally rod anodised with two rose joints, it is not intricate.
regards
http://membres.lycos.fr/mgcontact/fileupload/uploads/1133995976_steadybar.jpg
michel

That is a lovely clean engine set-up you have there.

What engine is that? The alternator is in a strange place?
Liam

It is a SD1, the alternator is very small, it is Nippondenso, and it had its place there. Low place.
Regards.
http://membres.lycos.fr/mgcontact/fileupload/uploads/1134079528_v8engine.jpg
michel

Picture of my stabiliser bar here,
http://www.jimmcglynn.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/engine/stabiliser_bar/index.html

j w mcglynn

JW, that's pretty ingenious. Looks like you used a bushing and a flatwasher on each side of the inner fender metal for shock absorbtion and reinforcement? If you don't mind me asking, what did you use for the stabilizer bar itself? Joe
Joe Ullman

My first attempt with a steady rail was similar to JW's. But under sharp accelleration, it tended to "lift" the LH front wheel & steer the car to the right. This was very unnerving & the set up was removed as soon as I got home. My next attempt, which is still current, was to anchor one end to the LH head as was the first, & the other end to the chassis rail. So now it's a vertical bar rather than a horizontal one. The bar should be mounted to the closest point on the chassis rail. If not the engine will be allowed to move slightly until any play or slack is taken up. HTHs, Barrie E
PS I used the bar & mountings from a Rover P6 sedan
Barrie Egerton

Are the bars better horizontal or vertical or does it not matter. Denny
dbw

Hi John,
I re-used the old 1800 "under the gearbox" stabiliser bar. Have you still got yours?
This fits exactly across the back of the engine from a handy bolthole on the RHS head to on the top corner of the LHS foot well. Although most of it is hidden from view, I used all the existing MG rubber bushings and bits an pieces associated with the bar so what you do see, looks factory made. The top inside corner of the foot well is a good place to anchor the bar because any force is distributed evenly into the most structuraly complex part of the car. Obviously it's very strong just there. The placement at the back of the engine is more central and prevents the rear of the gear box "kicking" up and as per Barries point, any torque transmitted to the car is also more central and doesn't effect steering.
The length of the bar and horrizontal placement helps soak up any vibration and the maximised distance from the crankshaft makes it work better.
I cut the bushing mount point off the gearbox crossmember and reused that for the footwell anchoring point, but a piece of nicely shaped angle iron would have done. I make up a small plate with tapped bolt holes to go to the underside of the footwell so that the mount point would be super strong (and easier to attach). Some people bolt a small triangle of steel to the back of the head for that end of the bar, to better spread the force. My single bolt on works just fine although the triangle approach does look more "finished".
The fact that the bar and associated bushings is gratis also doesn't hurt at all ;)
Peter

I used Buick engine mounts and ran a bolt through the mount itself to limit movement. Seems to work quite well.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

This thread was discussed between 07/12/2005 and 11/12/2005

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