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MG MGB Technical - mgb le bumper convertion

Hi all
I have a 1980 Le model, but i would like to convert to chrome bumpers and to wire wheels (i got 4 off 72 spoke 15" dia).
question is, the best way to do this...
i know one can get the parts off shelf for bumpers, but for the wheels is diferent story..
regards
Alfredo

amf rodrigues

The bumper conversion is pretty straight forward as a kit can be purchased from Moss, Vic Brit, or others. The wire wheels are another story. Your rear is a different width than a wire wheel rear. The cheapest way to go from disc wheels to wires is to purchase a wire wheel rear from someone out of a parts car along with the front hubs. There is a conversion available using your rear, but it's very expensive as the bolt on hubs are specially designed for the specially designed wire wheels which can be bought as a package from Moss. $2,449.00 for chrome wires. $1,979.95 for painted wheels. Hope this helps. PJ
Paul Jennings

Conversion hubs are available for *standard* wire wheels, in the UK at least. I'm not aware of conversion hubs that need special wire wheels, that would need special front hubs as well unless you carried two different spare wheels, wouldn't it? However although the conversion hubs do bring the wheels in a bit compared to standard wire wheel hubs on a stud wheel axle, I still had significant problems with even 165 tyres rubbing the arches and eventually swapped the axle. With an 80 unless you are planning to lower the ride height as well you may well get away with conversion hubs on your axle. I *increased* the ride height on my CB roadster in an attempt to stop the rubbing, which was partially successful, but as I did that by using the harder RB springs that introduced its own problems of an unpleasant ride over some surfaces, which I why I eventually swapped the axle and put the correct springs back on.

There are also stud-mount wires available which use the original studs and have the correct offset, but if you already have the wheels ...

Incidentally 15" wheels in place of the original 14" will increase top speed at the expense of acceleration, and also cause the speedo and odometer to read low by nearly 3% with 165s. As speedos *should* read anywhere from 0% to 10% *over* reading you have a 70% chance of still being OK. 175s will reduce the error to 0.7%, but increase the risk of fouling the arches.
Paul Hunt 2010

in the picture i place one at a side the of original one and thats how will probably look, a bit lower when assembled.. RB has an high ride...i wonder if the distance between the 2 rear discs will clear the hub and wheel in the arches..
about the wheels circunference i can always use a low profile tyres..this wires have 185 65r15 at moment..with very good tread..

amf rodrigues

Alfredo,

I put 15 inch wheels on my ex rubber bumper car. They also have 185/65x15 tyres. There were no clearance problems with standard wire wheel hubs until I lowered the rear suspension, and then I had to change to the narrower wire wheel axle.

The wheels look so much better than the 14 inch ones in my opinion.

David

D Balkwill

You can avoid any welding at the rear, and keep safe with my rear fog light installation.

D Balkwill

David
thats a great looking GT you got there...the 15" wire does make a diference..
i have contacted mgbhive for bumpers conversion...i will see
regs
amf rodrigues

Personally I'm not for a chrome bumper conversion. If you have a rubber bumper car then that is the way it is meant to be. Convert it to chrome and it is neither one thing nor another. In otherwords a kind of bastardised MG. However its your choice. The other thing it that it would obviously decrease the value of the car for this very reason.
Iain MacKintosh

Iain
the reason that iam thinking of doing that is because got another Cb MGB a 71 model which a like more...iam trying to sale this RB here in Portugal, but they prefer the Cb type also.

amf rodrigues

This thread was discussed between 31/05/2010 and 07/06/2010

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