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MG MGF Technical - MGTF Crossbrace

Hi,

Does anyone have any photos of underneath there MGTF's?

I have just purchase the front cross brace from a breakers, and I would like to see what it should look like installed e.g. which bolts from the subframe bushs hold the one end and where the holes should be drilled for the front.

Thanks in advance

Chris
Chris Glen

Hi Chris
You do not need to drill the front of the subframe it fits to the already in place weld nuts. Please note though as the brace is from the front of the subframe to the body (rear subrame mounts to body bolts), you do need to have replaced your subframe mounts for solid ones. Otherwise the brace will be fighting the movement in the rubber subframe mounts.
With the brace and solid subframe mounts it makes a substantial difference to the stiffness of the car, virtually eliminating scuttle shake on our car.
Dave

Vehicle Handling Solutions are doing a full crossbrace set of parts - front subframe, behind the dashboard and the engine bay - for those who can afford it [not me :(]. Does anyone know what sort of price the official spare parts cost? I assume they would be available from the relevant dealers. I certainly wouldn't mind getting at least the front brace as it should be quite easy to fit.
Mike Cunningham

Subframe mounts were on my list for next year, so I shall wait to the job in a one. It will save my knuckles!

So the brace bolts to the inside rear bolt of the subframe mount then??

Mike I purchased the cross bar for £40 inc delivery from roverbreakers.com

Chris Glen

I have the front brace fitted to my car but not the dash brace. The subframe brace on its own makes a significant difference with the solid subframe mounts. The subframe mounts should be available from any MG Rover breaker, all TF's were fitted with them (they are always painted a fetching light blue colour), and as they are solid they do not wear out.

Mike I must again repeat that the subframe brace does need you to fit solid subframe mounts as you do not mention this.
Dave

Yes I have, along with all the other TF parts that grace the underside of my F! After the upgrade, I was not immediately conscious of any marked worsening of chassis torsional movement despite the stiffer springs. I have got the VHS Bilstein dampers which are kinder than the original TF items. I was probably relishing the harder exhaust note from the 4-2-1 manifold to pay that much attention to the ride!
I did also wonder whether a complete panel covering the underside of the subframe would not only give the added stiffness, but also improve the underbody aerodynamics?!
Mike Cunningham

I recogise you now Mike. I too have thought of the undebody paneling from an Aero point of view. Concern though is over cooling at the radiatior vents to the underside of the car and as cooling is our biggest worry with these cars, you would need to now what your doing. Altough done correctly you could possibly improve the airflow.
I would not expect panneling the subframe to give the same level of torsional siffness as the brace. A similar type of brace was employed by Jaguar on the later model of XJS convertibles to reduce scuttle shake, I believe it works in tenison to triangulate the subframe.
Would have expected you to have noticed an improvement in the directness of the steering with the solid mounts. Did you also have a TF rack fitted, we have a TF rack on our car and did notice the improvement with the quicker rack.
If your thinking of further stiffness improvements, I have been wondering about a short brace across the tunnel between the rear front subframe mounts. What do you think?
Dave

I don't think MG Rover list the cross brace as a seperate part. It is just part of the body assembly as in the engine bay brace and bracket.
Dave

Thanks guys
Chris Glen

Thanks guys, but do any of you have a pic of the brace installed??
Chris Glen

Dave, I still have my original EPS rack, but it works fine for me. As you say, it's the tension diagonal of the brace that does the work, so it doesn't need a particularly big cross-section. A panel would be strong enough in tension, but would probably need some stiffening ribs pressed in to stop it panting. If it helped the airflow, it would tend to reduce the underbody pressure, which would be beneficial to radiator flow as long as it had a big enough exit. When I get the chance to 'get out and get under', I will have a think about fabricating my own simple brace. Whilst I'm at it, I could add your idea of a straight cross-brace for maximum effect!
I recall years ago helping fit two lengths of Dexion angle from one end of a Morris 1100 to the other to stop it going banana-shape long enough to get my father-in-law home to Sheffield. The floor was opening up at the bottom of the front bulkhead, and we had to jack the car up under the doors to reduce the banana while we bolted the Dexion in place! Ah, happy days.....
Mike Cunningham

Happy days indeed - I worked for the company that developed the original Dexion, intended as a speedy way to erect shelving it soon became apparent how many other uses it actually had!

And as a BTW in those days it came in aluminium as well as steel which was in short supply!
Ted Newman

Details of the VHS kit found here: http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/body/index.htm#Introduction

Got it all on my F, and am very happy with the results - tightens up the car quite nicely :o)

I do wonder whether triangulating the hydragas turrets would be of any benefit? Techspeed tried this on their Cup cars, but found no benefit on a seam welded car with roll cage installed - but I wonder whether there'd be a detectable improvement in steering on a road car that doesn't benefit from race-car preparation?
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 08/12/2007 and 11/12/2007

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