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MG TD TF 1500 - Why Rivets

I am in the process of stripping my TD body tub. I found four rivets fixing the rear inner wing to a cross member just to the rear of the door pillar.
I am surprised the manufacturer used rivets and not bolts. Can anybody suggest why rivets would be their preferred option.

Similarly I am considering using bolts instead, when I reassemble - anybody got a good reason why not ?
Mel Pascoe

Hi,

Not sure your rivets are genuine, IMHO, the inner rear wing was fixed with bolts, I shall verify on mine tomorrow.
Sébastien Canevet

Apart from four rivets to the cross member the rest of the attachments are bolts
Mel Pascoe

I remember the cross brace "Rear Body Tie" 450-745 was also riveted on my TD.
I put it back that way.

Jim B.
JA Benjamin

They are certainly rivets on a TF. Don't know why, and difficult to replace when you need to.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Where are the rivets supose to go on a tf?
J.L.E. van den Boorn

Between the front of the rear wing inner and the cross member.
Dave H
Dave Hill

4 on each side. See photo.

I think rivets were used to allow as much space for the tire as possible.

Jim B.


JA Benjamin

This is the only place I had rivets installed. 53 TD

R D Jones - Ex Pat

They are 1/4" rivits. I had a very hard time finding them. If I were to do it over again, I would make some rivits out of 1/4" steel bolts.
D. Sander

I admit that is what I did as well, though I turned the heads down to a thin circular disc.
Dave H
Dave Hill

I bolted mine and like Dave, cut the heads down, no one is the wiser. PJ
Paul161

"Can anybody suggest why rivets would be their preferred option."

It could be an aid in assembly. Fixing bolts requires more finesse and longer times and you need two hands etc.

If the intent was that the parts would probably never be separated again (which makes sense in this case), I can see how they would elect to use rivets.
Christopher Couper

Seems the most likely reason.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Quote;
If the intent was that the parts would probably never be separated again (which makes sense in this case), I can see how they would elect to use rivets.
End Quote:

When I put mine back I actually secured the dross tie to the fenders with machine screws first. More or less to insure things were properly aligned and the clamping of the tie to the fender was as tight as possible. Then I removed the rivents, one at a time and inserted and peened over the rivets.

Jim B.
JA Benjamin

This thread was discussed between 05/11/2016 and 07/11/2016

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