Have you installed front/rear sway bars? : MGB & GT Forum : MG Experience Forums : The MG Experience

Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #1
jameslo James L Southlake, TX, USA 1979 MG MGB	Posted: April 03, 2012 08:43PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 69

There are several sway bar kits for MGBs for front and rear.

I'm thinking about this as an upgrate to my '79. I'm discovering that taking some corners is a bit more exciting than they really should be, and I'm hoping this will stabilize the car and reduce oversteer.

Have you put one of the kits on yours, and if you did, which kit, and what were the results?

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #2
chris Chris Roop Pendleton, OR, USA	Posted: April 03, 2012 09:34PM Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 30,243

See if the car is tapped to receive the bolts that would hold the swaybar; I think that they all were. Then you would just need the front wishbones, swaybar, and both down links with u brackets and rubber mounts, all of which can be gotten used or new.

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #3
Soyokaze 72MGB Ryan Foster Ð¡Ð¾Ñ„Ð¸Ñ, Bulgaria 1972 MG MGB "Bitty"	Posted: April 03, 2012 10:53PM Registered: 6 years ago Posts: 3,476

Often, people lower the car to the chrome bumper ride height as part of the package. Taking the car to the early suspension with lightweight new alloy wheels and modern sticky performance tires makes the car handle better than most new sports cars. If you need parts or help, try Sportscar Warehouse in Arlington as they should have 99% of the parts you would need in stock and would be able to do the conversion very quickly. I drove my red '72 B up and down 1709 a thousand times, so I hope to see your car too later this year.

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #4
TomBrooksuk Tom Brooks Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom 1967 MG MGB GT	Posted: April 04, 2012 01:13AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 600

Hi

I have a 7/8th front ARB on my 67 BGT and an original Ron Hopkinson rear ARB very happy with the results

The car does have uprated lever arms all round and red "race" poly bushes front and rear too, with standard CB front and rear springs (speed bumps are a problem if i lower it further)

The car oversteers v slightly in the wet but is extremely predictable and iv driven the car a lot of miles with this set up including from the UK to the Le Mans classic 2 years ago with no problems at all and that included 2 laps of the circuit there.

James as yours is a RB MGB there are more things to consider esp if lowering the car as well as it upsets the geometry (which to be honest isn't that bad on a normal road car) we are just completing a FP style 1976 GT race car and its had almost all the suspension variations you can put on a MGB since it was initially a road car when we first bought it, then a fast road tract day car now an all out race car. So if your considering any other suspension upgrades i would be glad to tell you what affect they are likely to have as its probably been run on our MGB before.

Tom

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #5
MGB567 Barrie Braxton Sunshine Coast, Australia 1966 MG MGB MkI "Money Guzzler"	Posted: April 04, 2012 01:57AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 5,321

Didn't the r/b come with front and rear as standard (to account for the handling characteristics induced by the heightened ride - I get confused. C/b cars only came with a front bar which wasn't standard equipment until November '66 - they never had rear bars and in fact you'll find most do not recommend a rear bar on a c/b - panhards and/or anti-tramp rods yes (if you're going racing) but not a rear bar.

CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67 owned since 3/77. Undergoing nut and bolt restoration. Tartan Red (now). 18GB +40 balanced with almost all new internals. Peter Burgess big valve fast road head. Piper 285. TT exhaust. ARP everywhere. 123 ign. Needham 4synchro c/r box. Stock rebuilt/replaced suspension. Superpro bushes. New brakes all round including all pipes in SS flex. Interior redone. CAMS approved roll bar and side bars. Lots more. Hybrid of o/e and show/fast road car. Not for sale - it's my toy!

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #6
chris Chris Roop Pendleton, OR, USA	Posted: April 04, 2012 07:27AM Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 30,243

Barrie, The r/b starting in 77 came with rear bars as std., don't know about the front.

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #7
MGB567 Barrie Braxton Sunshine Coast, Australia 1966 MG MGB MkI "Money Guzzler"	Posted: April 04, 2012 07:47AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 5,321

Chris my Robson circa 1977 notes that the '77 model year improvements included front and rear anti-roll bars (which I thought were added due to the ride height). As the book was printed in '77 it obviously doesn't record if these were subsequently removed for the '78 or '79 model year. My Haynes MGB history book includes updates for '78 and '79 and doesn't mention that they subsequently removed the anti-roll bars. I don't have Clausager. I guess I'm saying that I would have expected James' car to have them and that as he doesn't someone's removed them but I'm not as aufait with r/bs as I am with the Mk1.

CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67 owned since 3/77. Undergoing nut and bolt restoration. Tartan Red (now). 18GB +40 balanced with almost all new internals. Peter Burgess big valve fast road head. Piper 285. TT exhaust. ARP everywhere. 123 ign. Needham 4synchro c/r box. Stock rebuilt/replaced suspension. Superpro bushes. New brakes all round including all pipes in SS flex. Interior redone. CAMS approved roll bar and side bars. Lots more. Hybrid of o/e and show/fast road car. Not for sale - it's my toy!

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #8
mgbgts Rob Meier Johnstown Ohio, USA 1956 MG Magnette ZA 1957 MG Magnette ZB 1962 MG Midget 1966 MG MGB GT 1969 MG MGB GT → more	Posted: April 04, 2012 07:51AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 1,729

All (US spec at least) 79's came with front and rear swaybars stock. Start with making sure all the suspension bushings and components are in good order before modifying anything, you may find replacing worn bushing and such will give a satisfactory improvement. If not, then lowering the car a bit will help a lot as the higher center of gravity on the rubber bumper cars really was what lessened the handling capabilities. I've worked with a few guys in lowering thier rb cars, and they were all very satisfied with the improvement.

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #9
Dwight Dwight McCullough Ham Lake Minnesota, USA	Posted: April 04, 2012 08:16AM Registered: 4 years ago Posts: 1,151

Yes. The 7/8" bar from Moss and the stock '77 in the rear. Plus camber adjustment, lowered 1 3/4"- 2"
Stock springs/original shocks

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #10
underdog Jim Underwood Pittsburgh, USA 1972 MG MGB 1980 Triumph TR8 "Fabulous Trashwagon" 1999 Chevrolet Corvette "Darth Vader" 1999 Chevrolet S10 "Spare Change" 2003 Jaguar S-Type "Eleanor"	Posted: April 04, 2012 08:20AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 9,390

In reply to # 2031045 by mgbgts All (US spec at least) 79's came with front and rear swaybars stock. Start with making sure all the suspension bushings and components are in good order before modifying anything, you may find replacing worn bushing and such will give a satisfactory improvement. If not, then lowering the car a bit will help a lot as the higher center of gravity on the rubber bumper cars really was what lessened the handling capabilities. I've worked with a few guys in lowering thier rb cars, and they were all very satisfied with the improvement.

X2 except I'm not a fan of the typical way these get lowered and I believe acceptable street handling cn be had without. I agree with getting everything in top condition...then a better wheel/tire package.

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #11
peter d peter h yorkshire, United Kingdom 1958 MG MGA Coupe 1977 MG MGB "Abomination"	Posted: April 04, 2012 05:35PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 699

Hi all
Dont know if this will help.
http://www.kewengineering.co.uk/upgrades4mgs/Drivetrain/lowering_the_rubber_bumper_mgb.html
I lowered my 77 but i found that once i had done that i had to remove the Ron Hopkinson rear ARB.With it It handled like an exwife.
Difficult.

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #12
Peter-Sherman Peter Sherman Melbourne, Australia 1975 MG MGB V8 Conversion	Posted: April 04, 2012 08:52PM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 4,292

Moss sell a 7/8-3/4 adjustable bar

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #13
riley1489 Bruce Hopgood Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1973 MG MGB	Posted: April 13, 2012 10:24AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 738

I have a 1973 c/b roadster and was once thinking of installing a rear ARB. Bought it, life got in the way. Since was advised not to install, can't remember why, so there it sits brand new in the box, since the mid 80's. I can not remeber the manufacturere but it is yellow! Let me know if interested I can probably post a snap if helps.
Salut
Bruce

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #14
lewisrn Bob Lewis Danville, IN, USA 1980 MG MGB "The "B""	Posted: April 13, 2012 11:43AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 3,591

FWIW my 80 roadster came stock with front and rear anti-sway bars. Those, combined with lowering the car 1 1/2 inches, a front suspension refresh and new wheels and tires make the car a delight to drive.

EDIT - I also addressed front and rear bump stops. If you don't do that after lowering, you are in for some rude bottoming out incidents. Ask me how I know!

Life is a state of mind.

80B - Engine overhauled 1/11, SU HS4's, O/D, all Speedhut gauges, cruise control, front & rear suspensions rebuilt, tube shocks on rear, Moss lowering kit, Bell SS Exhaust, Ed's 110 amp alternator, Schlemmerized distributor with Pertronix, LED tail lights, halogen headlights, Limey's fuse box & relays, etc., etc.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2012 02:23PM by lewisrn.

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Re: Have you installed front/rear sway bars? #15
NewBRG72B Rodney McLain Greenville SC, USA 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class "The SLK" 2004 Volvo V70 "The Wagon" 2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 "The Diesel"	Posted: April 13, 2012 02:17PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 787

Yes, uprated 7/8 in front along with V8 bushings.

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