MG Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" and Costello V8s

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Wilderness353
Bill McFadden
Pennsylvania
(1 posts)

Registered:
09/20/2008 07:17AM

Main British Car:
1977 MGB Ford 302

Question on rear axle
Posted by: Wilderness353
Date: March 25, 2011 05:55PM

Hope someone can give me an answer to the questions below!
..... Did the MGC use the same rear axle as the MGB OR did the MGC have a rear axle that was a little stronger than the one used in the MGB?
..... Did the MGC use a 4 bolt front hub or a 5 bolt front hub?
..... Did the MGA use a 4 bolt front hub or a 5 bolt front hub? Also, if they used the 5 bolt hub, would the MGA hub, rotor and brakes set-up swap out with the 4 lug front found in the MGB?

Thanks to all who were able to offer any assistance. Your help is appreciated!

Best Wishes -- Bill


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: Moderator
Date: March 25, 2011 06:38PM

MGA: 4 bolt
MGB: 4 bolt
MGC: 5 bolt
MGB GT V8: 4 bolt
(All of these models except MGB GT V8 were available also with splined hubs for wire wheels.)

MGB came with two different rear axles. The earlier "banjo" style axles have stamped housings whereas the later "Salisbury" are tube-type. In other words, the center section of the Salisbury axle is cast iron. All MGAs came with banjo axles. All MGCs and all factory MGB GT V8s came with Salisbury axles. Salisbury axles are without doubt stronger than banjo axles. I've never seen any assertion that MGC axles were beefier than the other Salisbury axles except for having an extra lug at each corner. (I believe the extra lug was just a marketing gimmick.)


mowog1
Rick Ingram
Central Illinois
(1523 posts)

Registered:
10/17/2007 09:36PM

Main British Car:
1974.5 MGB/GT 3.9l Rover

authors avatar
Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: mowog1
Date: March 25, 2011 11:09PM

MGC also used three different ratios.

3.07
3.31
3.7
All MGBs in stock form had a 3.9 ratio.

You can use MGC C&P in an MGB diff casing, but there is some machine work involved.

MGC diffs are rare to begin with...and becoming more rare. I sold a 3.07 C&P last year for $500.

I would be tempted to look for a Ford 8" or a Dana diff.


Differential Gear Ratio Stamping.jpg
Gearset markings.jpg


MG four six eight
Bill Jacobson
Wa state
(324 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 02:15AM

Main British Car:
73 MGB Buick 215, Eaton/GM supercharger

Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: MG four six eight
Date: March 26, 2011 02:52AM

MGC front 5 lug hubs are a direct bolt-on to the MGB spindle. When using MGC 5 lug hubs on a B you'll also need MGC rotors and a set of MGB V8 calipers.
MGC rotors are 1/2" thick and 11" diameter. MGB V8 rotors are also 1/2" thick but 10 3/4" diameter.
What I did was turn the 11" C rotors down to 10 3/4" on a brake lathe, then bolted on a set of MGB V8 calipers and pads. It works well and is a nice upgrade from the standard MGB front brakes.

The MGC rotors and MGB V8 calipers are easy enough to find. It's the MGC 5 lug hubs that are almost impossible to find anymore! All MGCs imported to the states came with wire wheels. However I've heard that they are hard to find in other countries as well, because so few of them were made.

Bill


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: rficalora
Date: March 26, 2011 07:08AM

sounds like you are looking to go to 5 lug (and maybe swap gear ratios too). If that's the goal, the ford 8" is a good choice for the rear. Light, plenty strong and relatively easy to find. For the front, check with Bill Guzman (sponsor & regular poster here; also www.classicconversionseng.com). He has 5 bolt hubs for the B spindle. If you want to do your own, there are a couple of threads about hub candidates a little lower in this section of the board if I recall.


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: March 26, 2011 09:59AM

Another option for 5 lug front hubs is what I did a couple of decades back. Get a pair of MGB spline hubs. They are either billet or forged and take well to welding. Have your machinist cut off the spline extension and the flange, leaving a smooth diameter with a step where you want the new flange located. Turn new flanges from cold rolled steel, press them in place and weld. Drill to the pattern you want, and if desired, take a light cut on the lathe to true up the flanges from any welding warpage. At this point you have a pair of very strong hubs of your choice of pattern. You can also double drill them for more wheel and brake choices.

If that sounds like too much work, get a pair of early Ford or Chevy hubs, depending on the pattern you want, bore the inner bearing race journal 1/4" deeper (and the seal journal as well) and trim them off 1/4" shorter on the back side. No choices on flange location that way but it's cheap and easy.

Or if you have access to a lathe and a mill you can make your own out of aluminum, but the stock to cut them out of will run close to a hundred bucks each and there is a lot of metal to cut away. Figure at least a full day's worth of machine work and set-up, more if you are using a smaller machine.

JB


crankshaft
john moore

(1 posts)

Registered:
03/18/2019 10:18AM

Main British Car:


Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: crankshaft
Date: March 19, 2019 10:07AM

does a jeep 5 lug rear hub fit mgb rear axle?



BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: March 19, 2019 01:46PM

Nope.


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: March 19, 2019 01:57PM

Unless, you mean the entire Postal Jeep rearend.


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: rficalora
Date: April 04, 2019 08:27AM

Speaking of Jeep rear ends, I ran across this today. Seller says the Dana 44 is about 48.5" wide. Gears would need to be changed of course... [houston.craigslist.org]


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: April 04, 2019 09:34AM

The Dana 25 is where they got the posi that the racers used to put in a Banjo rear.

There is a Postal Jeep rear out there that is much closer to MGB width.

[www.britishv8.org]


mgb260
Jim Nichols
Sequim,WA
(2461 posts)

Registered:
02/29/2008 08:29PM

Main British Car:
1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8

Re: Question on rear axle
Posted by: mgb260
Date: April 05, 2019 05:31PM

72-75 Jeep CJ5 4x4 rears are much easier to find. Usually 3.73 and Trac-Loc.


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