MG Sports Cars

Here Is what I am doing I have going on I am putting a 350 in it.. I am wanting to upgrade the front end more so for safety to be able to handle the weight of the motor I'm not really familiar with mgs or where to get parts and things like that so any help would be much appreciated!

Welcome to BritishV8, Kaleb!

You may not get a chorus of answers as quickly here as that other place you posted - but IMHO you'll usually get better answers here.

First of all... a stock MGB front suspension is plenty robust enough for your application IF it's properly maintained! You don't really need to make a change for the sake of change. You may well want to install stiffer springs. Plenty of spring rates are available. You may want to install stiffer bushings. A classic choice is to install "factory MGB GT V8" bushes, or alternatively you might like to try urethane bushings. You may appreciate a stiffer front anti-sway bar... in 1975 and at least part of 1976 MG forgot to install front anti-sway bars. All sorts of stiffer aftermarket bars are available. Widening the front end will require bodywork, which you didn't mention in your original post. Aftermarket big brake kits - for example featuring Wilwood forged aluminum four-pot calipers and big vented rotors - are available from multiple vendors. But back to the point... you don't really HAVE to install an aftermarket front suspension for "safety".

Since you're new to MGBs... let me give you a little background. You'll find more details if you surf around on this site. Basically, the MGB came one front suspension design over its 18 year run - but midway through the factory had to jack up the whole car to comply with U.S. bumper height requirements. So... starting in late 1974, two design changes went into effect: (1) spacers were added between the crossmember and the body (okay - the spacers are welded onto the crossmember - but that's not an important distinction) and (2) the steering rack mounts changed to accommodate the new geometry. Incidentally, MG changed the ratio of the steering rack and also as I mentioned above MG also tried eliminating anti-sway bars.

So, your 1976 MGB started out all jacked up compared to any of the earlier "chrome bumper" model MGBs. Most of us like to lower our cars. The easiest way to lower a car is to shorten the springs. If you shorten the springs dramatically, you'll almost certainly shift the angles of A-arms and steering links out the range they were designed to operate, and by shifting them you'll almost certainly add a whole bunch of bump/roll steer. At the same time, the angle of the A-arms determines the front suspension's "roll center". In a small nutshell, bump steer makes a car feel really nervous. If you search around on this site, you'll see that we've discussed these issues over and over. You might try terms like "bump steer" and "dropped spindles" in the Google box at the top of this page. Check out the article archive and especially the How It Was Done articles too.

So what are the right reasons to consider an aftermarket front suspension? There are plenty! They include better ride quality, lower steering effort, ease of lowering the car without getting undesirable effects, ease of adjustment, and bragging rights. But as I said at the beginning... IMHO the stock suspension is "safe" if it's well maintained.

If you're not real familiar with these cars, I heartily recommend you make plans to attend our annual BritishV8 meet. It's a great way to experience a diverse range of modified MGBs first hand. What's cool about our meets is that they aren't just shows. We drive!

p.s. check out our vendor directory for the very best suppliers in the business.

To add to the above, dropped spindles and swapping crossmembers are ways to lower the car but some owners prefer the higher ride height. Take your time deciding. The stock front end is plenty stout and several SBC conversions use it with minor mods like a spacer under the springs. I't one of the better front ends from that era and was used under numerous other cars, including Cobras.

Are you sure you want to go with the SBC? There are arguably better choices, what are your reasons? In V8's we've got everything from Buick/Rover 215/3.5L up to 350/5.7L stroked Buick 300's, a BBB 455 and numerous 5L Fords in street trim. There are a few SBC's and even a couple LS swaps. The more popular ones have swap parts already made up and they are worth the money.

Browse the archives. There's a lot to look at to help you decide.

Jim

Kaleb,

Welcome to the forum group! I did an SBC conversion in a '75 MGB about five years ago. I added a stock diameter front sway bar, polyurethane bushings, upgraded to 15" alloy wheels (to address potential front-end issues with the added weight of the SBC), and converted the car to chrome bumpers. It's amazing to me how well the stock front end handles the weight of the SBC. I use my car to cruise to local car shows, and I go on long day trips in the Colorado mountains with the Mile Hi Cobra Club (Those of you who come to the V8 meeting here in Colorado Springs this summer will get to go on some beautiful cruises in the Colorado mountains). The heavy weight of a stock SBC makes the MGB very front heavy, but for my basic cruising needs, has not been a major issue. I am preparing to install a new engine with aluminum heads, flywheel, etc., to lighten the front end load. Perhaps you might consider what you will be doing with your car. If you are going to do the cone course with your car, you might look at other lighter options.

There are lots of great V8 conversion choices. I can list several good reasons to go with the SBC, but you might consider the small block Ford, Rover, Buick 215, or even one of the GM V6 variations, which seems to be a conversion that has really picked up a lot of popularity. Many of the guys on this forum have completed several conversions and have lots of wisdom on the pros/cons of which way to go. I think the Rover V8, Buick 215, and GM V6 are all slightly lighter than the stock, MGB 4 banger, and obviously are set up for more power in stock form. Also, the T5 and 5.0 set-up from a Mustang is somewhat easy to find and this conversion has been done well many times.

It's your car and do whatever you want. Go to the "How it was done" section on this website and you can read about and see numerous different conversions and gather valuable information and ideas for your conversion. Feel free to ask questions on this forum, as most issues have been addressed by someone here. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Brad




Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2014 11:00PM by denvermgb.

I have a warmed up 305 in my '73 and found I needed stiffer front springs and spacers. With the heater and shelf removed and the engine mounted as far back as possible with the pulley behind the steering rack, the handling is excellent.

Awesome! Thanks for all the help and getting me on the right track. I already have the motor and tranny in the car. I went with a sbc because it what I had laying around and the car was give to me by a friend he's had the car for about 20 years and it has sit for the last ten he told me to take it and do something with it so I figured is up a big motor in a little car and see how much fun we could have with it.

I will try and get a few photos on here soon I can't get them to load on here with my phone. Thanks again!