Essential repairs to these safety critical areas of your MG are made simple by using quality-reconditioned components, all of which are inexpensive and readily available on mail order. We explore what goes into producing these parts, and what to look for when ordering.

The definition of “reconditioned” can mean anything from the most basic repair to a complete and thorough overhaul and the price paid for the finished product heavily reflects the degree of work carried out. In practice the quality of reconditioned components varies considerably depending on the skill of the reconditioner, the extent of new components used, and the quality of the original core item from which the component is remanufactured.

For this reason we take a look at the correct standards for these parts. As reconditioning relies on starting with a fully serviceable old unit, we also offer some checks on your old unit to help you determine acceptability.

Ready Reamered Stub Axles

Few of us have escaped an MOT failure due to worn out kingpins, caused either by lack of regular greasing, bad road surfaces or ultimately too many miles! The best replacement is a ready reamered stub axle assembly complete with top trunnion fitted. This gives you an assembly, which has all the engineering work completed and needs only to be bolted to the wishbones and shock absorber. The specification you should expect, for this safety critical component, is a new kingpin fitted to a re-bushed and reamered stub axle to give a sound engineering fit between these moving components. Regrettably some MG parts suppliers re-use old kingpins and simply fit new bushes, enabling them to appear price competitive at only a few pounds cheaper than for a properly reconditioned stub axle, and make a big profit on what is a radically inferior “reconditioned” stub axle. It’s worth checking that brand new kingpins have been fitted when ordering and if you suspect that old kingpins are being fitted, buy elsewhere. Furthermore you can’t assume that the top trunnion is also included, reshimmed and pre-set so that the whole assembly is ready to be fitted to the car. Don’t be afraid to ask, otherwise you might save a couple of pounds and regret it later!

The fitment of the top trunnion requires correct shimming to prevent any vertical movement and without binding. The finished product should have a hand tight twisting action of the kingpin in the stub axle. There should be no damage to the body of the re-used stub axle and the bolt lugs to which the brake callipers and back plate are bolted should be sound and undamaged. Most importantly, the face of the axle section on which the wheel bearings are mounted should be undamaged, and the thread where the retaining nut is fitted must be undamaged. Check your old unit in these areas to make sure it is reconditionable before sending it back to recover the surcharge.

Remember to fit new bushes and bolts in the form of top and bottom trunnion kits and why not check the wishbones and bushes while you’re at it.

Front and Rear Shock Absorbers

As we all know shock absorbers have a regular habit of leaking and losing their damping function. Fortunately this is an inexpensive component which is straightforward to fit and supplies are readily available.

Standards of reconditioning vary quite considerably although the reconditioning work centres on replacing the seals. These retain the oil that acts as the damping medium as it is passed through a sprung valves thereby slowing and smoothing the action of the lever arm. In some cases this is all that is done but the following should be carried out to make a lasting job.

The spindle on which the lever arms pivot should be checked to make sure there is no wear as this causes premature failure of the new seals and adversely affects the steering by allowing movement. The result is poor handling and accelerated tyre wear. If your old shock absorber has wear on the spindle it may still be accepted for reconditioning, but a charge would be incurred for re-bushing.

The valve itself should also be checked for resistance and the correct grade of oil used to re-fill to provide the manufacturer’s specified operating resistance. The body and bolt-holes in particular should all be intact and free from any damage.

Midget Front Wishbone Pans

 These suffer from wear in the outer bushes and this is usually discovered at MOT. As the setting of these threaded bushes relative to the inner bushes is critical to the steering geometry and the strength of the welding safety critical it is essential that this work is done by specialists on a proper jig. The finished item should be shot blasted and painted. Midget wishbones will eventually corrode through completely and if this happens buy new outright replacements, as theses old units cannot be reconditioned once this has occurred.

Steering Racks

These safety critical items again need the attention of a specialist to gauge the condition of the old core to determine suitability for reconditioning by carrying out a detailed inspection of the rack and pinion to determine the extent of wear to the meshing teeth. The teeth on the centre part of the rack should be as per the outermost section which has had much less wear. When the rack is re assembled the movement of the steering wheel should be smooth and not tight. The casings should be undamaged, with new steering rack gaiters fitted to the painted body. To check your old steering rack for suitability to recondition, undo and remove one gaiter, and inspect the teeth of the rack. The wear between the innermost and outermost teeth should be even. If carrying out this check always re-assemble before returning to the supplier.

Brake Callipers

Replacement brake callipers have new pistons and seals fitted to the existing body, so providing the cylinder wall finishes are not worn or damaged the reconditioned part is very much as good as new. The bodies are often re-plated to give a professional finish and in the absence of any new components, a quality reconditioned brake calliper is the only real solution. Check your old calliper for any external damage, but do not attempt to dismantle.

To order any of these components telephone MGOC Spares on 01954 230928.

12 months warranty on all parts. Exchange deposits apply.

These parts are all readily available on mail order at competitive prices, and you can expect to have replacements delivered to your door or to your garage on a next day delivery at a much cheaper price than a comparable modern car. Yet another good reason why your MG is possibly the most affordable sportscar on the road. Remember, a couple of new bushes and a lick of paint easily conceal, so when ordering don’t be afraid to ask how the item has been “reconditioned” and then check before fitting to your car.