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MG MGA - Wheel Bearings

In talking to my local wheel bearing stockist he tells me that front wheel bearings on my MGA are 72mm od and 30mm id (inner bearing) and 52mm od and 30mm id (outer bearing. He has no reference for imperial measurements. Does this mean that the MGA bearings were always metric even in 1956? All he can offer is a standard generic sealed bearing to match these sizes, no luck with timken or other better known branded names -does this matter?
J H Cole

Hi J.H. The bearings are all metric. You should have no trouble in cross reference with the major manufacturers. My memory says the outer front is a 6304. Go for a closer tolerance than normal (less play). I found standard fit gave a bit to much movement at the wheel rim. You should also be able to get unsealed type.
Art

Thanks Art, the stockist was advocating the sealed bearings so what do you see as the advantages of an 'unsealed ' bearing. How do you obtain the higher tolerance bearing, by way of a named manufacturer or is there a higher spec availible on some makes? I recognised the number you quoted, the other is 3606 I think.
J H Cole

J.H., try this link



http://www.thisoldtractor.com/gtbender/bearing.htm#ball_bearing_cross-references

The clearance code varies with mfg. I think I ordered C2, or one step tighter than "Normal" But Euro codes might be designated some other way.

Open bearings were original I think, and you can always force more grease in at intervals - just my opinion, sealed will work Ok I'm sure, but what grease do they come with, etc ?

Good luck.
Art

JH.

An easy one for you, the large front bearing is the same one used in the old VW beatle. Been in mine for about 12 years now.

Jim 1959 1500 Rdstr.

Jim Van Sickle

There is nothing wrong with ball bearings as opposed to taper rollers, but I prefer the MGB (and MGA Twincam) adjustable taper roller bearings.

The unsealed bearings are better assuming that you want to be able to service and repack them without getting fancy.

The advice you got about fit is correct.

BTW - my old Lambo has double thickness ball bearing assemblies on the front hubs, so obviously someone else liked them enough to use them.
Bill Spohn

J H:

They are numbered following a fairly simple code- here is a decent reference:

http://www.gizmology.net/bearings.htm

Note that some manufacturers won't include the first two numbers- MRC calls a 6001 a 101. These little puzzles can be solved by measuring what you have and comparing to a standard dimension list

Almost all large precision bearings are metric- probably because the Swiss "invented" precision ball grinding. My WWII surplus Van Norman mill uses metric bearings.

A sealed bearing uses grease designed to stay inside. It is almost waxy and there isn't a lot in there. As wheel bearings, their biggest limitation is heat. If your A has disk brakes, it may cook sealed bearings.

BTW- when I need a bearing, I bring the old one to the local bearing supply and ask for a new one. I usually save about 30% compared to sourcing through Moss.

Hope this helps,
Bill

Bill Eastman

Bill,

Was it the Swiss or the Swedes?

In fact there was an Englishman;

"The first practical caged-roller bearing was invented in the mid-1740s by horologist John Harrison."

a Welshman;

"The first patent for a ball race was by Philip Vaughan of Carmarthen in 1794."

and even an Italian;

"Leonardo da Vinci is said to have described a type of ball bearing around the year 1500" Yeah, yeah, but then he was credited with inventing helicopters, hang-gliders, the Ipod and goodness knows what else.

However, "the modern, self-aligning design of ball bearing is attributed to Sven Wingquist of the SKF ball-bearing manufacturer in 1907."

"German ball bearing factories were often a target of allied aerial bombings during World War II; such was the importance of the ball bearing to the war industry. It should also be noted that as the bombers destroyed the ball bearing factories, all of the small, metal balls became projectiles. Many of these projectiles were launched high into the air and caused damage to the aircraft. At least one bomber was known to have crashed due to the large amount of damage caused from the balls."

That sounds like a lot of balls!

Neil
Neil McGurk

I just bought inner and outer front wheel bearing for my 1961 1600 MGA roadster and they sold me taper bearings. I thought they were roller bearings. Have not taken apart yet... I thought the tapper bearings were for the MGA with dunlop disc brakes and MGB's?.. Any ideas?
David...
David Honness

Dave the original is ball. Taper won't fit. They sold you the wrong stuff. Twincam, Deluxe and MGB use taper MGA 1500,1600 and 1600 MK11 use ball.
With a taper bearing you adjust the preload on the bearing as you tighten the nut. This type only tightens finger tight, if over tightened it burns up the bearing. This allows no freeplay in the bearings and a tighter frontend. With ball bearings the nut is tightened up against the inner races and the distance piece very tight. Any "room" in the bearings can be felt by wiggling the wheel and is not adustable. Some play is normal by excessive play requires bearing replacement to eliminate.
R J Brown

RJ is correct that it should be a ball bearing. The MG's with the tapered roller bearings still use a spacer and shims between the bearings and the nut is torqued down tight. Detroit iron uses the tapered rollers with no spacers and are adjusted as written in RJ's post.
John H

John is correct.
I had never seen wheel bearings adjusted that way. Just looked through the Twincam service book and sure enough shims are used to adjust the bearings. MGB also.
R J Brown

This thread was discussed between 27/05/2007 and 31/05/2007

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