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MG TD TF 1500 - Brake Pipe Routing

What is the correct routing for the rear brake pipes? I've installed them on the axle and plan to secure them with hose clamps. I want to ensure that they don't not foul the rubber axle bumpers or the axle straps.


Corey Pedersen 1951 TD #7169

Corey
That is incorrect....The pipes should be outside of the straps, and bent so they form a loop away from them...
The way you have it, the weight of the car could crush the pipe, on a big bounce....
There's a great photo on page 61 of "The Complete MG TD
Restoration Manual"....
I don't have a scanner, so I can't post it.
Edward
Edward Wesson 52TD

OK. Are they strapped to the axle?
Corey Pedersen 1951 TD #7169

Yes, they are strapped in the middle of each axle.
Hose clamps may crush the pipes....If you don't have the correct straps, they are available from Moss....
You would be better off using wire ties, temporarily, until you get the right straps.
Edward
Edward Wesson 52TD

Corey, Like this. The straps go on the inside of the tubes by the final drive casing. I don't have them on in this photo. Moss has the proper straps. PJ




Paul sr

Very helpful. Thx to all.
Corey Pedersen 1951 TD #7169

I purchased the straps from Moss and attached the brake line to the axle like Horst Schach shows in his fine book, The Complete MGTD Restoration Manual on pg. 62. However, when I try to apply the same straps on the outboard ends next to the brake drums like he shows on pg. 63, I find that the straps are much too short. What am I missing?
Kirk Trigg TD24953

Kirk , you are missing 2 inch . I solved it by connecting two straps to each other. Had the same problem,
Gerard Hengeveld

Kirk, Gerard,

The way the straps are looped shown in the Horsh Schach book is incorrect. here is how it should be done.
(from achives)
1/ With the loop facing upwards, slide the strap between the brake line and the axle shaft.
2/ Place it so that the brake line is just at the bottom of the loop.
3/ Take the lower end of the strap and wrap it around the brake line, through the loop and downwards, so that it goes in between the brake pipe and axle shaft.(it should make a full circle around the brake pipe.
4/ wrap the loop and the strap around the axle and slip the strap into the loop and fold the strap over.

Let me know if this is not clear

using this method you don't need a second clip on the outer end of the axle.




John
J Scragg

Corey, several of us have had the pipe rub against the side curtain storage box while driving. Make sure the pipe is as close to the differential as you can get it at that point or it may rub going over bumps later on! In your picture above it looks too close to me. Note that the box is beveled.

John, I'm curious about your strap method. Any pictures? I'm not following what you're saying and I also had trouble with the straps.

Ed
efh Haskell

It is imperative that you do fasten the pipes to the rear axle both on the axle tube and also outboard by the brake drum. I had a brake line break off a number of years ago on a return from a run and it was simply down to the constant movement of the pipe that I hadn't fastened properly. There is nothing like the feeling of pushing the brake pedal and having it drop to the floor, thankfully the handbrake works well enough if you aren't going too fast.

Thankfully I lived to learn a lesson that I can pass along!!
Brian Smith (1950 TD3376)

Agreed, I plan to secure the pipes at both ends of the axle housing and check the clearance at the side curtain box.
Corey Pedersen 1951 TD #7169

Cory, the photo I showed is a 55 TF not a TD, I copied the new lines from the originals. I do know the curtain box on a TD is laid out different than a TF, so the TF lines might be a little different than yours. Don't know. PJ
Paul sr

Paul, I knew something was not right. The TD rear brake cylinders are at the front of the wheel and yours image shows the pipes going to the rear.
Corey Pedersen 1951 TD #7169

Hi John,

Thanks for the input. I followed your directions the best I could and below is a pic of what I came up with. I did get it attached, and I think that it will hold, but I can't say that it was easy. Also, I can't imagine that the fellows at Abingdon could have struggled with it nearly as much as I did. So, I still wonder what I'm doing wrong. My vision of how the old timers did this task is with a flip of the wrist and voila! "It works a treat!" I'm sorry to say that is a far cry from what I went through. I'm quite sure that I didn't get more than a 1/16" over lap to fold back.

Kirk


Kirk Trigg TD24953

Image #2


Kirk Trigg TD24953

Kirk

Thanks to Dave Braun AGAIN. Have a look at Dave's photos under brakes (phots 32 & 34) to see how the brake lines should be routed and where the lines are clipped to the rear axle. TF brake cylinders are also at the front of the backplate and the line is looped.

http://www.dbraun99.com/mgtd15470/Index.html

Ian
TF4056
Ian Fry

Ian,

Thanks for reminding me to go Mr. Braun's site. I should've consulted that to begin with. I didn't find pics 32 or 34 particularly helpful however. But, pic 31 of the original, dirty brake line clearly shows that the strap just wraps completely around the axle and brake line both. The brake line at the out board end is not wrapped by itself at all. It is merely pulled next to the hub by the strap. This method will allow plenty of strap to do the job.

You said it for me, thanks again to Dave Braun for his exhaustive photos and narrative.

Kirk
Kirk Trigg TD24953

I used the Horst Schach method for the inboard straps and just wrapped them around for the outboard straps. I hadn't thought to check but maybe the originals were longer.
Like many things on these cars I believe it depended on who was securing the straps as to how they were wrapped around; everybody has their own way to do things.
Richard Taylor TD3983

This thread was discussed between 02/03/2013 and 04/03/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

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