Front Wheel Bearing Replacement MGTF

TA22GT wrote:

MGF MGTF FRONT BIG BRAKE KIT 280MMM DRILLED & GROOVED

Completed

Hi...is this the same gentleman by any chance?
He does rears too. Very attractive prices if the fit is good. 

I am relying on my memory of 2 years ago, but I THINK that Ebay ad is the supplier I used.

As regards "if the fit is good", there is a fundamental problem with ANY adaptor bracket which locates on the two surfaces MG spot-faced to accept the heads of the M12 bolts, rather than the fully machined side of the same holes which the calliper carrier attaches to when in the standard, 240mm disc position.  I tried to explain this problem to the supplier when he blamed "inconsistent machining" for the difficulty I experienced.  my email text was:Thanks for the quick reply.  You mention "Inconsistency" in MG's machining, which is undeniably true BUT, to be fair to them, the Al Alloy adaptor is attached to (and effectively positioned by) the two surfaces MG spot-faced to accept the heads of the M12 bolts, NOT the reference face of the standard callipers.  I suspect the machining tolerance for THAT (reference) face is much tighter.  Inaccuracy/inconsistency of the spot-facing only effects the depth of penetration of the attachment bolts, which would only become a problem if it was wrong by a couple of mm.

The end result of this is that you MUST be prepared to carefully check that the alloy adaptor with the calliper carrier attached ends up with equal width spaces either side of the disc.  As the 280mm disc does NOT have any retaining bolts (as per the std 240mm discs) you need 4 bolts with the correct thread to suit the wheel studs.  It is a metric fine size IIRC.  These will allow you to bolt the disc on without the wheel, so that you can check you have the right washers between adaptor & Hub.  Hope that makes sense!!

You need to read the Word doc I sent to help limit confusion. 
 

Why not skip al the hassle and go for a set of refurbished 4 pods and discs ?
 

Devinci wrote:

Why not skip al the hassle and go for a set of refurbished 4 pods and discs ?

15 inch wheels mate.
 

If you do the maths you will understand, but briefly due to the combined surface area of the AP's pistons being smaller than the standard 48mm pistons they do not exert as much pressure on the pads. In fact the AP's need a 280mm disc to have the same performance as the standard 240mm discs. The upgraded 280mm discs give about 6% more braking effort than the AP's without the cost and effort of refurbishing corroded AP's. I actually went one stage further and fitted 294mm discs on the front. With that increased performance at the front you really do need the 280mm conversion on the rear whereas with the AP's you don't. What is surprising is that MG fitted such small discs for a car designed in the 1990's, the rear calipers were designed to work with 260mm discs and cope with 280mm's with no problems, however the 280mm's with the standard calipers do lead to a small amount of pad overhang. I overcame that by using Mini R56 calipers that were actually used the 294mm discs by BMW themselves.
EDIT
I have just read Ellisojo's last post, selling my AP's paid for the Mini Cooper calipers, the mini brake discs and the MX5 rear discs plus the steel, bolts, spacers, caliper rebuild kits and new pads all round. This also fits under 15" wheels. If I was doing it again I might go for RX7 four pots, they are about 10% more piston surface area and weigh about a kilo lighter than both the standard cast or AP calipers.

Thank you..that is a very interesting post.
My 15 inch wheels are limiting me but I am also getting the impression that the AP 4 pots aren't that drastically superior to warrant spending on 16 wheels and tyres.
Two questions.
1. Can you fit those 2 pot Mini callipers under 15 inch rims
2. Who makes the brackets to make the callipers fit
A really good reason to use Mini callipers and discs ifor me is being able to get competition pads. A better pad material is a Huge improvement in stopping power regardless of disc size
Thanks.

I made the brackets myself from ENB3 steel bar with stainless steel spacers from eBay which is why my setup cost so little. When I did this a couple of years ago I took some measurements and I was certain that 15” wheels would clear. I think the biggest clearance problem with the AP’s is with the spokes. I have gone with ATE ceramic pads which were the best performing pads in an ADAC test, far better than Brembo. Our TF is solely for road use, we drive over Exmoor quite a lot and you can test the handling and brakes up there now the tourists have gone home for the winter. 
I-also re drilled the hubs 4x100 so that both the mini and MX5 brake discs went straight on then chose to go with MX5 wheels due to the weight reduction. There are many ways to skin this cat

For a whole series of reasons I’ve ended up with the four pots but I’ve be 90% there with a system as per MGB281. I made all the bits, refurbished the Mini callipers & was all but ready to fit earlier this year but I elected to use the car, on the days it was suitable rather than fit the stuff.
Done well, they fit under 15” wheels & they look really neat, there are a few pictures of the job a fit back if you care to look. They’re sprayed in yellow, we’ll I had the paint & it would have been churlish not to use it.
I made a corresponding set for the rear using our standard callipers, they will be going on later.
M

The 60,000 dollar question is are you keeping them or selling them.
I won't ask for discount because of the yellow...

If your offering 60,000 dollars in definitely selling !
We might work something out.
But not tonight.
M

Thank you for your comment! You're right—upgrading pad material often provides significant improvements in stopping power without needing larger discs. To answer your questions:  

1. Yes, Mini 2-pot calipers can often fit under 15-inch rims, but it depends on the specific rim design and offset, so double-checking clearance is essential .  
2. Brackets for fitting Mini calipers are usually custom-made or sourced from specialized suppliers; some motorsport fabricators offer them, so it’s worth checking with racing or performance shops.  

Mini calipers with competition pads sound like a solid, cost-effective solution!

 

I urge caution on any brake modifications, your life and others are at risk if you get it wrong. Only do it if you understand the engineering aspects of the job, don’t get sucked in by “competition” pads, they often need warming up before they start to bite. Quality standard pads will be more than enough for everywhere except track days. We are very lucky in this country to be able to modify our cars, most owners in the EU and OZ are heavily restricted or need an engineer’s report. 

That is very good advice and needs to be noted.
Tried and tested bolt on upgrades are the way to go if mechanical and experience is limited.
Personally I am confident simply because every competition car I have built or helped build has had to have better brakes!