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Tech help on diffential swap

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M

mightymidget

Jedi Knight
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I have a 1959 Sprite with steel wheels that I am rebuilding. it has steel wheels and my wife wants wire wheels.

I purchased a early midget parts car with wire wheels for the switch over. When I removed the rear end I noticed it has the same 1/4 spring set up as the 1959 Sprite.

Do the complete rear ends interchange? They appear the same.

I understand that if you install the wire wheel axles in steel wheel housing that the axles are shorter. So I am sitting here looking at them 25' apart and they look like they would switch out ok. Then I would have the correct differential housing with wire wheel set up
 
The wires will fit into the plate housing but the opposite won't work (this is true for the semi-elliptic Spridgets and I think it is also true for the quarter-elliptics)
You could do the swap that you are asking about but will be stuck with a virtually worthless wire type housing.
I would think that it would be better to do the full swap.
Bill
 
the full swap is what I was wanting to do, to avoid problems.

Can I take the MG Midget complete rear end and install into the Bugeye? The midget is going to scrap pile so I do not need to worry about that car
 
If both are 1/4 elliptic spring, then the complete rearend assemblies wiil interchange. To do a rearend swap from a later model with full leafs, you will have to cut and weld the spring mounts on housing. IIRC there is 1/2 inch or less difference in length between both axle housings.
 
exact same spring set up. this good news, makes buying the parts car well worth the money spent for it now
 
did you try to fit your drive hubs for the wire wheels on your
disc wheel housing Im told disc wheel axels from a 1500 are a common change because there stronger and i know the center section and axel spindal nuts from a 72 midget will fit I have them on my 59 MK1 it will probley fit without changing the housing if you would like i can ckeck axel lenth i have
wire wheel axels for a 72 midget and disc wheel axle for a 59
mk1 ?
 
I have removed all the rear suspension on my car for rebuild so I am just going redo then put the complete MG rear end housing, axles, brakes, etc.. in one piece under the Bugeye.
 
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