Wheel nut specification depends on whether the car is fitted with plain steel wheels, Rostyle wheels, or alloy wheels. Plain steel wheels use a dome-headed nut available in standard zinc-plated finish. Rostyle wheels use the same thread but are available in a wider range of finishes: chrome plain, chrome with MG logo, stainless steel plain, and stainless steel with MG logo. Stainless steel nuts are the recommended choice for any car driven in the British climate, as they resist corrosion indefinitely without the regular polishing that chrome demands to maintain its appearance.
Hub Caps
Two hub cap types were used on plain steel wheels across production, the correct type is determined by the production date. These are push-on dished caps that press into the centre of the wheel over the wheel nuts. They should be checked for security after any wheel removal and refitting, as a loose hub cap will work free at speed and be lost. The dished design also protects the wheel nut threads from road salt and corrosion.
Rostyle Centre Caps and Badges
Rostyle wheels use a separate centre cap that clips into the centre of the wheel. The cap carries a replaceable MG badge, the cap and badge are available individually, so a faded or damaged badge can be renewed without replacing the entire cap. The badge press-fits into the cap and can be levered out carefully with a flat blade.
Spare Wheel Clamps
The spare wheel clamp secures the spare wheel in the boot and differs between wheel types, plain steel wheels, early Rostyle, later Rostyle, and wire wheels each use a different clamp to suit the wheel's centre profile. A loose spare wheel is both a safety hazard in the event of a sudden stop and a source of paint damage to the boot floor and surrounding trim. The correct clamp for the wheel type should always be fitted and tightened firmly.
Wheel Tools
Wheel braces and socket sets in the correct sizes for the Midget's wheel nuts complete the on-board toolkit. Wire wheel cars require a copper-faced hammer for spinner removal rather than a standard steel hammer, which damages the spinner flats, this is covered in the Wheel Spinners section.