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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Frontline verses Peter May links

Should I fit Frontline front suspension (I have a previously cherished set), great on the road, acceptable for some motorsport events but not others but as we all know, flawed in many ways, or go for the Peter May links which triangulate the damper arm?

I think the PM ones are now accepted in historic rally circles but I may be wrong.

The FL kit had been used on a race car and oiled, not greased and has a tiny amount of play on the n/s arm. Grease will solve the problem and in any case, it has less slack than a standard set up after a few miles.

I just want to eliminate the repeated replacement of front suspension components as a result of what might be called enthusiastic use. Mind you, that was from driving it daily like i nicked it and weekends road rallying or hillclimbing. Nowadays it will see far fewer miles but hopefully a little more sporting use.
Clive Berry

I am all pro the PM setup.
Got it on the car for a good few years now and previously had the FL kit.
Mine was the one without grease fittings and the plastic bearing and to put it friendly it won’t take daily driving for a few years and when FL are asked for replacement parts they were less than accommodating (buy a whole new kit and stop whining)

How good is the PM kit?
Depends on your shocks, but with the right oil and playing with the valve they are just as adjustable as the PM kit.

I do have the wrecked PM kit and if I ever find time (in 30years?) I would like to re-engineer it to work with the needle bearings of a mini top arm.
But my PM setup has not forced start that ;)
O K

Clive

Check the regs for your proposed Motorsport discipline, car category and championship class.

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

1) check regs - don't mod if not allowed or you'll end up in a non competitive class. the specific difference here is that FL require a telescopic, PM doesn't.

2) I have been running my own copy of a PM top link for almost 11 years. I have changed the bottom trunnions zero times, and it gets absolutely hammered. Average track day mileage is 130 miles per track day, normally at least one per year. Big wide sticky 185 tyres, massive brakes and 140bhp and there is simply no play in them. I believe that the triangulation of the top arm stops the kingpin moving forwards and backwards at the top. It should be a mod on all cars. I also grease regularly.

3) you can add telescopics with a PM link, you can't add levers back with a FL top link.

If I was starting from scratch, I'd PM link and separate telescopic every time.
Rob Armstrong

It seems the PM link is allowed in UK historic road rallying which is good. I bought a set of new lever arm dampers in, ooh, 1992 and they were used hard but are still in good condition. I will give them a once over and use them with a PM link kit.

While I want the car compatible with UK regs there is another (snowy) event I want to use the Sprite on where there is a fairly liberal view regarding modifications.

The FL kit may well go on the standard road car just to reduce maintenance. It currently has the most knackered front suspension I have ever encountered. I have a shelf full of rebuilt parts ready to go on.

This car has benefitted from a lot of work at some point, maybe twenty years ago but I don't think it has ever been fully apart. under the bonnet and underneath it all "feels" original and correct. I had been standing in a garage for about five years before I bought it so needed new calipers, wheel cylinders and M/C before it went on the road. The only problem so far has been fuel pipes leaking - they don't like the new fuel. I must give it a full service along with the new front suspension so it can be used and enjoyed properly this year.
Clive Berry

Can I ask then, is there likely to be much difference in performance between the PM top link compared to the use of Austin A60 double lever arm dampers?

I know there's some modification needed with these but there also is with the PM option.

Just a thought.
PN Sellen

MGB lever arms are another option.

https://www.mambamotorsport.co.uk/p/midget-to-mgb-damper-conversion-kit/
John Payne

Check HRCR Technical for what is and is not allowed.
HRCR say prove it or remove it.
Peter King

This thread was discussed between 17/01/2020 and 21/01/2020

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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