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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Lever arm rebuilds

After a series of 'repainted' dampers not lasting long I bought all four new from Moss about 20 years ago and they have served me very well. However I think they are now beggining to get a little tired (wing bounce test) though are not presently leaking.

What I'd like is to get my current four rebuilt properly to the standard done by Peter Caldwell or Apple Hydraulics (both in the US).

Does anyone know anyone in the UK doing this please?
Jeremy Cogman

Doesn't Malcolm supply a refresh kit?
anamnesis

Malcom?

However the two suppliers I have cited go the extra mile in particular sleeving the shaft and bushing the body for a properly engineered damper.

This is particualrly important for the fronts bearing in mind the loads they are subjected to.
Jeremy Cogman

Have you tried here? https://www.vandcengineering.co.uk/
I've no experience of them but their website looks OK despite being a small operation.
Rob
MG Moneypit

Yep, refresher kits available as per picture. Good if your dampers are in generally good condition, the shaft seals aren't leaking and they are simply in need of a clean and oil change.

I also do triangulation kits for those concerned about the loads that the one armed bandits have to cope with!

Cheers,
Malc.







Malcolm

Looks like they do the job properly Rob.







anamnesis

I just rang them.

Refurbished 50 quid each plus vat plus return post.

120 quid the pair, plus 12 quid returned.

If done as well as it appears, nice chap on the phone, I reckon that's very good value; -- given that if done proprely they actually last quite along time.


Tel. 07544 596014

Wonder if they'd do bulk discount for a club.

I think he said he offered them to (moss?), but the price was considered too high.


anamnesis

Anam,

That sounds a good price but does it include machining and re-bushing as necessary, £50 is probably less than an hours time in a machine shop these days. Last month in an email to Les Rose I checked Nosimports price and that was listed as $110 each or about £96 (last month) but the shipping is the killer. With the newly available adjustable valving a proper recon could make LA dampers an attractive option.
David Billington

I assume it does based on the discussion I had with them, in which I talked about the pictures I posted here. But I guess it's worth confirming that in an eamil with them.
anamnesis

I repaired the shockers for my TF which are similar to the ones fitted to Sprigets. The problem with them was rust and scoring on the cross shafts where the seals rub. The best solution would have been to fit new shafts but I don't think these are available. Maybe this is why a new seal, clean and paint restoration does not last very long. I found though that the circular cutters used to sink hinge holes in kitchen cupboard doors fitted exactly into the seal recesses. Using one of these I was drop the seals by small amount so they rubbed on a smooth part of the shaft. The length of the bores in the aluminium castings was quite long and removing one millimeter or so didn't significantly reduce the bearing surface.

Jan T
J Targosz

That's ingenious Jan.
I think the cutters you're talking about are called Forstner bits, if that helps.
I have a set of six in various sizes but I disremember what size the kitchen cupboard hinges require.
Greybeard

Grey, 35mm dia. But I have another question: if a shocker with sufficient fluid has a "dead" part such that when the arm changes direction it moves a short distance with no resistance, what causes that? Will Malcolm's seals fix that or is it a full stripdown with arm removed?
Bill Bretherton

Hi Bill,

That will be due to internal wear. Probably the "big end" and/or "little end" pins.

My kit doesn't go as far as removing the arm and internals as this is generally beyond the tools and abilities of the home mechanic.

Agreed with Jan, corroded and pitted arms can really scupper things (I have some pictures somewhere...). But I like your ingenious solution.

Cheers,
Malc.
Malcolm

Thanks Malcolm - it would need a full refurbishment then. Possibly worth it as I'm reluctant to scrap an OE Armstrong shocker (well I think I've 3 or 4 like the rest of us....).
Bill Bretherton

Jan that's a clever solution. I was thinking of putting a Speedi sleeve on mine but they are quite expensive. I think I have one of those Forstner bits somewhere.
Les Rose

Jan,

Did you remove the shaft to get a Forstner bit in or did you modify the bit to clear the shaft.
David Billington

Thanks Bill. I went to The Shed for something else entirely and while I was there I measured my Forstner bits. It turns out I have a 35mm one so Jan's idea is a very nice little snippet that I'll file away. Somewhere...
Greybeard

Hi David,

I did remove the arms and shaft. However I did have some old shocks that I was able to dismantle to see how everthing worked and if I couldn't put them back together nothing would be lost. What I noted was that you need to mark the shaft and the cranking arm it passes through so you can put put them back together in the same orientation. I did not disturb the pistons in the ones I was reparing since it looked like special tools would be needed to compress the cast iron piston rings. I repaired both front and back shocks and the latter were a bit of a fiddle since they have a single arm arm and you need to prise out a core plug before you can drift out the shaft. I bought new seals from BSL Brammer and they were pence. Sections of the shaft are splined and I think it would be expensive to remanufacture them. If I was buying reconditioned items I would certainly ask questions about the cross shafts.

Cheers

Jan T
J Targosz

What did you use to pull the arms off Jan?

Easy or difficult?
anamnesis

Jan,

Do you know how much load was required to push the shaft out on yours.
David Billington

I've been exchanging emails with Les Rose about dampers and regarding the seals I asked him to measure the seal recess which he measured at about 1.25", that's at odds with Jan's 35mm (1.378"). I sent Peter Caldwell an email regarding the seal dimensions and he quickly got back to me and although he didn't answer the seal size question he did call the seal a packing as it's not a lip seal originally, he also mentioned that the recess is often not reliably round or concentric to the shaft so they machine the body to accept a standard oil seal. Jan's 35mm (1.378") may be the result of being machined in the past for the same reason as 1.375" would suit a common oil seal for the shaft size.
David Billington

Over the past year I have developed a means for making new replacement seals of the original type and dimensions for both front and rear dampers.
I have also made similar seals but having an increased bore size to enable a corrosion resistant sleeve, typically brass or stainless steel, that can be fitted over the original shaft and bonded in position to compensate primarily for corrosion.
A major problem likely to be encountered is damage to the damper body where the edge is turned over to retain the seal and outer metal washer !
S G KEIL

Dave and I have learned that removing the damper arm is probably not the best approach. I have found that so-called reconditioned units don't last long because the shaft has been damaged or corroded and won't accept a seal reliably. Pressing out the shaft seems to be necessary to deal with this, which is why we are asking about the effort required to do that.
One of my spare units appears to have had the shaft staked twice, so presumably this has been pressed out before.
Les Rose

I took the Frog out for a ride last night. I discovered the offside rear absorber was leaking. Its the original one dated March 1960 so its had a good life!! anyone got a S/h one (or pair) they wish to part with that I can overhaul. Its the same as the later semi elliptic spridgets
Bob Beaumont

Bob, I have a pair going begging because I have fitted telescopics. Are you near enough to collect them? I am in Salisbury.
Les Rose

Hi Les

Well I live in S london but salisbury would be a pleasant drive!
Bob Beaumont

Bob, email me on lesrose1959 at gmail dot com.
Les Rose

Les Email sent.

Bob
Bob Beaumont

Anyone recently had an Armstrong lever arm damper rebuilt by Stevsons Motors? Used to be mentioned back in the day.

I am curious which companies offer something more than just a ‘refurb’ of an exterior paint and an oil change. I am aware of Peter Caldwell of World Wide Auto Parts in Wisconsin (http://www.nosimport.com/Lever-shocks-remanufactured) but curious to see if anyone else is out there.

Does Sprite Parts (Colin Dodds) in Australia do lever arm damper rebuilds?

Anyone tried Suspension Supplies Limited? I note they offer adjustable valves for lever arm dampers: https://www.suspensionsupplies.co.uk/dampers

Cheers
Mike
M Wood

In Australia I ran across this guy https://www.facebook.com/alllevershocks and from the photos he seems to do a thorough rebuild.
David Billington

The following place was mentioned somewhere on the BBS recently, I remember it because there's not much to Llandderfel but it has a good pub and great Spridget driving roads nearby, but I'd never heard of them until then.

Vintage and Classic Engineering Ltd, The Old School, Llandderfel, Nr Bala, Gwynedd LL23 7HW - https://www.vandcengineering.co.uk/

ETA: we seem to have so little openly available compared to USA and Australia, Willy surprises me with what's available out his way and he's surprised it's not available here, especially in the county of (former) engineering and motorsport.
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 17/10/2022 and 05/11/2022

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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