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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Lowering Rear Springs

Fitting 400lb front springs to my MkIV Sprite has made a big difference to the braking and handling. They are, however, also ½" shorter and this has given the car a distinct forward rake and I would like to level things up a bit.

I don't really want to buy replacement lowered springs or have the hassle of fitting them and would prefer to fit lowering blocks. The ones I have found online so far a 1½", which is a bit much (It's got square wheel arches and I don't want the wheels to disappear from view!). Can anyone suggest a source for smaller, ½" or ¾" blocks?

With reference to another thread, although I'm not a member, I have bought quite a lot of parts from the MGOC and have generally been very satisfied. They have lowering blocks on offer but don't state the size!

Finally: Welcome back Nigel, it's good to see you back in action
Colin Mee


http://www.morrisminorspareparts.com/improved-parts

and scroll to the bottom of the page - might do you, they also don't give dimensions but a phone call should sort it....
David Smith

Id buy a set and just have them milled to size... ive got a set of 1.5 inch that came with a kit and there just simple anadiosed ally ...the ando is just to make them look pretty

in a pinch you could even build a jig contraption with an angle grinder or table saw with a cutt off wheel and file them down to size yourself
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

I had the 1 1/2 ones and just cut them down. In fact I only cut one down as my car has a bit of a lean! At the moment it's running with no block on one side and the smaller half of one of the blocks on the other!

I just cut mine with a hacksaw. I marked it out and scribed it all the way round and then took my time cutting neatly through it. You then need to replicate the circular recess that the spring pad sits in. I did the this by drilling and chiselling the relatively soft ally. If you know someone with a milng machine it will be a lot easier and neater though!!
john payne

Prop, John, thanks for the advice, sounds like that's the way to go.

I managed some rough measurements on my non-too-level garage floor yesterday and was surprised to find that the difference between the front and rear ends of the sills is roughly 1½".

I was hoping for a quick and easy solution ready for my next outing at the end of the month but maybe it needs to go on the over-the-winter list. Perhaps I'll try a range of different sized wood blocks to see how it sits on a level floor before I try trimming and fitting metal ones.

David, thanks for the link, I hadn't heard of that company before. It'll go on my favourites list ready for when I finally manage to get started on my Minor!
Colin Mee

Hi Colin,
thanks.

I'm going to suggest something different - you might consider changing your 400lb lowered front springs for Kim Dear's (Magic midget) "9.5" freelength 360lb rate. Retains standard ride height to overcome sleeping policemen, rough surface autotests/auto-solo's etc, whilst reducing body roll/ brake dive. £27.50 each".

And also increasing your ARB if you've not already done so (with suitably up-sided end-stops).

I doubt you'd notice much, if any, difference in the spring rate.

You could sell your present 400lbs springs as I did, the buyer on here was happy with them and I was a lot happier with Kim's springs.

New and/or different bushes can also make a big difference to the suspension too.

http://www.magicmidget.co.uk/



Nigel Atkins

Hi Nigel. Still happy with the springs! K is lighter at the front so less issues than you had :)

Though looking at harder ones now track days have become a thing....
Rob Armstrong

Timed out before I remembered - Kim also does lowered rear springs too - "1.5” lower than std £85 each (Again, depends on vehicle weight)" (on same web page as front springs).
Nigel Atkins

Hi Rob,
I actually remembered (unusual for me) that it was you that had the springs but didn't want to out you! :)

Kim does "7.5” free length 500lb sprint/race/track day £27.50 each" or be able to advise you or even perhaps possibly get different rate springs made as a batch but I might be promising too far for someone else there but he's a really good guy to deal with and the springs I got look like they'll last forever. I can't remember if I sent you photos that included them. I can't remember there being any difference in the feel of the physical weight between the two sets of springs but I can't remember actually putting them on some scales to confirm this.
Nigel Atkins

I had my Sprite suspension set up by an experienced Spridgteer. The rear lowering blocks were made from steel box section, possibly 1" high and the width was the same as the spring. There was a tube welded in the middle for location.

You obviously need longer U-bolts, but these are available from Grayston Engineering, amongst others.

http://www.grayston.biz/suspensionpage.htm
Dave O'Neill 2

Colin, is that 1/2" at the spring length or ride height?
If the spring length you'll need to lower the back an inch to match the front due to the geometry (spring acts only halfway along the wishbone)
But then if the spring is only 1/2 inch shorter than the original, because it's stiffer it won't compress as much and the car will sit similar to, or probably higher than, before. So I suppose you mean 1/2" lower ride height? If so, and levelling it up is your main concern, you could always put a 1/4" spacer in the front spring seat to raise it back up the 1/2".

Lowering of course does have other advantages, also disadvantages if you cruise on uneven roads or with two people in the car, especially with luggage!
Also when considering the relative front and rear height, do so with the driver (and some fuel) in the car as it's rather difficult to go anywhere without one :-)
I usually set the front and rear heights bearing in mind the intended use, and if it's two-up with luggage having the back up a bit is a definite bonus.


Paul Walbran

Colin
Little trick for you to play with
get yourself a selection of pieces of wood or whatever 1/2"--1"--1 1/2" thick
and drive the front wheels up on them one pair at a time and decide which pair sits your car at the attack angle you want and that will be the size lowering blocks you need

willy
William Revit

I hqve to admit... im glad i never lowered mine...

at the moment im banging off everything in the road..from pot holes to road sinking to road transitions and ive already trashed my front spoiler on a speed bump or as you call them in the uk lazy policeman

To be honst id like to raise my car by 2inches to make it more funtional as often as i drive it

currently the bottom of the exhaust pipe sits 3.5 inch off the ground and the bottom of the car is 5.25 inch off the tarmac... but thats with 28 psi in the tires..145s

prop

Prop and the Blackhole Midget

That's why we're all talking about harder springs too Prop
Rob Armstrong

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. Real food for thought. I'll certainly try your suggestion Willy to see if it tells me which way to go. I also like your suggestions John and Dave. If what I want can be accomplished with a hack saw or a bit of elementary welding then perhaps a bit of fabrication is within my capabilities!

I use the car on the road, but not as often as I'd like, but this year most of its outings have been for hillclimbs at Loton Park. It was while waiting in the finishing paddock at the weekend that I really noticed the height difference between front and rear, though another competitor had previously suggested that lowering the rear might help the handling and traction.

The 400lb front springs came from Peter May after some discussion of the options and the pros and cons of each. With these and 'fast road' polybushes all round and a springless Sparco seat, it does tend to rattle the fillings a bit on the lanes round here, but, on the track, the new springs reduced the dive under braking significantly which also reduced the rear-end lock-ups. I figure that bringing the ride height closer to level will lower the centre of gravity a tad and improve handling, grip and traction.

My exhaust system came from Magic Midget and I have found Kim to be very helpful with advice on the 'phone and an excellent person to deal with. I had already taken a look at his website to see what he has to offer in the suspension department. I've decided against changing the springs, partly on cost grounds but mainly because I figure fitting lowering blocks will be less hassle and easier to remove again if they don't produce the result I want.

I fully appreciate the problems with using a lowered Sprite on the road as I live on an unadopted, unmade road and my route to the main road is very slow and twisty as I steer round the many pot holes (more pits than pots).

My journey next Friday takes me past Peter May's front door so I think I'll drop in for a chat and pick up one of his lowering kits to get me started.

Thanks again. C
Colin Mee

Colin,
I'm basing this next bit on my experience of 400lbs (and 360) front springs, on the road not track - I'd have thought the bushes (although I also had a set of those fit and didn't find them too bad) and the seat combined would cause teeth rattling rather than the front springs.

Dampers and tyre pressures (as you know) can also cause or add to the loosening of teeth.

As with all these things, it's a matter of overall balance, of the whole suspension (including tyres, and generally what's good for track use isn't always good for road use so you need to compromise if you take your car on both.

Not that I've ever raced on a track, although I have driven (not very well) on a few tracks in various cars over the years.

Cheers, Nigel
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 08/08/2016 and 12/08/2016

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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