MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Re-arching springs

Hi - newbie here, so please be nice :-)

My 1971/72 midget has just failed its MOT on an offside rear shock, with an advisory that the rear springs are reaching the lower limit of acceptable 'springiness'.

It seems to make sense to do both jobs at once, but the more I read around the more confused I get whether it's best to buy new springs or re-arch my old ones.

Moss/MGOC are out of stock until June, while I've found a place in Hampshire that can re-arch my old ones for £40 more than replacements will cost, so that's my favourite option at the moment. However, if new springs are a better option I can always fix the shock and sort the springs out later.

Any opinions? Re-arch or replace?

Thanks
David
D Pugh

I'm not sure I understand re: pricing, but for me I'd buy new, and keep the old pair as source of good quality steel. I think frontline stock rear spings also.

Jeff.
J M Mitting

>>that the rear springs are reaching the lower limit of acceptable 'springiness'.

New one to me. My rear springs are nice and flat, and the rear is nice and low (like the front...).

I'd replace both dampers and re-test.

A
Anthony Cutler

David

they main thing to check for if contemplating re-arching the springs is around the end of each leaf. Have a good look at the leaf above to see if it has been worn by the end of the leaf below it. If it has, then the spring has a weak point and is toast.

If left unattended the narrowed leaf will eventually break there, transferring the problem to the next leaf. In time it will break too. And so on until the main (and last) leaf breaks. then the car falls to the ground.

Unusual, but it does happen, and an unattached spring is not a pretty thought!

The photo shows a bad example of what you need to look for. Sorry about the rather blurry image, it's been cropped out of a much bigger pic. This one was an extreme case in which the spring had been repaired with a new leaf of the wrong gauge, agravating the situation.


Paul Walbran

And here's another photo, this time of one of the springs which failed completely as described above. Note how the breaks in the last 2 leaves look relatively fresh. With the stress ocncentrated there after the first leaf broke, it cascaded upwards quite quickly. Scary :-(

So because of this, I'd be for a new spring too unless there was no alternative!


Paul Walbran

David

Have you tried the other suppliers. AH Spares, Sussex MG, Leacy MG etc.

J.
Jeremy Cogman

This thread was discussed between 16/04/2012 and 22/04/2012

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.