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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Rear shocks

Hi all,
Sun came out yesterday so I got my midget out again and my wallet!

Anyway, I've been meaning to make my driving experience a bit more comfortable so I'm thinking of starting by replacing all the bushes and then the shocks so a few questions:

Which are the best type of bushes to get for a comfortable ride? I've seen blue and red poly bushes or the original rubber type. Is it worth paying for the poly type?

Second question:

My car has telescopic shocks at the rear. I think that's the right name for them...the long tube thingies. The car is a little bouncy so I think they could do with replacement. Can I replace these with just standard shocks or do I need a special kind? I've seen the spax brand advertised but they're so expensive and I'm on a budget.

Thanks for any advise!
W Headon

The blue ones are comfortable easy to replace and affordable. The rubber ones are even cheaper (steering is less exact) and when new very good as well. You have to torque the rubber bushes while the car is standing on the ground!! or with the suspension ballasted.
Standard Armstrongs are perfect in the rear. The softer the better.
Flip
Flip Brühl 948 frog 59

my vote for lever arms as well.

I just need a good set to replace my spax set with.
The telescopics don't give any benifit over good leverarms (for a road car) and the spax set is heavy!
Onno Könemann

if you've got the telescopic type they may be adjustable to stiffen them up a dail at the bottom

if they're too stiff already then the rear could be hopping

tyre pressure also makes a difference as does the balance between all settings and items between front and rear

I'm personally happy for my driving style and use with Super-Flex bushes - http://www.superflex.co.uk/
N Atkins

Thanks for the replies.

Just to clarify..the roads around here are quite bumpy so would the rubber pushes be more comfortable as the expense of a little better handling?

Would switching back to lever arch shocks be a big job?
W Headon

I quite often tour places with bumpy roads and I'm happy with the Super-Flex bushes on my car

the bushes are just one element of the suspension set up (this includes tyres) and as I said all need to be in good condition, fully operational and in balance with each other and the car as a whole

personally I've given up on lever arms but would recommend looking at good quality brand new units rather than many, many times reconditioned units if you want lever arms

I would first experiement with your existing settings on shocks and tyre pressures as this is free and you might find you don't need to replace the shocks after all

if your tyres are more than 6 years old or the car hasn't moved at all for a very long time then replacing the tyres can make a big difference to the ride and safety of the car

P.S. it might help to know the model and year of your car and the make of shocks (or even perhaps colour of shocks)
N Atkins

Like the MGB, for good handling you want a stiffish front end and a supple rear end. And so does the car! Personally I would go for the blue poly bushes. They last longer than the rubber and locate the axle better.
Mike Howlett

you could also check that the rear springs-to-axle U-bolts/nyloc nuts are not loose

tighten both sides of U-bolt together if required, firm hand tight but not to Hulk standards

many owners have suffered from loose rears :)
N Atkins

"for good handling you want a stiffish front end and a supple rear end"

"many owners have suffered from loose rear"

Ha, Love it!!
W Headon

This thread was discussed between 04/06/2011 and 05/06/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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