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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - VERY stiff front lever arm dampers

I am building up a midget that I bought in pieces. Supplied with it were 'new' reconditioned dampers. I assembled the suspension using all new pivots and blue poly bushes. I find that although the pivots are all free to move, the weight of car and engine cannot compress the springs at all.

I've checked out the springs and they are standard length and rating for a 1275 Midget. This morning I have turned to the dampers. It is incredibly difficult to move the damper arm up or down. It takes all my strength. I removed the valve thinking this would ease it but it is exactly the same.

So I am now thinking that the stiffness of the dampers is preventing the suspension from operating. Has anyone seen this? Is there anything I can do except replace the dampers? Although these recon units have never been used, they are probably at least 5 years old.

While we are on dampers, what is the general opinion of the Frontline conversion to tube dampers? I don't like the way it is still only using one top arm with a bolt in single shear - a design flaw in my mind. Is Peter May's double arm with lever arm dampers a better idea?
Mike Howlett

Don’t know if these help –

http://www.youtube.com/user/Universitymotorsltd#p/u/170/4ljXci60jAc

http://www.youtube.com/user/Universitymotorsltd#p/u/15/ZKrQAi4V2Iw

I’ve got the Frontline front (plus uprated springs and ARB) there’s more development that could be done and better alternatives (we thought of a Sierra front complete with brakes) but the FL is an improvement certainly noticeable when braking

My very strong advice is that if you decide to buy FL kit then buy it from somewhere where you can have full come-back like MGOC/Moss
Nigel Atkins

As regards the FL kit, I have the original, and apart from the premature wear of the steel pin/oilite bush arrangement on the near side, it is otherwise pretty good, if a little twitchy on the steering (which as already discussed elsewhere, is possibly caused by other factors).

My only real gripe, is that I can't buy spares from FL as they have moved to the MKii version of the kit,and discontinued spares for the Mki version.

No doubt commercially advantageous for them, but not much good to anybody who buys their stuff, and later needs spares.
Lawrence Slater

Another option is to use the Spridget damper (without valve) an additional top link, and a telescopic damper...

http://www.mambamotorsport.co.uk/components/spridgetfrontsus.html

James Bilsland

Thanks for your comments so far, but what I need to know is, should removing the valve make the damper easy to move? If yes, then something is seized in the assembly. If no, then I'm stumped as to why the suspension won't compress.
Mike Howlett

surely the answer's yes, the valve constricts (?)

see James’s post

er, did you test them before fitting, have they got the correct oil in, could you take one off empty out the oil and see how freely it moves
Nigel Atkins

The damper is a damper and should reduce the speed of movement of the arm, but not reduce the travel or take weight off the springs. The amount of damping resistance is controlled by the transfer of oil between the two pistons, with the valve restricting the speed of flow. This is also affected by the oil viscosity. You could try draining the oil and refilling with fresh.

If that doesn't help, then it sounds like the spindles have seized, but remember that the suspension is fairly firm and short travel anyway (at least compared to many modern cars, especially those from France)so don't expect to get a lot of movement by bouncing on the wing.
Guy

I've used FL kit since April-96; it's been fine, with one set of oilites replaced.

Mike: have you driven car? I'd suggest not, as 'unmovable' dampers are likely to bend chassis, or rip out of mountings...

A
Anthony Cutler

Here's this afternoon's update. I took the RH damper off and got it clamped to the bench. I couldn't move the arm at all. I removed the valve and still couldn't move the arm. So I got a plastic pipette (I used to work in a lab!) and sucked out as much of the fluid as I could - it was horrible and black and precipitated out in a jar.

Eventually I forced the arm to move by brute force and the liberal application of penetrating oil round its swivel. I then worked it up and down for about 15 minutes by which time it was moving quite smoothly except that at the very extremes of its travel it seems to get stuck.

I filled the damper with hydraulic oil and put it back on the car and can now move the suspension up and down with the damper connected, something I couldn't do before. Naturally its stiff as the damper is doing its stuff, but I have hopes that once the spring is back in all will be well. The question is this - is it worth persevering with these dampers or getting some exchange items, and from who?

I've had to stop as the gale here in Scotland is threatening to kill the power and without electrickery my powered roller door doesn't work, and without any light I couldn't see to operate the winder!!
Mike Howlett

in another thread there was someone that done a good job reconning of dampers(?) (sorry can't remember who)

I think you can buy brand new dampers

the the thing with recon stuff is how well was it done each time it has been done and what condition it was it before and after each recon

there not much to the damper that normally gets reconned so the bit that don't get done could be a good age and mileafe despite the other bits of it being reconned and fresh paint added to make it look nice - I hope that all makes sense(?)
Nigel Atkins

Damper oil certainly shouldn't be black and gooey! In fact standard weight damper oil is usually almost clear and pretty runny.

Sounds like either the "reconditioning" of your dampers was of the - degrease the outside and give it a quick spray of glossy paint - variety. Or if the oil was replaced it was with a heavier grade substance to make it appear that the unit was providing a good level of damping. That said, if it is fairly stiff with no slack movement now that it is filled with fresh oil, then I would use it. At least for a while. You can easily change it later if you need to; unless you are keen to spend the money now which seems unlikely for a Troonie.

Guy
Guy

Here is the rebuilder that Nigel is referring to, I think:

http://www.nosimport.com/

Peter Caldwell does the world's best rebuild of these lever arm dampers (better than new).



Norm
Norm Kerr

The oil I took out of my Dampers was black and sticky and smelled really really horrible. They've got EP90 in them now just to keep the bearings happy, no valves as the damping is done by telescopics.

If I were you I'd run those ones as they seem OK for now, then look at either getting some proper rebuilt ones or a better front suspension system.

Rob Armstrong

I want to second what Norm said about Peter at nosimports.
Send him an email, as he may know of someone on your side that does work almost as well as his, no one does it better.
Also, Peter probably ships, as reasonably as possible to the UK. At any rate he is a wealth of information and generally more than willing to help
Phil Burke

This thread was discussed between 08/12/2011 and 09/12/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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