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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Yellow shock absorber arms?

Yellow steering arms are well known, and has been discussed before on this BBS. I have a couple of these on the 1961 midget that I am now rebuilding, chassis no. 7303.

But yesterday I was surprised to find that exactly the same yellow colour has also been used originally on at least one of the rear shock absorber arms. The shocker may very well be the original one. Does anyone know anything about this?

Tore

Tore

I can only confirm what you said about the yellow steering arms as mentioned by JWB in his Sebring Sprite rebuild photos
http://www.spritespot.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=sprinzelsebringsprite&page=28

But I suppose that it's completely possible that they would use it on other suspension parts.
G Lazarus

I too have come across the Yellow steering arms and I seem to recollect in the dark and distant past, seeing traces of Yellow on rear shocker arms.

The question is: WHY?

Mark.
Mark T. Boldry

Tore,
Any chance of a photo of the rear shock absorbers ?
(My guess is the yellow indicated the damping rate; to distinguish them at a quick glance from Morris or Austin dampers ???
All the best,

Nick, 63Midget.
D.G.J. Herwegh

Interesting theory, Nick! I´ll take a picture and post it this evening.

Tore
Tore

Here it is! The other damper is so dirty no colour is shown...

Tore


Tore

And, for the record, one steering arm :-)


Tore

Thanks for the photos Tore !
I've never seen the yellow paint on the rear shock absorber arm.
This is how the steering arms looked at the factory:



D.G.J. Herwegh

Tore, The picture of your shock shows a later shock. The semi-elliptic cars (64 onwards) used the shock you have pictured. Those shocks had a yellow swipe of paint as well as a blue swipe farther out on the arm. If you look at the bottom edge of the mounting ear, you will see the Armstrong part number 8681. That is the later shock. I can easily tell because the topping-up or filler plug is located on the body of the shock near the arm. The earlier 1/4 elliptic cars have the filler plug on the very top lid and at an angle towards the front of the car so as to be accessible from the cockpit. The arms are very nearly identical. The earlier shock is numbered 7401, and I have never seen any paint colour on the arms. (There is an even earlier shock numbered 7335 whose arm is a tad longer.) The shocks are sometimes interchanged, but best results are obtained with the correct shock.

I believe Armstrong used paint to differentiate among several similar looking shocks. I could enumerate a few if necessary.

Peter "I've seen a few shocks" Caldwell
Peter Caldwell

I checked the original shock absorbers on my 1963 Midget and indeed the number on the mounting flange is 7401RH (on the right) and 7401LH (left of course). As Peter mentions, the filler plug is on top of the shock absorber under a slight angle. However it is not possible to fill them from within the car.
No wonder I never found yellow paint....8^)
Thanks for your information Peter.

Nick, 63Midget.
D.G.J. Herwegh

I´m impressed. :-) This BBS is unique!

Tore
Tore

Nick and Tore, you're very welcome.

Nick, I believe the Frogeyes had the access to the shock filler, but not the later MKIIs.

So, Tore, is the other side shock correct?

Peter
Peter Caldwell

Peter,

No, they are identical.

Tore
Tore

This thread was discussed between 06/10/2008 and 08/10/2008

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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