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MG MGA - Rear suspension / shocks

Hello all!

I am having an ongoing issue with my rear driver's side shock/suspension. The problem is that rear quarter sits significantly lower than the other three quarters. In an attempt to solve the issue I have removed the leaf springs and had them evaluated. According to the shop they were "bent" properly and equally. I have also removed both rear shocks and sent them in to be rebuilt/replaced. And yet, the problem persists!

In addition, hitting even the slightest bump on the driver's rear side feels/sounds potentially damaging.

Has anyone else had this problem?
What was your solution?
Are there any modern/aftermarket shocks that can be fitted to the rear suspension?

Please help!

Gerard
gerard hutchinson

Hi Gerard

Yes Moss in the UK does three different modern conversion of the shocks with telescopic shocks.

You say you have had the springs checked. Have you swopped them over to see if that makes a difference in terms of how the car sits one side to the other? I think they can be swopped over but that might indicate if the springs are the same on the car. One spring could be softer/bendier than the other even though they have the same static shape. Also if the car sits low in one quarter that is likely to be a spring rather than the shock or there is a lot more weight on that side of the car! The shock absorber eventually moves to the position of the suspension whatever it is, so should not affect the ride height.
John
John Francis

Assuming it's something that has developed over time rather than has always been there or from accident or chassis damage then, as quick thoughts -
. swapping over side as John put
. are shackle pin and plate right way round, not twisted in some respect (compare how they hang to other side)
. check all damper bolts and drop link nuts are tight (can sound bad if loose)
. u-bolt length and pads and plates are both equal to ones on other side of car (and centre bolt type and length)
. check rubber bushes including drop links (worn/loose) for noise
. check the damping of the damper on the car, if sloppy or loose arm it could be contributing to a/the cacophony of worrying noise(s).

If you know someone with a bit of weight on them you could ask them to carefully sit on that corner and carefully bounce the car whilst you very carefully(!) stick your head close enough to perhaps see and/or hearing where any noises might originate.

If you've got wire wheels that wheel (and perhaps others) might be contributing to the noises try taking it off checking, greasing, wheel centre, hub, etc., swap it around.
Nigel Atkins

Does it sit crooked when no-one is inside?
Art Pearse

Art Pearse: Yes it does. It sits about an inch to an inch and a half lower on the rear driver's side.
gerard hutchinson

Shocks won’t have any effect on ride height.
Dave O'Neill 2

I remember my car looking similar after the rebuild in 97 despite the springs passing my 'eyeball' and measurement checks while off the car. New springs sorted.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Gerald,
I forgot the bit about changing the dampers to different ones, as you're in USA you can get "MG MGA REAR Shock Absorber Rebuilt Better than New." These are often recommended on here -
http://www.nosimport.com/Lever-shocks-remanufactured/mg-a-lever-shocks/mg-mga-rear-shock-absorber-rebuilt-better-than-new-by-world-wide-nosimport

But as Dave has put they wont be the ride height problem.
Nigel Atkins

Gerard
I wouldn't recommend that you convert your car to rear tubular shock absorbers, I would stick with lever arms.
They work really well and give a much better ride than tubular ones.

I recently switched back to them after living with adjustable Gaz tubular ones for almost 10 years and the ride has been transformed.
Even though I had the adjustment backed off to zero, the ride was rock hard and the car would jump up over the slightest bump.
The car has handled better and been much more comfortable since I switched back to lever arms.

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

Colyn, are the lever type adjustable, and how?
Art Pearse

Shock absorbers do not effect the ride height of the car. Its job is to absorb shock travel from the springs and that is it. Height issues are from condition of the springs, frame, mountings, not shock absorbers.

Even with McPhearson struts, which is a single spring/shock combination unit; if the spring fails, the shock absorber will just take the position of the spring regardless of the spring height and spring travel.

Cheers

Gary
79 MGB
gary hansen

Got to agree with Colin, tubes fitted to our frog where removed last year a levers back on, much nicer.
Strangely the frog has always sat drivers rear side low, changed the springs but it still does...
David k Brenchley

I have had my rear shocks rebuilt and they seem to work properly. I've also had my leaf springs looked at twice. It seems I may need some custom work done.

Thanks again gents...
gerard hutchinson

Sorry Art, I just spotted your post about my adjustable lever arm shocks.

They look like standard Armstrong rear shocks but they have a large knurled adjustment knob at the rear.

I bought them from John Bray here in the UK a couple of years ago, they were left over from his MGA racing days. He told me that he had them re-conditioned by Brown and Gammons and then never got to use them.

I have played around with the adjustment and I have them set in the mid position for road use which seems to suit my car really well.
I plan to explore their stiffer settings to see how it affects the car.

I have posted a link from Barneys website which shows these shocks, it is likely that the shocks shown are actually the ones now on my car.

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/suspensn/rs120.htm

Colyn
Colyn Firth

I had some adjustables on the racing Sprite.

Here's one set that I had.


Dave O'Neill 2

I just found some of these adjustable shock absorbers, brand new, on the Brown and Gammons website.

Hope you are sitting down when you read this
they are listed at £540 each!

Colyn
Colyn Firth

Mine are adjustable Colyn - Full or all leaked out. Never noticed the difference in handling to be honest.

Steve
Steve Gyles

I did run with the adjustables backed right off when I first fitted them and the the ride was noticeably bouncy. I then notched them up to about the halfway setting and the ride is now excellent.

I would imagine that the halfway setting is somewhere near the setting of standard shock absorbers.

In other words, I should probably have listened to Bob West when he told me to scrap the Gaz adjustable tubular shocks and fit standard (non-adjustable) lever arms instead!

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

This thread was discussed between 05/06/2019 and 11/06/2019

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