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MG MGB Technical - New leaf springs - not right

I've just fitted two new leaf springs from the MGOC (Parabolic springs - GT - C/B PSK03) to my 72 GT. The car now sits very high at the rear, the axle straps are about one inch short of being able to fit.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? I can't look in the archives, as my company firewall wont let me submit member information to log on ;-(

Obviously I've not run the car yet, so the question is will it settle down? I'm imagining that if I put some weight in the boot and that lets me connect the straps up, the axle will have no further travel and could cause overstrear during cornering?

The answer at this point looks like fit 1" lowering blocks, but that doesn't seem right

Any help would be most appreciated to put my mind as ease, thanks
Denis B

That isn't right at all.

I have the same height issue and was given a very useful tip yesterday.

When fitting a new spring, the shackle can become 'trapped' in the forward position when it should pointing towards the back, if so this can stop the spring levelling out as it has nowhere to go.

Try to gently lever the shackle backwards with the weight off the axle and see if it 'pops' over into place.


Liam
Liam H

Denis,
I had the same problem with Victoria British leaf springs about 3 years ago. These replacment springs are just not arched correctly.
Some say they will settle with time. I convinced VB to swap a set of their 'rally' springs which put the car at the correct ride height.
I think you have 2 choices: get them re-arched at a spring shop (I guess they can do that) or return them and find some with correct arch.
Dave
David Steverson

The locking of the shackle in the forward position *could* happen on an RB car or V8 as the mounting points are lower than the bottom of the chassis rail. However on a CB car i.e. a 72 this shouldn't happen. I've had the springs on and off several times on my 73 roadster and the shackles have always moved down to almost vertical from the spring eyes resting on the bottom of the chassis rail without any levering. At normal loadings the axle travel should really be in the midle of the bump stops and rebound straps. If it isn't, or heaven forbid the axle straps are still taut when you are driving it, effectively you won't have any suspension. Are there different parabolics for RB and CB like for OE springs? Maybe you have been supplied RB items. There have been complaints of over-arched or too-hard multi-leaf springs for many years now, but this is the first complaint I've heard about parabolics.
Paul Hunt 2

Have you contacted MGOC for their opinion?

I had a problem when fitting some standard multi-leaf springs to a R/B midget a few years ago. The springs were so arched that I had difficulty fitting them to the shackles. When I did eventually manage to fit them, the car was very high.
Dave O'Neill

Thanks for all the replies, I removed the rear shockers and *bounced* the car up and down, at first it rebounded on the bump straps, and left the floor! I guess this is what you don’t want to happen! After a good bit of bouncing, it has settled down so that there is about one inch of slack in the bump straps and the rear shackles now point vertical. I can't see which way the shackles move when I bounce the car, I need the assistance of a mate this weekend, but I might try putting some load in the boot and making sure the shackles go the right way. I'm guessing that the reason it was initially high was due to the paint on the springs and the bushes being not settled in, I'm now more confidant that it will settle a bit further to the *shackles pointing backwards* after a run or two.
Denis B

There should be significantly more than 1" slack in the rebound straps (implies only 2" of axle movement) but it is difficult to judge. If the shackles are vertical-ish it should be OK. When more load is added the bottom of the shackles should move rearwards.
Paul Hunt 2

If your springs settle so much, it should be worthwile to loosen all the spring mounting nuts/bolts so the bushes can relax at the new ride height. Might even allow it to settle a bit lower than before.
HTH,
Rufus
Rufus Pool

I've had a nightmare with leaf springs in the past both from Moss and another supplier and both suppliers promised me they would settle over time but they never did. The one set of springs were taken on 4 trackdays and they still didn't settle!!

So i ended up buying a set of lowered rear springs from Moss to get the height i wanted. As i hated the 'hot rod' look with nose down stance....
Gavin Jewkes

This thread was discussed between 21/11/2006 and 28/11/2006

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