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MG MGB Technical - Rear Shocks

What is the ideal length(compressed and extended) for a std C-B roadster telescopic rear shock?

Thanks/Rgds Trevor Burnett
t burnett

Extended 410mm, comp, 275mm. These are the dimensions for the Spax on my C?B roadster.
Allan Reeling

Gabriels on mine (Gabriel #82001, for early Volkswagen Beetle, and Dodge Colt of 1990) measure 405mm extended and 260mm compressed. These work well as they have never indicated they have reached the respective lengths in normal road use - speeds up to 90mph on 'B' grade country roads. Position the bottom mounting plates upward though, instead of down, (don't ask me how I know but it wasn't me thankfully) and they will bottom on roads of quite good standard. This suggests that I probably don't have a great margin for error as I believe the difference in bolt centres of the bottom plate mounted up/down is something of the order of 1-1.25"

However, the only way to be certain is to accurately measure the rear suspension system components on your own car (at level rest) and to allow for the geometry of the particular mounting system you are going to use. My mounting system is a locally acquired product for which I'm uncertain of manufacturing origins.

The Gabriel website provides detailed information of their product range.

There is considerable discussion in the archives on this subject

Regards
Roger
Roger T

Doesn't matter, they should be left on a shelf somewhere :o)
Paul Hunt

Paul, I could almost think you didn't like them!
Roger T

cLIVE wHEATLY HAD SOME DESIGNED BY sPAX FOR THE RV8, although they are technically too long, I tried a pair as an experiment to see if they were really an improvement on the original, less than perfect, Spax conversions. They are a vast improvement!!! Clive thinks that Spax are now marketing the superior ones in a shorter length to suit the B. A what price I haven't checked yet!
Allan Reeling

Roger - I don't! One of the pair the PO installed started leaking not long after I bought the car, couldn't get an identical one so had to buy a pair at about six times the cost of a rebuilt lever arm unit. Both types were initially very hard even on the softest setting. The new ones then started getting softer after many tens of thousands of miles, by which time the adjusters had seized of course. At that point I threw in the towel and replaced them with lever arms. Bought blind from a spares show complete with drop links and bottom plates which had been discarded by the PO and all for a tenner I fully expected to have to exchange the dampers, but they've actually lasted several years before one has started weeping a bit, so a good buy. If that is all you are replacing then tubular dampers are a complete waste of time and money and don't result in any better roadholding, in fact the lever-arms have a dual-damping feature that results in softer springing with small/slow movements and only hardens up on large/rapid movements.
Paul Hunt

Paul, yes I have followed you comments on the subject for a while. I am inclined to agree with you on the benefits of the original units.

However, a motivating reason for the change here is a reversal from the UK experience with the cost of the respective units. I've seen you refer to competent rebuild unit prices there for the lever arms of 25-35 Pound - somewhere short of A$50-70. Down here the equivalent units would be of the order of A$250 plus each. A pair of the Gabriels would cost me A$110.

The Gabriels are not adjustable of course, being for the early Beetles, but are double acting and do seem well weighted to the rear end of the B. I still have the originals I replaced and wonder from time-to-time if I should flush them out, refill and try them again.

I'd love to find a lever arm set for $20! Those mounting plates alone are A$36 each down here.

Pricing differences are not confined to dampers. I envy our American cousins paying under US$10 for oil filters. I've noted the cost of mine among other info in the concurrent thread on oil filters.

Roger T

Roger,

Well, just to rub it in, I pay less than $5 for the Mann W917 oil filters when I get them in a 10-pack.

What is going on with the prices down there? Is it shipping or exchange rate, or some other quirk? Is the shipping a killer if you order direct from the USA?

Charley
C R Huff

The Gaz shocks I have purchased for Moss UK for a 74 CB roadster are 12" (305mm) closed, 17"(432mm) open
Regards
Tony
Tony Bates

Thanks guys I did not want to start a war just wanted the sizes
Rgds Trevor
t burnett

No war, just our banter.

Charley, I might come over on a shopping trip!! Shipping is always an issue on bulky or heavy items - that Pacific is a very wide ocean, and we are on the 'far side' from Europe.

I think the issue starts with the base number of the cars in the country - just under 10,000 MGBs originally, though there are places importing ex USA and converting to RHD. There are not the numbers to supply recycled parts requirements nor justify bulk production runs on reconditioned parts that keep unit prices down. we probably should be thankful that there are people/firms who operate in that context. Generally, parts quality here can be very good, just needing to be a bit careful with the usual suspect issues.

We once had a considerable proportion of our car fleet with British background but that has long changed. Ryco are producing the filter to meet a very small market and with anti drain-back and pressure relief features, these have a production and distribution cost recoverable on a small base. Just a fact of life I guess.
Roger T

It's the shipping that gets us in Canada.
And some is just mark up and greed. Shocks which cost @40 in the states will cost me just over 100 here in Canada for a pair. I can probably source the shocks in the states, pay the duty and frieght and still save $.
Oil filters 5-8$
Bruce Mills

I did a 400 mile trip last month and for the first time had 6" superlites and 185*15 tires rub on the inside of the guards. I had already ordered a set of Polly shackle bushs and a pair of the Moss 25% increase valves for the rear shockers. I have about 10KM of unmade road to reach the Hi-way and the motor is supercharged so wheel tramp has been a problem on the corrugations. When I pulled the car apart both the shocks were, although working of sorts,leaking. A few months ago a friend had got me to fit a set of telly shocks to his car and left me his old set that were in good nick. So on they went with the new valves and shackles. Sorry to take so long to get to the point but the rubbing has stopped and so has the wheel tramp. I have never seen a comment on the stronger valves before so I thought it was worth a mention. The supercharger has been on the car for five and a half years and the shocks were not leaking then. The shackles were not real bad and although adding to the problem I think the shocks were most of it. The ride is still good and the tramp fixed.
Denis
Denis4

"Down here the equivalent units would be of the order of A$250 plus each"

Ouch! I'm waiting for my supplier to get some rears in - £18 each collected and the old ones delivered, new with no exchange £80.
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 05/10/2009 and 07/10/2009

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.