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MG MGB Technical - Rear shocks (sorry!)

Hi

First of all let me say sorry for asking about something that I imagine many people are bored of discussing.

I have a late UK roadster. It's had rear spax since I got it. I just took one off to see if it was the source of a knocking noise (it wasn't). I was about to put it back on and decided not to. The spax are just too hard and see me skittling round corners too much.

I would consider lever arms, but I don't think I can have them. This is because I have recently put on lowered parabolic springs and I understand they require tubes. Is that right? If so is it a wrong spring contant to damping problem, or lever arms won't fit with lowered parabolics problem?

If I can't have levers, does anyone know where to get a set of Konis or other in the UK. I only seem able to find spax on the usual websites.

cheers!
Darren
D Lewis

Darren,
I run lowered parabolics and I also am changing from Spax, but to Gaz shocks same issues but easier to adjust as my car is a Sprint car more than a road car.
To answer your question you can run lever arms with no problems at all. Infact Doug Smith at MGMotorsport runs his race cars with exactly that setup, para's with levers. I do think he uses uprated levers and new ones rather than refurbs.
Hope that helps TJ.
T J Nicolson

Here is a post I made sometimes ago:

From: Jean Guy Catford Quebec Canada on 19 May 2006 at 16:39:54 (UK time)
Well lot of emotions over this thread...

My opinions is for freedom of choice. To keep a B "original", I will not substitute any parts by an "upgrade". for example substitude troublesome pre-cambrian points instead of pertronix. Ok but we have to service them frequently.

Regarding suspension, I tried the Moss rear suspension swap kit with Monroe's, that appears to have truck shocks. Not a pleasant experience. I replaced shock in this kit with rear Hyndai excel one's and the ride is more than adequate. But it was not troublesome as I must repositioned the lower spring's bracket to its original setting and drilled shock's sleeves to 1/2" as they are 12 mm..

All that fuzz is not necessary an economical way of doing things and Armstrong rebuilt units is not so a bad idea after all.


Cheers,

JGC

Have a look in archives there is numerous discussions about that subject.
Jean Guy Catford

Sorry,
My comment may look strange...
It was on a discussion where many were pro or cons shock conversion.

but you must retain the shock model for your info.
Cheers,


JGuy
Jean Guy Catford

Hi Darren,
I recently changed from Spaxes to original levers on my CGT with normal height parabolics, because the Spaxes left me with very little spring action from the parabolics.
So far, every passenger I've had in the car has commented on the increased comfort. The rear end feels much looser than before, which I've had to get used to.
In the near future I'll try uprated valves in the levers, but for the time being I'm happy with the current set up.
BTW, what really amazed me was the increased grip from the front as a result of the change. On corners I would enter with understeer and exit with four wheel drift, I now just have grip from the front and really have to provoke the car to get the rear to break away.
Try the levers, I think they'll work for you.
HTH,
Rufus
Rufus Pool

Darren.
Before doing anything else I would be making contact with Spax or Koni UK and get them to give an opinion as to which model shock is best for your set up.

There is nothing wrong with tube shocks or coil over shocks to replace levers but the replacement needs to be matched to the vehicle.

Too many of the "kits from specialists" are just a collection of bits thrown together with no consideration beyond component costs and sale price.

Cheers , Pete.
Peter Thomas

I've always seen it recommended, if not insisted upon, that with single-leaf springs you must fit different dampers. This is because the original multi-leaf springs by their very construction give significant damping on their own, and the lever-arm dampers top this up to the required amount. The tubulars that were available for many years were way too hard, even Spax on their softest setting. I'd been forced to shell out many times more than the cost of a refurbished lever-arm for two new tubulars when one started leaking, and wasn't about to do so again. Mine had also softened up and become rather bouncy, but the adjusters had seized! So a couple of months ago I went back to lever-arms (with standard leaf springs) and that is how they will stay. As I had nothing to loose I hammered and oiled the adjusters on the old Spax until they came free, but find that whilst turning the adjuster from one extreme to the other does make a difference in damping in one direction, it remains as soft as ever in the other! Altogether a load of expensive rubbish.
Paul Hunt 2

This thread was discussed between 28/06/2006 and 29/06/2006

MG MGB Technical index

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