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MG MGB Technical - Rear Springs - My findings

Once again I’m just sharing my recent findings and thoughts from doing a refurbishing the suspension on my ’72 BGT.

Firstly, I fitted a pair of ‘new’ AHC31 rear leaf springs (obtained from the MG owners Club) about 3500 miles ago. When originally fitted the springs were a bit high and the usual suggestions that they will ‘settle in’ were noted. As time has gone on, I’ve decided to fit GAZ damper to both the front and rear and move the back axle 9mm to the right (due to the original spring hangers being 9mm off) anyway, I’ve made and welded on some new spring hangers, and decided to go for yet another new set of springs, this time the 1” lower variety.

On receipt these springs were of very poor quality, and defiantly not a matched pair. Not only were they constructed differently, had ¾” difference in height, but also had 20% difference in the spring rate. ( I know why so many MGBs lean one way or another!). so these went back and a replacements sent out, these too are very poor quality made, 2” lower than standard, with the interleaving hanging out, and the staples looked like they had been fitted by a 12 year old.

So these went back and an alternative supplier looked for. For my phoning round just about everybody in the UK, the consensus of opinion is that the £29 to £35 springs are made in India. And apparently at a cost of £5! Now for £5, how can you buy the raw material or supply the energy to harden and temper the spring? Let alone the labour cost.

I’ve now found someone in the UK who can make me some springs. At substantially more than £35, but at least they will be right.

I don’t understand, well I do, but I don’t agree, why someone would spend £1000’s of money on their car restoration only to put on crap springs!
MG Mike

Hello Mike,

Unlucky you that obtained springs I image made from two different source. I bought two rear springs made in thailand for a MGC from a different coutry origin than yourss. One tip I used them on a MGB and they are fine, it could be the same thing from your suppliers. i could give you mine, but it is in US.

Cheers,

JGC
Jean Guy Catford

Hello Mike,

I returned springs two times to Moss until an equal set was deliverd. Also other spares had to be returned several times and you have to be very patiend with them.
May be people there do know nothing about the merchandise they send to their customers or are too unexperienced for this delicate job, I think.

Ralph
Ralph

Mike,

Can you give some more details about the springs and the source for them?

Alex
Alexander M

My original springs came from the MG Owners Club AHC31 (these were made in the UK by British Springs.)

The replacement items, that I’ve had to send back came from MOSS UK. (These were made in India and imported by British Springs)

The company that are now dealing with my spring problem are;- http://www.rossroadsprings.co.uk/

I’ve not got the springs from them yet so I can’t comment on the finished item or quality, but I will defiantly post my findings here!

It’s hard to believe that in 2006 we have lost the ability to manufacture a good quality item at a reasonable price. The focus nowadays is for the cheapest option and sod the quality, just get the product out the door!
MG Mike

Mike, looks like you have found a good source. I have long been in favor of having springs either made or refurbished by a local spring shop such as the one shown rather than buying new items. My experience comes from working on street rods and antique cars which don't have springs available from other sources. I've always had good results from competent spring shops. I recommend having the 'plastic' leaf inserts installed if available, makes for a much nicer ride as well as more linear handling response.
Bill Young

Greetings, just coming in on this thread. I've got a '74 which needs rear springs. I've held off for years, waiting for a good supplier to turn up. I'd be more than willing to have a set made by a local shop, but I don't know the specs to give them. Can anyone help me on that score?

Thanks in advance.
Matt Kulka

Hello Bill,

I bought springs fron Victoria British and I am satified with then:

http://www.victoriabritish.com/index.htm


For springs specs, have a look at:


http://www.teglerizer.com/mgstuff/springs.htm


Cheers,


JGC
Jean Guy Catford

I also bought a set of rear springs for my midget from VB and was satisfied, but that was about 8 years ago, so I'm not familiar with the products being sold today. I'm glad you had good results with the VB springs. We here in the KC area try to patronize VB whenever possible, they really support the LBCs and activities in this area.
Bill Young

*Is* it the hangers that are incorrect? Or simply the multitude of panels that wrap round from the inside of the wheel to the outside and give the very common reduced clearance to the left-hand wheel compared to the right-hand? Both my cars exhibit this different clearance but I have had a full wheel alignment check carried out on both and in both cases the rear wheels are correctly tracking the fronts. For the hangers to be out they would have to be out by double the clearance difference, unless the rear chassis rails are out as well, which seems highly unlikely. Moving the hangers to give a balanced clearance in the arches, unless they *were* incorrect by an inch or so each, would result in the car 'crabbing' now.

Springs is a different issue. I have tried a couple of different rear springs sets over the years for various reasons. I thought the originals were knackered as they were virtually flat under normal kerb-side loads, but the replacements weren't much different, and with touring loads I have had to increase the rear shackle length by an inch or so to prevent prevent bottoming and scraping the silencer on country roads. In those days it was common for North American owners to complain of a 'jacked up' stance with new springs and difficulty attaching axle straps without additional weight in the boot, but lately the same complaints have been coming from this side of the pond. When you consider that Abingdon only allowed for an average weight of 150lb or 10.7 stone for each occupant, and take into account the typical weight of people these days, I'm of the opinion that spring manufacturers have beefed-up their springs to avoid complaints of sagging suspension! If they go too far then you *will* have problems with attaching axle straps and rear ride height.
Paul Hunt 2

I just fitted a new pair from www.lbcarco.com I have forgotten to look where they were made. They did have interleaves, and they also had the part number stenciled in white paint. Sure is bouncy the first day!

-John
John

has anybody tried parabolic springs
trevor burnett

“*Is* it the hangers that are incorrect?” Yes- I believe so… I’ve measured the position of the forward and rear location points as per the manual (dropped plumb bob and checked the diagonals etc.) The spring centres on my car are exactly 37” (this is correct). The rear axle is 48” so the hangers should be 5-1/2” in from each wheel flange. On my axle one is 5-1/2” the other was 5-1/4, causing the leaf springs to twist in. I’ve measured several axles at an auto-jumble and found them to be all different, between 5-1/4” and 5-7/8”, strangely all biased to the left (not ideal as the pinion thrust tends to push the axle in this direction anyway), hence many cars having less clearance on the left wheel arch. I assume that MG weren’t too accurate when either making or fitting these axles day-one (or they might have just come like that from their suppliers?). Anyway I made a simple jig, cut the old hangers off and fitted some new ones (home made). Now the hangers are exactly 5-1/2” and symmetrical on the axle at 37” centres. I still haven’t got my leaf springs back from Rossendale Road Springs, they are moving factories at the moment, let’s hope it’s not to India!
BTW, if anyone would like the drawings of the spring hangers that I have made, I can email them.
MG Mike

Hi Mike, I recently completed the rebuild of a 64 Roadster, knowing the problem with MG springs, I fitted a set of rubber bumper springs to my car, within 2500 miles they were flat, I did with the roadster what I did with my MGB GT, was to get some spring helpers from the States at some where around £20 this cures the problem, it lifted the back end some 2-3" and made it a comfortable ride.

Colin
Colin E Lanning

The only location points of the axle come from the springs, if the leaf springs were twisted it can only be that the twisted springs were pushing the axle to one side, not the other way round, i.e. from the pinion thrust you mention (however two sets of new springs on my car have both had the same left-hand off-set as the old). But now I'm thinking you have been talking about the spring pads on the axle casing, and not the hangers on the body. I've seen previous references to these spring pads being off before, and whilst mine are not exact they are only about 1/4" out, but both it and the replacement axle, and the one on the V8, are all displaced by about an inch or so with respect to the outer rear wing.

Don't assume that springs that come with interleaving and the correct stencilling are the real McCoy. I nearly bought a pair with the stencilling, and it was only when I noticed the lack of interleaving that the bloke behind the counter sheepishly admitted they were copies. If they'd gone the extra mile and fitted interleaving I'd have been none the wiser.
Paul Hunt 2

I changed out the rear springs on my Dad's '63 B a couple of years ago. Ordered the kit from Brit-Tek Bob at:

http://www.brittek.com/

Great kit with all needed parts. Most importantly, the ride height was correct.

See:

http://www.britcars.net/FloydH1.jpg
Carl Floyd

Sorry Paul, I’ve not articulated myself very well, I was referring to the hangers on the *axle* not the chassis. The chassis is spot-on, thankfully! I’ve also got some poly bushes and blocks to minimise the lateral movement. Hopefully it should all work but I’m sure many people have been here before me, only to go back to the original!
MG Mike

This thread was discussed between 07/06/2006 and 12/06/2006

MG MGB Technical index

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