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MG MGB Technical - Front Suspension Height Help Needed

I need the help from the collective wisdom of the board. I have a 1968 mgb roadster. I have replaced springs in the front and rear. The car has a definite "rake" to it - lower in front and higher in the rear. I have compared my center of hub to bottom of chrome strip measruement (13.5" in front, 15.5" in rear) to those on Paul Hunt's website. The rear seems ok, but the front seems low. I can barely get my 2 ton trolley jack under the front suspension subframe. I took the front springs out and measured them - they were less than the 9.9" static height the Haynes manual said they should be. I ordered some more from Brittek, but it seems I have the same problem. The gaps in the doors are even, so I don't think my frame is sagging or bent. If I lift the car to work on it and then set it back down, the front will be higher until I drive it and then it settles. Do I have another bad set of springs? Is there a spacer that goes in with the springs? What else could the problem be? Thanks in advance for your help.
Jack Caulder

Jack. Interesting to read your problem description. I ordered the "Major Suspension Rebuild Kit" from Brit-Tek a couple of years ago and installed it on my daughter's 77B last winter. Now, the front end is sitting as low as my 68GT's. About the same difference you have noted. I called Bob Ford and he reported no other people mentioning such a problem in the past several years. I had though I might have received "the one bad spring set". Perhaps I did not, but was merely the leading edge of the problem identification. Please keep us posted on what you find. I am going to obtain a set of used, RB front springs to install and see what difference that will make. But, I need to get the engine back in first, a project that is two weeks overdue. Les
Les Bengtson

Les, you are not the only one. I went through a couple pairs of bad front springs from S*** Parts Group,Ltd. out of the UK. Can't tell you the exact name because the stickers on mine are not all readable. I got mine from someplace other than Brit-Tek, but I'd bet a paycheck there aren't too many manufacturers of these springs. I run my in a lowered state for autoXing, using the bad springs because I'm being cheap and I have them. To raise my car to normal height, I've went with good used ones. It seems we have not just bad rear springs floating around, but now bad front springs.

Jack, If I were you I'd quit experimenting with new ones and go with a pair of good used ones.

Safety Fast, Wade
Wade Keene

In addition to saggy springs you must ensure that the lower pivot nuts on the front and the front eye bolt at the rear are tightened with full weight on the ground and after a couple of "jounces" of the suspension. Otherwise odd-heights and quickly worn bushes are the result.

Mike!
mike!

13.5" at the front seems about right to me, maybe about 1/2" down, whereas 15.5" in the back seems is for a chrome bumper being more like RB levels. Over-hard or over-arched rear springs seem very common these days giving an over-high rear ride height, sometimes to the point of not being able to compress them enough simply with body weight in order to get the rebound straps located. What were the ride heights before you started?

I can't get my trolley jack under my CB front cross-member either without lifting the front a little by hand and lowering it back down slowly, and that is with RB roadster front springs. These have a shorter free height but are harder, so the ride-height ends up about the same but you get much less roll and dive.
Paul Hunt

Doug Jackson http://www.mgbmga.com/ used to sell a spacer that would rise the front height. About 14" would be clsoer to correct. My 67 is about 13 3/4 in the front and close to 15 in the rear. The problem is the rear springs. Brit-Tek does sell a rear spring that is from the UK and should be closer to the correct ride height. I know that if I cnan't get my rear to ride lower with new springs I am going to look at a lowering kit for the rear. There was a batch of rear springs sold here in the states that were originally for a older Datson. Sounds like you have the same junk springs that I have.
Jim Lema

My rears before replacement were 14". I dread the thought of replacing those again - what a pain! I don't have any problems with the rebound strap - it has a nice "S" shape to it. I have poly bushes all around if that makes any difference.
Jack Caulder

I just measured my 72 roadster yesterday Jack and the front is 14 7/8 with the rear being 14 3/4. The sit of the car is just about spot on but some might argue that these heights are too high. The car is perfectly level and the back tyres are just starting to disappear (about 1") into the rear wheel arches. That seems about right also and any more would be too much. Look at all the photographs in your Clausager and you will get a very close idea as to what it should look like. Your front springs seem too short to me but I'm not taking mine out to measure them !!
Iain MacKintosh

I have a 73 roadster with the front end out right now. My original springs measure 10.5" uncompressed. I would have to agree that your new ones are too short.
Lyle Radebaugh

That's the length I remember as well but your rear is too high so to speak.
Iain MacKintosh

I had a hell of a time last fall trying to sort this out. Can't seem to get the search to work at the moment ot find the thread.

It was complicated by the fact that I was replacing front and rear, but after a couple rounds of assembly and dissassembly, it turned out the brand spanking new springs I got had compressed dramatically.

I had 3 sets, one that I wanted to replace, the new set, and eventually an unknown set off a parts car. The newest ones (after a few weeks riding around) were the shortest uncompressed, followed by the ones I wanted to replace, followed by the ones from the parts car, which measured the 9.9 spec from pauls page. Giant pain, but I got so I could do the full replacement on both sides in about 30 minutes.

Steve
Steve Aichele

Jack,

I've always been conscious that when replacing springs you take the risk that the replacements are what you expect.

I would stick with the springs you have an drop the back to 14&1/4" with an 1&1/4 lowering kit. Then raise the front by 1/2" with a spacer. Various people do front spacers, and I know the British Automotive item is part no. '1-2 264-325' and should raise the front by apporx 1/2".

Regards,
James
J E G Eastwood 1

James,
Thanks - I think I will try the spacer on the front.
Jack Caulder

This thread was discussed between 09/02/2005 and 22/02/2005

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