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MG TD TF 1500 - TF rear ride height, measured tonight

Another evening in the garage pondering about my sagging rear end, (Well, actually my TF,s rear end) trying to figure out a way to measure sag.

I believe this is a measure that could be subject to comparison:

With the car standing on the flat garage floor, with gas tank almost full but otherwise no load I find that the distance between the top of the drive shaft tube and the tip of the rubber stop is 1,5 inches on the LH side and 1,75 inches on the RH side ( My car is LHD)

This gives me no more than 1,5 inches of spring movement even before I place my 185 pounds of carcass behind the steering wheel. Cannot be right.

I would be very grateful if other TF owners participating on this BBS would crawl under their TF and measure the described gap for comparison.

Thank you!

Jan

MG TF 1500 1954
Jan Kristoffersen

Jan,
I'm sure you must mean the axle tube????

SPW
STEVE WINCZE

Yes of course, the axle tube, not the prop shaft ! Thank you for clarifying.

regards

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

I didn't think I was sagging. But, I measure 1.5 inches both sides.
Peter 54TF
Peter Dahlquist

Jan I get 1 /2" on the drivers side and 1 3/4" on the passenger side. New Moss replacements about 7 years ago. Bottomed out pretty easy from new. Wish I had rebuilt the old ones instead of giving them away.
L E D LaVerne

Checked out prices for cold re-arching today, there seems to be one company in Norway doing this. USD 60 pr leaf, meaning 840 dollars before 25% VAT, so we are talking 1.100 USD ! The company sugared the pill by telling me that "with careful use as with a vintage vehicle You probably would need to do a cold re-arching only every fifth year !

I am severely p... o. by Norwegian price levels.

Regards,

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

NTG in good ol England are advertising new road springs at 195 Pounds.
Has to be one good way to go.

Kev S TF6288
K Simonsen

NTG seems like a good suggestion, I have never purchased anything from them, but I understand that they have been in the business for a long time and are major suppliers of body items for T series MGs.

regards,

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Hi Jan,
I have been using TD springs in my TF for the last 20 years.
With the appalling state of our roads it was the only way to avoid bottoming out when touring with a loaded car.
I have driven TF's with standard (flat springs) and find no real difference, maybe slightly less roll oversteer in my car.
Nobody has ever noticed my car is slightly higher at the rear.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

See Picture
Ray


Ray Lee

From looking into the archives, and as Ray indicates, it seems like TD springs solve the problem,,,
The real problem is to find quality springs!!

SPW

STEVE WINCZE

The idea of using TD springs is interesting. is there anybody else out there driving TFs with TD rear springs?

Are the TD springs a direct replacement for the TFs or does this imply the need for relocating the spring mounts on the frame?

regards,

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Hi Jan,
the chassis is the same except for the fuel pump bracket.The spring points are the same so there is a direct swap of springs.Maybe somebody in your part of the world has a set of worn TD springs which would put your car 1/2 way between TD & TF.
As I said in the earlier post the ride is much better on bad roads.
Even with new correctly arched TF springs the car was nearly on the bumpstops with a full tank and touring luggage.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Thank you Ray, I see the point of using TD springs. Modern world people are both higher and tend to weigh a bit more han the skinny immediate postwar, and especially with luggage + wife I need some extra ground clearance!


regards,

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Jan NTG is a great company to do business with!
The springs are interchangeable, a TF rear spring in a TD will lower the rear of the car.
Len Fanelli

This thread was discussed between 02/09/2013 and 05/09/2013

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