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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Rear springs. 2026.

There seems to be a shortage of rear full length, 1/2 ellip', rear Spridget springs.

Where to buy good ones?

anamnesis

Wheeler Dealers got some springs made and by searching the web I think it was this company.


https://www.jones-springs.co.uk/vintage-car-springs
richard b

Thanks Richard. I'll give them a call.

MGOC sell them, made they say to thier spec's, and seem quite 'cheap' at £70 plus vat each, -- 11 quid delivery for a pair. But are they any good?


https://www.mgocspares.co.uk/product/aha8093q/leaf-spring-midget-1275?nodePath=1/3/340/700/1864



anamnesis

"when maintained"

How does one maintain a leafspring?
Never doen anything to them except paint outside against rusty look...
A de Best

In vintage days they would be periodically dismantled, cleaned, lubricated and reassembled complete with string binding and new leather gaiter. Cracked or worn leaves might be replaced as well.

OTT for a Spridget certainly, but if you plan to run a car long term and can't be certain of future parts availability then the situation changes.

AdrianR

I had some made at rossendale road springs in lancashire good quality but not cheap.
mark heyworth

I recall a conversation about 1/2 elliptic leaf spring replacements many years ago pre BBS and pre internet and the recommendation was to get OE springs with interleaf strips to reduce friction and provide a better ride, IIRC it was mentioned at the time that many aftermarket replacement springs didn't have the interleaf strips and gave a harsher ride.

A quick search found this mention https://www.facebook.com/mgocspares/posts/mg-midget-leaf-springs-in-stock-we-are-pleased-to-offer-replacement-inter-leafin/1497882475679312/ which seems to indicate interleaf strips but the while it gives a link to the above mentioned MGOC springs it's unclear to me from that listing if they have the interleaf strips.
David Billington

I emailed mgoc, and received a reply.

Question about part: AHA8093Q – Leaf Spring Midget 1275.

Can you tell me the origin of manufacture of these springs please. Or at least the origin of the steel used.

Answer.

"Hi.
We have these manufactured in India."


Is that a good sign for quality or not.

I'll ring Jones Springs tomorrow.






anamnesis

https://www.owensprings.co.uk/vintage/

Leaf springs from Sheffield England ! - South Yorks so has a Sheffield post code.


Not a recommendation as I haven't used them.

But I remembered chatting to a Classic Parts Guy and he did mention ou could still get UK made springs
Malc Gilliver

Thanks Malc.

Just spoke with Jones Springs.

145 quid plus vat, plus 20 quid delivered. Made to order. British steel (hopefully that means something these days lol), takes about 3 weeks, pay when they are ready.

I've ordered a set. AHA8093. 5 main leaves with the extra packing bit, as per 1966-1974 springs. Made to original factory spec.

I'll let you know how they turn out.



anamnesis

Indian Steel - Tata ?
British Steel - Tata ?
:)
Tim C

I wonder if you can ask for the material certificates?
David Billington

I've seen so many dodgy material test certificates during my working life in the nuclear industry that I always used to request a couple of tests on the actual material supplied. These could be carried out for around £50 with results in less than 24h usually resulting in rejection !
Often with approved suppliers I used to request certification and select my preference for above checks to be carried out at supplier/stockist before delivery with further checks on receipt just to be sure.
S G KEIL

Yep, TATA. Hence my "British steel (hopefully that means something these days lol)"

My hope is that being made here and not in India, good quality steel is used. 🙄. But I guess it's just as likely or unlikely, crap here as well as in India. For all I know, made in India is a far better indicator of quality than made in Britain. Probably is these days. 🤣.

Mgoc only told me the springs are made in India, not whose steel is used. Could be anybody's. Could be great could be crap. Could even be TATA too.

One would hope they'd insist on top quality steel. I did ask specifically about the steel, but no answer to that from mgoc.

It's like most of what we buy today for our old cars. There doesn't seem to be a way of knowing how good (or bad) it is until we fit it.





anamnesis

There used to be a leaf spring makers in London called Brost Forge on the Roman Road IIRC - are they long gone?
M Wood

They are a dead parrot. ☹️.

BROST FORGE LIMITED

Company number 00436076

Filing history.
04 Jun 2019 Final Gazette -- dissolved via voluntary strike-off.

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00436076/filing-history

When you think back to how easy it used to be to get parts and stuff renewed/repaired, when we first got our Spridgets (and all the other what are now called 'classic' cars we used to drive), and contrast that with today, it makes yer wanna weep. 😭😭😭.

The past isn't a foreign country, it's another planet.





anamnesis

"When you think back to how easy it was to get parts renewed/repaired". Yep it made me think recently when a small car parts and accessory shop close to me closed down last month. I have been using it as long as I can remember firstly with the original owner and then his son. If he didnt have something he could usually get it by tomorrow. He was one of those people who had a hoard of old stock out the back and if you wanted something he didnt have he would try and find something to get you out of trouble. There used to be 3 shops within about a mile radius of me and others in town but all 3 have now gone. Dont know where to go to get service like that now. He has got me out of trouble with the Midget more than once.

Trev
T Mason

Trev
I still have a "proper" car parts shop with a bare wooden floor within walking distance. He usually has an A series oil filter or something like a thermostat housing gasket out back and 20/50 oil etc. I think he owns the building containing a second shop and a flat upstairs so he'll have other income and won't have shop rent to pay. Funny thing, he "knows" who I am and yet we don't know each others first name. He'd trust me to owe him a fiver. Been there a long time and will be a pity when it eventually closes.
Bill B

Our old lives are disappearing fast.

I used to be a bit critical of folks who didn't use their old banger in the rain or winter etc.

But now not so much. Soon we may not be able to get some essential spares at all, and minimising use, may be all we can do.

So hang on to your used bits, if they have *any* life left in them at all. I always have, but even moreso now.

I'll keep my old flat springs just in case. 😉







anamnesis

When you think about it I suppose its not surprising that these places are disappearing. When we started out the majority of people worked on their own cars but how many do now?

As someone who has always done my own work I must admit to being a bit shocked when a couple of months ago I was sitting in my local garage while my daily was being MoTed and a guy came in to drop his car off for some work and he asked what the cost was. It was just over £500 and then the garage owner phoned someone with a quote for £850 and neither were having much work done. I just hope I can continue to do my own as long as I own one.

Trev
T Mason

It's actually even worse, there is so much easy money in simply servicing cars now, that most garages will not tackle the "difficult stuff" - like changing a head gasket !

Neighbour needed a new head gasket and she asked four local garages and they all declined to do it.

I asked a garage mate of mine and he confirmed that he doesn't do head gaskets - why - He says it's not worth the hassle, the head has to come off, then sent away for checking / skim, so the car sits in the shop, then it comes back and by the time he adds up all the time it's taken he would have made more money doing servicing, and trying to find a garage that will weld is even more difficult - cos the skills needed and the insurance just make not worth doing.
Malc Gilliver

@ Trev, quite agree. Wife's TT failed MOT on a broken front coil spring, a good spot by them! They quoted £450 to repair. Job done on the drive by me (in the rain, in a day) for under £100 (new coil and top mount).
Tim C

I bought a pair of Jones springs and ended up riding on the bump stops after 10 miles.
I then bought a pair from Rossendale, they were a bit over-arched, but settled down eventually.

My roadster has a pair of RV8, single leaf , parabolics.
/They were made by British Springs in Bridgnorth.
Owens springs bought them out.
I spoke to Owens about getting another pair for another MG.

"There was no point in us making them, the steel was so good, they were never going to break or sag"..
Allan Reeling

Jones springs how long ago Allen? On a Spridget or what car?

Bump stops after 10 miles? I assume you got your money back if they were that bad. Did you?

Wish you'd commented before. I'm commited now.

How much from Rosendales?



anamnesis

The replacement cart springs were for a BGT, so would have been earlier than 2012. Yes the collapsed ones were off and returned in the wink of an eye. Can't remember what either set cost.
After many years of Spridget ownership, I no longer have one, just 2 B V8s, so I don't regularly read that section............sorry.
Hope their quality control has improved!!
Allan Reeling

Hi Allen. Sorry wasn't being critical, just wishing. Lol.

Still if so long ago, hopefully improved. And it was around then bad springs/steel abounded. So again hopefully not a problem now. And main thing is you got the money back.

All good news really. 😆.

I'll update when mine arrive and I fit them.

I passed a bloke in a V8B going the opposite direction to me yesterday. He even saw fit to wave at me in my beat up Sprite. 🤣🤣. Natch, I waved back. 🙂.





anamnesis

It wasn't me!! I was doing some serious repairing caused by the warm weather; i.e. the heater control knob fell into two pieces when I turned the heater off😱
Look forward to an update!!
Allan Reeling

https://www.suspensionsupplies.co.uk/springs-bespoke
Malc Gilliver

Email received this morning. It seems AH Spares now have them in stock
https://www.ahspares.co.uk/products/austin-healey-sprite-mg-midget-rear-leaf-springs.aspx

£70 each though which does include interleafs but doesn't say where they're manufactured.
Jeremy MkIII

👍
anamnesis

I got a pair from Moss at the backend of last year that seem fine so far.




Mark '74 Midget

No stock now though Mark.

anamnesis

Jones springs finally called me to say the springs are ready. I'd forgotten since I told them I'd have a pair on April 1st.

I asked rhem to confirm the price, and instead of 145 quid a pair plus vat plus delivery, it's over 370 quid. Not what I understood at all.

I've declined.

So it's either mgoc or moss.

Are moss springs the same as mgoc?

I thik moss have stock again now.


anamnesis

Nope.

Moss still have no stock.

Has anyone got recent experience of 'Q Parts', mgoc's own brand?

That's the branding on mgoc rear springs.

Before I order, anybody have knowledge/experience?

139 quid inc vat plus delivery.

https://www.mgocspares.co.uk/product/AHA8093Q/leaf-spring-midget-1275

anamnesis

Don't know about AHA8093, but we've had two sets of B front coils that collapsed to the bump stops in less than a mile.
Paul Walbran

This thread was discussed between 29/03/2026 and 22/05/2026

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