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MG MGB Technical - MGB Rear Suspension

HI, suddenly in doubt about which way the clamp plate is placed under the rear axle - the plate which the drop link bolts to.
Seen pictures where the hole for the drop link bolt is facing down towards the floor/road and some pics where it faces upwards towards the underside of the car!

Which way is correct?
And do I need the use CB drop links after fitting lowering blocks? I have a RB model

Thanks for any response...

/Moss
Moss

Hole faces upwards when using lever arm shockers.
Rubber link can still be used when lowering blocks fitted. Axle should hit bumpstop before shocker runs out of travel.
jim soutar

It is customary to turn them upside down when using flattened springs.

If using lowering blocks, the springs are in the same position with regard to the shocks, so fit them the normal way - hole uppermost.
Dave O'Neill 2

Hole up for Armstrongs, down for tube dampers.
Allan Reeling

I thought as much. Thanks for the advice.
Just discovered another issue. The front springs are only just under 8.5 inches when standing in free height ie not compressed. I bought a kit with the uprated armstrongs - the car ride is terrible at the front - no spring movement what so ever. Could I use normal springs from a CB? (this will probably generate alot of input...!)

/Moss
Moss

Moss - are the front springs part of a RB lowering kit ? Do you want to lower the car while it still has those heavy bumpers ? The up-rated Armstrongs may be contributing to the stiffness (they are easily converted back) but it sounds as 'though the coil springs are too stiff - you have a roll bar as well ?
Roger W

Yes, part of RB lowering kit. I have the anti-roll bar at the front and back - standard in 77 model. The springs are simply too low - no compression at all when fitted ie. no springing!
If fact they are lower than I wrote earlier - I measured incorrectly - they have a free height of 21 cm which is 8.3 inches. I think they are competion springs.

/Moss
Moss

Moss,
For the time being, you might consider going back to the RB springs. Later perhaps when you have removed the heavy bumpers, you might try again but remember the original springs will have compressed over time and already lowered the car. I can give you half a dozen reasons why you don't want her any lower in Denmark (or anywhere else). The front roll bar is a must but opinions about the rear bar are quite mixed - the balance is to get rid of it - it can produce oversteer and it is not needed.
Roger W

Competition lowered were 8.63", so yours are even lower than that. The were also 480 lb per inch instead of 373 lb per inch for the RB GT. If you lower the ride height then if you don't harden the springs you will be bottoming all the time. Having said that V8 front springs were 480 lb, but had a free height of 9.32". That's barely heavier than the equivalent RB 4-cylinder at the front, and they give a perfectly reasonable ride. Given the quality control on springs these days the ones you have may well be much harder than the 480 lb competition ones. The ARB won't have any effect on compressability where both wheels are trying to move up by the same amount.
Paul Hunt

I have already bought new standard springs - 9.4 inches free height. Fitted already - what a difference in ride. Sits higher but I can live with that. It is a RB model all said and done after all...
/Moss
Moss

...and although you don't have any potholes, you are not going fast round bends in Denmark!
Roger W

Because we don't have any! Roudabouts are for traffic planners who have gone round the bend! Road taxes get used on... the roads!
/Moss
Moss

This thread was discussed between 22/06/2014 and 27/06/2014

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