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MG MGF Technical - Handling problems

I bought a MGF Trophy few months ago, have a few problems, and had the head gasket sorted (well it was going to happen at some point!) but the garage also sorted out the hydraulic ride height, as this was too low. They also put up the tyre pressures, esp in the rears. Since I got the car back it isn't grounding out on any speed humps, but at any highher speeds it can be all over the place, esp if a road is well worn. Any suggestions? Drop the tyre presures a bit? any thing more serious? Any comments gratefully recieved.......
Greg

What height did they set your suspension to??..

The Trophy ride height is lower than a normal F as standard, they may have set yours to high!!.
Mark.L

...and did they check the tracking after increasing the ride height?
Ralph

Agree with the above Greg - can you tell us:
1. The current ride height (measure from the front wheel centre to the wheel arch lip vertically above)
2. The current tyre pressures

There is a good chance that the suspension has been over pressurised - the best indicator of this is ride height.

And, as Ralph rightly says, the tracking probably wasn't re-checked once the work was completed...
Rob Bell

Thanks for the comments. Spoke to the garage and they hadn't checked the wheel slignment. Will check the ride height this weekend, does any one know what it should be for a trophy?
Greg

IIRC it's supposed to be 10mm lower than the standard MGF - so that'd make it 358mm +/- 10mm (when measured cold at an ambient temperature of 17 degrees Celcius)
Rob Bell


just measured mine ont he trophy and its way too high (and still never got to the root cause of why it had dropped at the driver rear)

What should the correct tyre pressure be Rob? (I've no owner's manual) standard 16" trophy wheels.

Thanks, Neal
N McNamara

According to the handbook Trophy tyre pressures are 24 front 36 rear. However when Techspeed did the suspension they set the tyre pressures to 28 all round which I prefer. 36 too high at the rear
Blue Pocket Rocket

Rob thanks for the measurements, will check that out. Think the main problem may be tyre pressure bit high at 36 at the back, and probably not the best make of tyres! Will try knocking the pressure down a bit.

Cheers guys.
Greg

I agree with BPR - go for 28psi all round :o)

Neal, the excessively high ride height comes as no surprise, sadly... [sigh] I don't understand why so many dealers have trouble with it - but it is easy to overshoot. To avoid that, I use the procedures shown here: http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/DIY/suspension/howto_lower.htm

HTH
Rob Bell


The good ol MGF Gallery helps out again. thanks Rob!

(agree 36 is way too much, was thinking between 28 & 32 .. thanks folks)

Neal
N McNamara

Rob

>>But it is easy to overshoot<<

I have that problem as well!!

:o)
Mark.L

24 front 36 rear is correct for the Trophy OE Goodyear F1 GSD2 only, due to the sidewall characteristics. Any other tyre will have its own optimum pressure, and this could be quite significantly different - setting 24psi on a tyre designed to run at 30-32psi will give nasty behavior, as will 36psi on a tyre designed for 30-32psi.
Mike Hankin

This thread was discussed between 14/09/2005 and 17/09/2005

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