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MG MGF Technical - Trophy 160 dampers

Hi all,
does someone know if the Trophy has different specs shock absorbers ? Are they harder ?
I recall the hydragas spheres are said to be different, but the shockers...
Thanks,

Fabrice
Fabrice

The trophy shockers are different, a little harder, however, they're still not as good as third party shocks.

And yes, the spheres are different.
tim woolcott

As Tim says Fabrice, the Trophy shock absorbers are slightly stiffer on rebound, but still have little compression resistance. In this respect, they are not enormously better than the standard items.

If you are after better dampers, then some quality aftermarket items are your best bet.

And Techspeed will always send you their own-specified Bilsteins... :o)
Rob Bell

Yep, I know, Bilstein rules !

It's because at 25 GBP (incl VAT) each from B&G, the Trophy ones are extremely good value.
And my F having 55K miles on the clock, my dampers are a bit shot, the body roll is noticeable despite of the correct hydragas pressure (345mm with lowering knuckles). I would for sure feel an improvement with new Trophy shockers...

By the way, how much are the Bilsteins ? ;o)
DSC... (what doesn't stand for Dynamic Something Control, but Dark Side Calling !)
Fabrice

Fabrice, about three time the price of the Trophy items Eek. I've just fitted them (instructions appearing in a MGworld magazine near you shortly!) Alternatively there are the shocks from Mike or MGFCentre for a little more than twice the trophy damper price.

New dampers DO make a difference. I'm beginning to see what I've been missing :0) Now just need the bigger brakes.
tim woolcott

>>It's because at 25 GBP (incl VAT) each from B&G<<

I reckon that the Trophy dampers are that price for a reason Fabrice. You get what you pay for!

DSC - LOL - nice one. You know it makes sense! ;o)
Rob Bell

>>> does someone know if the Trophy has different specs shock absorbers ? <<<

Yes, but I failed to find the partnumber....

>>> I've just fitted them (instructions appearing in a MGworld magazine near you shortly!) <<<

Sounds good !!

Is there any chance a not really technical person* could fit lowering knuckles as well ?

*) did fit the MS Slick Shift :o)
Erik

>And yes, the spheres are different.

*g, haven't got any damaged or new in my hands until now.
I still assume only the outer aluminum cone pistons are shorter.
Dieter K.

How much different are the trophy spheres and are they a simple straight replacement item from the originals. Oh and how much are they ? Thanks
klkjkj

No idea how much they cost Stephen, but Dieter is right, a lot of the difference is in the shape and profile of the displacement cones, but I also gather that there are differences in the nitrogen gas pressure, and there may be differences in the fluid valving.

Externally, they are identical - there are a number of Fs running around with Trophy-spec hydragas spheres already! ;o) (But not me, I hasten to add, although I did look into it)
Rob Bell

Tim,
Yes, I know the difference new damper makes, not to mention upgraded dampers... (I remember my yellow Koni's when I was young and boy racer ;o)
And I already have the bigger brakes ! *grin*

Hi Erik !
fitting lowering knuckles isn't a job that difficult, but you do need and hydragas pump, and with vaccuum mode strongly recommended.
When the piston is "sucked" into the sphere, the old knuckle comes off easily, just use a large flat screwdriver as lever arm. Clean well the suspension arm (where the knuckle fits), put some grease and refit the new (shorter) knuckle, along with the spring and washer that was already there.
Then do the other wheel on the same side of the car, and re-pump the hydragas.
Then the 2 wheels on other side.
sounds easy ? it is ! IMO, it's much less tricky than fitting the MS SSK.
Maybe your hands get more dirty ;o)
And don't forget a 4-wheel tracking after that job !

BTW, how do you find the SSK ?
I find the standard gear selector rather poor, but I'm not yet convinced to spend 300 EUR on a SSK...
Fabrice

Joining this thread a little late but my contribution may help you Fabrice. I had some Trophy shocks fitted four weeks ago, and they were removed three weeks ago, useless. Then fitted Avo's, These were removed two days ago, they were crap, obviously faulty. Have now got Spax, they are ace, I cannot tell you of the relief of having a driveable car again.
Nik
anita roberts

Hi,

Where did you get the spax shocks fitted ?

Paul;
Paul Waine

Nik,

The trophy ones were obviously crap 'cos you wore them out before they made it on to your car :¬)

So, were they really that bad? I have to say that at the price they were I was tempted myself. Spax are your recommendation then; what sort of price are they?

Colin.

Colin

Spax still aren't as good as Bilsteins: I've seen the adjustment screws on the spax corrode in next to no time :o(

Had Bilsteins on my car (notice the slight bias in the above statement? ;o)) for 2 years now, and am absolutely delighted with them. Perfectly judged IMO :o)
Rob Bell

Do you really want/need adjustable shocks? I do track days with my everyday road going F and I would probably never adjust them, even if I had them. Then there's the fact that you don't really know what settings to use - are you going to do lots of testing to find out or rely on someone else who just happens to have them on an F.

The answer? Go for Bilsteins from Tech-Speed. These Bilsteins are built specifically to Tech-Speeds' own settings. They used their experience of setting up MGF cup cars for racing and then modified this to create settings to suit road going cars. What's more they did lots of testing to see if their ideas worked. So they've done all the hard work for you.

So, I endorse Rob's recommendation - and we're not the only one to be well-pleased after several years of use. There are quite a few of us. OK, they're not the cheapest on the market, but then ...

Dave
Dave

Hi Colin,
Took a minute but I got there. They were the same as the standard shocks, no better, no worse. The spax were about £250, and worth every penny. Sorry, I forgot to mention that they were fitted at the MGF Centre.
Mr Bell, the Spax instructions inform you to coat the screws regularly with Waxoil or similar. As for performance, they are great for me but I accept that Bilsteins as on N'S's car that I tried are better. More money though.
My partition in this thread was purely in my opinion to try to stop Fabrice from wasteing some money. And to warn people that Avo shocks can be sh1t.
anita roberts

Thanks for the advices.
So I'll forget the idea of getting trophy dampers.

Fabrice

Hi, question are the hydra gas units from a Trophy better than the one's on a VVC, and if they are better is it possible to fit them under a 1998 vvc?

Greetzzzzz Mpmgf
mpmgf

>>Hi, question are the hydra gas units from a Trophy better than the one's on a VVC<<

Sorry, going to reply to this with a very enigmatic answer: it depends on how you define "better". They are certainly different; stiffer spring rate, and a harder intrinsic damper rate. Remember too that Trophies also use a hydragas interconnector flow-restrictor to reduce pitch under acceleration/decelleration.
Do you really want stiffer springs on your road car? Better would be to investigate the options of alternative dampers which means you can keep the spring rates softer, a well accepted method (used by Lotus et al) to get superior handling that is less sensitive to the condition of the road surface.

>> if they are better is it possible to fit them under a 1998 vvc?<<

If you do decide to fit these units (there may be advantages for doing so), then they will indeed fit to your VVC, with no modification.
Rob Bell

Hi guys,

I've been using the Trophy dampers and thought they were fine for £90 for four.

Even on the track the car handles very well, and there is no problem with cracks around the mounting points which can become an issue requiring welding.

I'm sure the Bilstein's will be better, it just depends what you want to spend and how firm you like the suspension.

Cheers

Alastair
Alastair McLeod

This thread was discussed between 20/05/2003 and 26/05/2003

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