FAO MGB Owners : Height Measurements Required

[ChasR]

Here is a little favour I may be able to ask off you MGB Folk.

Basically I need for you guys to check your ride height at 3 places:

• From the centre of the wheel to the lip of the arch
  
• From the floor to the front of the sill (just where the Castle section goes into a straight piece.
  
• From the centre of the sill from the jacking point.
  

I ask this as I am wondering if I was sold the wrong springs for my Sebring many years ago.

Basically it was meant to lower the front of the car by 2" but still retain the same spring rate. If I am honest I do not even think that it has lower the car an inch at the front.

Before I go throwing money away at new springs these measurements would be appreciated.

The rear of my car is not lowered but even so I'd rather get the front right so that I could lower the rear to suit

Failing that, what choices do I have for lowering the front? I'm considering chopped springs but am also wondering if they will stay within the arms/be able of passing an MOT.

[Gas Works]

afraid I cant help you as there is no engine in mine - ride height is a bit off without the boat anchor!

if your springs do fall out after chopping - some carefull placement of superspringretainingspecialistdevices (cable ties) will do the job.

[PhoenixCapri]

May 5, 2010 7:59:18 GMT Gas Works said:

if your springs do fall out after chopping - some carefull placement of superspringretainingspecialistdevices (cable ties) will do the job.

Or buy some locking wire, lasts much much longer than cable ties I've found! Not too expensive either and if you get the correct pilers it looks pro and becomes an invaluable bit of kit which you'll wonder how you lived without!

[bryn]

Hope these help... And make some sense

Centre of front wheel to arch lip - 350mm
Point on bottom of front wing where the front bolt is to floor - 170mm
Point on sill where jacking point is to floor - 180mm
Rear of sill to floor 200mm
Centre of rear wheel to arch lip - 300mm

Car is a 1971 MGBGT with standard running gear aside from 9in wide steels with 185/70R14 tyres, although the rolling radius is only reduced slightly.

[montythemole]

Is yours a chrome or rubber bumper one? The rubber one are higher to start with aren't they? Mine's a chromey if you need them off that?

[ChasR]

Mine's a rubber bumper. According to the Moss catalogue it should be around 1" lower than a stock chrome bumper. ATM the front on the 'Super Lowered' Springs looks almost as high as a stock rubber bumper!

As for the rolling radius of the 185/70s it's probably very close to my 225/50R15s which are a little smaller than the 165s that came off diameter wise.

[Nathan]

HUmm the common mistake is buying "Lowered" Springs that drop the car to Chrome Bumper Height, by what your saying you bought the 32.5cm Springs?

Have you only just fitted them, has the car been on springs for a while if so you should find the car is just bedding in.


As for chopping DO IT, I don't know if you remember the last time you stripped the front suspension of your B, but the amount of hoops that can be lobbed out before the spring would come close to escaping the cup is unreal.

[ChasR]

May 5, 2010 19:44:07 GMT Nathan said:

HUmm the common mistake is buying "Lowered" Springs that drop the car to Chrome Bumper Height, by what your saying you bought the 32.5cm Springs?

Have you only just fitted them, has the car been on springs for a while if so you should find the car is just bedding in.


As for chopping DO IT, I don't know if you remember the last time you stripped the front suspension of your B, but the amount of hoops that can be lobbed out before the spring would come close to escaping the cup is unreal.

I fitted the springs a couple of years ago. They are indeed the 32.5cm springs. But with the way they have lowered, I was expecting the car to sit much lower. I am guessing that either I have missed something else (car is also on the lowered bump stops), or I was supplied the wrong springs.

It looks like chopping the springs is the way forward

[sonus]

May 5, 2010 11:20:47 GMT bryn said:

...........
Car is a 1971 MGBGT with standard running gear aside from 9in wide steels with 185/70R14 tyres, although the rolling radius is only reduced slightly.

Sorry Chas, but I'm hi jacking this thread to ask for pics of the GT with 9in wide steelies.

Hope you get the ride height sorted though.

Mine's still in bits waiting to be blasted clean to the metal.

[Gas Works]

May 5, 2010 21:39:38 GMT sonus said:

Sorry Chas, but I'm hi jacking this thread to ask for pics of the GT with 9in wide steelies.

Motion Seconded!

[Nathan]

May 5, 2010 21:20:09 GMT ChasR said:

May 5, 2010 19:44:07 GMT Nathan said:

HUmm the common mistake is buying "Lowered" Springs that drop the car to Chrome Bumper Height, by what your saying you bought the 32.5cm Springs?

Have you only just fitted them, has the car been on springs for a while if so you should find the car is just bedding in.


As for chopping DO IT, I don't know if you remember the last time you stripped the front suspension of your B, but the amount of hoops that can be lobbed out before the spring would come close to escaping the cup is unreal.

I fitted the springs a couple of years ago. They are indeed the 32.5cm springs. But with the way they have lowered, I was expecting the car to sit much lower. I am guessing that either I have missed something else (car is also on the lowered bump stops), or I was supplied the wrong springs.

It looks like chopping the springs is the way forward

Something is odd there mate, it should of settled.

yeah chop the curse word.



Ahh and I wanna see pics of this GT Bryn you owe us

[sonus]

I think we might have hi-jacked an abandoned thread. Or are you all hiding somewhere........?

Hmmmmmmmmmm, MGB with banded steels, makes me think............

[ChasR]

No, I'm back. A shame I don't have banded steels but meh .

I've since had a chat with Moss, after the rather unhelpful bloke at the London branch refused point blank to help me.

Basically, it seems that I may not have the 32.5mm springs after all. According to him the free height of stock springs is around 36.5cm (does that sound right to you MGB folk?), with the lowered 32.5mm springs (which he went away and measured) having a free height of around 21.5cm.

If that is the case, I almost definately have the wrong springs supplied all those years ago... They were shorter than what came off (maybe by 1/2 inch), but that was it. Nowhere near 21.5cm, but I'll go away and check.

He also reckoned that because the rear wasn't lowered, it would not help the front much. What do you think?

Now for decision time. The 32.5mm springs that will lower a rubber bumper car by around 2" will cost around £70, with the lowering block kit for the back coming to £35 from them.

Do I get the lowering block kit for the rear from elsewhere (I am open to suggestions)? Furthermore, is it worth me chopping out some coils on the basis that even I am at a loss to what springs I now have fitted LOL? On the basis that I've never cut springs before, help would be very much appreciated .

FWIW, I did check the height from the front wing bolt at the bottom of it. Compared to Bryn's 170mm, mine sits at 220mm . What are the rest of yours like?

[Nathan]

LOL MOSS up to their usual, should of asked him to google MGB GT and there are loads with RAKE lol. I have just bough the 32.5s and mine has loads of nose down stance so he was just giving you bull there.

Chop em mate, then if you don't like it buy the springs, Lowering block are simple so measure them before hand.

[ChasR]

The springs with the 32.5 part no. came from David Manners who unsurprisingly no longer stock them (I bought them a while ago). But yes Moss in London are a bunch of unhelpful cretins indeed. Ringing up a smaller Moss branch for help I reckon says it all.

Let the choppage begin, and in case of failure (MOT that is), I might just aquire the springs through the slightly more helpful branch .

[valman]

pics please once done

[bryn]

ChasR, glad to hear you're getting it sorted. Yours does sound high though, 220mm at the bottom of the front wing? Yowser... I'm chopping the springs on mine in the next week or so if time allows, so we'll see how we get on. I have to seriously cut the arches out before it'll go down at all though, because of those wheels.

No pics at the moment as I want it sat right before I post anything up. I might go and take one of the wheels though, as I have some spares, the dish is awesome... And all done by JamesP, the standard of work is gorgeous

[rmad]

9" Steels? 185 tyres? Otherwise standard MGB?

Bryn?

[bryn]

Ooh forgot to say, if it's any good to you Chas I'm twenty mins from Warwick down the Fosseway just north of Moreton In Marsh, if you want to come and measure anything. PM me if that's any help

[bryn]

May 18, 2010 9:34:07 GMT rmad said:

9" Steels? 185 tyres? Otherwise standard MGB?

Bryn?

At the moment yes. No interior though, sold that