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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - lowered rear springs

Just got the midget on the road after a 2 year plus restoration, I am very happy with most of it but before i start asking you all for set up advice I need to sort an issue with the rear springs. I have fitted the moss lowered springs that have the spring eyes the opposite way round to normal,the problem is that the rear most spring clamp (clamps around the leaves to hold them together)impacts with both the shackle plate and the top shackle boss(mounting for top shackle bolt) as the suspension nears full compression. Has anyone else suffered this and if so how did you get around the issue?
S BREEZE

I have used lowered springs before and have never seen any with the "eyes" the wrong way round. So is the front eye up and the rear eye down? Could you post a picture?
m fairclough

Will try to load photo


S BREEZE

WTF?!
Sure you have not fitted it upside down?
Just asking as I have never seen this
Onno K


Can you not just knock the leaf clamp down the spring a little further to give some extra clearnce to the mounts etc ?

How much lowering do they give ?
I guess the rate is the same as the std springs right?
John Barber

I haven't seen that before. I have had some very low springs in the past but never had them with the eyes the other way up. Are you sure they go that way up (please don't be offended if it's a stupid question) What does the other end look like?
m fairclough

Both eyes are inverted compared to the std set up. They are supplied as 2.5 inches lower but that will obviously depend on the individual vehicle weight. Knocking the spring clamp back a few inches would sort it however the clamps are riveted to the spring and i have no way to drill the spring.I may be able to make up a new clamp that fixes to the same location hole but projects under the spring and clamps further away.
Has anyone else had this problem?
The spring rate i would say is less than the std set. I think live axle cars are usually hard at the front and soft at the rear, at least this is where I will be starting.
Image is of front spring mount.
S BREEZE

Computor operator failure on the image,will sort out later.
S BREEZE

Are the spring clamps similarly positioned at both ends of the spring - just a thought but do you have more clearnace at one end more than the other so that reversing the spring end to end as it were it might clear the mount..?

I assume they can fit either way around - ie not handed..?
John Barber

The front section of the spring has more clamps I suspect this is to reduce it's tendancy to tramp on acceleration.They can only fit one way.
Another attempt at front mount image.
S BREEZE

And again


S BREEZE

I dont know about the older cars mk1/2 but mine is a 1500 and has very different springbrackets at the front of the spring then the ones on the photo.
Yours are about 3cm's higher and are welded around as a square, my bottomplate of the bracket is a open u-shape.
I take it these brackets are also part of the loweringkit?

I can see the advantage of the frontbracket, eyes "wrong way around" but cant understand the position of the springclip as in this position there is now way to avoid it getting in contact with the shackles.

Making the shackles longer or placing the rear bracket to the rear doesnt do any good to the springfunction I think.
Arie de Best

The front mount has been altered to raise the spring,again to reduce tramp.The position is only altered in the vertical plane. I could make up new shackles that are of a profile that would give clearance to the clamp but they would have to be longer to clear the body mounting.This however seems a pointless exercise as it would raise the car. My assumption is that these springs are simply too long judging by the angle of the shackles.
S BREEZE

This thread was discussed between 02/06/2012 and 06/06/2012

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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