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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Lowered rear springs

Hi all
I have 1" lowered rear springs (from Moss) and lowering blocks on my 1500 shell. It just about gets the car to the ride height I need, however the car is significantly lighter than stock and the springing is just far too stiff, the rear end just bounces over bumps with almost zero travel.
Are there any other options apart from Peter May or Moss - or other ways of sorting this.
Has anyone got a pair of worn out / tired springs from a chrome bumper model, which would probably work better than what I have now!
Thanks
S Macfarlane

Here you go. Used on ebay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205303240041

£63.08
or Best Offer

Or

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146763989525

£78.68
Buy it now

My own (1275) are knackered, I'm wondering if I should buy new or retemper.

anamnesis

New or retempered depends on whether any of the leaves have worn. Wear takes place where the end of each leaf scuffs on the one above. It is not uncommon to find the upper leaf reduced in thickness there, sometimes leaving a noticeable step.
Because the spring rate is exponential with thickness, even a small reduction has a significant effect.
Once the leaf has reduced in thickness like this it is weaker and no amount of retempering will make up for the lost material.
Paul Walbran

Something to check -are your shock absorbers getting proper travel--are they std or telescopic , if telescopic how far will they compress from normal ride height----unusual for std. springs themselves to be too stiff to cause skipping like that--did they have a rating (poundage)
willy
William Revit

Hi
there is no rating for the springs - just 1" lowered as the Moss website
the dampers are the stock lever arms - do they have a limit of travel? Ill disconnect them and see if it makes any difference
Thanks

S Macfarlane

When you disconnect them, have a little measure up---The gap/suspension travel to the bumpstop-- then make sure the shocker will travel up at least that far and a tiddle more from the normal ride height position. It's possible you might have a dead / locking shock or if they've been apart , rarely but maybe reassembled on the wrong spline-- long shot, but anythings possible.
William Revit

Wow, that front bolt is a PITA to get get out, ill be using allen head bolts when / if i put it back in.

seems ok, there is little change in force required to bounce the car with the damper removed, and similar travel.

ill try some different springs and probably change to telescopic dampers whilst im at it

Thanks for the replies.


S Macfarlane

I'm not sure what rating the lowered Moss springs are, but original 1500 springs have an extra leaf compared to early springs 6 v 5. I believe(don't know) the Moss springs have 4 heavier leaves so may well be too stiff for your lighter car.
As a rough guide, I found 85lb springs to be the best weight for my old gutted out lightweight racer midget. My car weighed in at 520kg or 600 with me in it--
At that, if you get a pair of average sized helpers that weigh about the same. and get them to sit on the car, one each side directly above the wheel and measure the wheelarch to wheel center or ground height then get them to gently step off then remeasure you can get a travel measurement and from their weight work out your spring rate.
eg 150lb helpers -1 1/2" travel = 100lb springs
150lb helpers -1" travel = 150lb springs

You wouldn't want springs over 100lb i wouldn't think and you need two helpers so as to compress both sides to get a semi accurate measurement.

All good fun--how light is your car, is he going to be a racer-
William Revit

This thread was discussed between 11/08/2025 and 13/08/2025

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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