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MG TD TF 1500 - Front / back suspension difference

Driving over some quite pronounced speed bumps (high and narrow) in a garage, I noticed that the front suspension reacts with a comfortable hmppt, while the back suspension gives a strong thump and some rattling of stuff in the rear compartment. Seems the back suspension is quite a but stiffer.
(Shocks are not working properly on all 4 wheels, need to be reconditioned)

Now my question is: is that difference normal or should I worry about front springs having gone soft with age??

Rgds, Mike
Mike Fritsch

The front springs are "modern" coil springs, the rear springs are leaf springs, in use since the middle ages?

That said the leaf springs can benefit from lubrication between the leafs. Just jack and oil the springs. With help of compressed air you can push the oil between the leafs.
Willem van der Veer

The leaf springs on the TD and TF, at least, were never lubricated, but they did have rubber pads between each leaf, and these can deteriorate. I think that what you experience driving over a speed bump is normal.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Good possibility your rear leaves have lost a lot of their camber. Can you push the car up and down and hear the thump?
Christopher Couper

Chris, it is not a noise, but the percceived butt feeling that I meant with "thump" :-)

The rear leaves were newly assembled with nylatron pads 2 years ago when I changed the diff ratio. They look ok camber wise.

It's just surprising that the suspension strentgh (or curve) should be that much different between front and rear, but I get the impression that it's normal.

Rgds Mike
Mike Fritsch

I have that problem with mine when hitting a dip in the road, not severe but annoying. I am thinking of having the rear shocks rebuilt and stiffened up by World Wide next winter, He can stiffen up the valving on the fronts, so I imagine he can do it on the rears also. PJ
PJ Jennings

Peter Caldwell at World Wide Auto Parts rebuilt the rear shocks on my TF a few years ago. No problem with bottoming out anymore.
http://www.nosimport.com/Lever-shocks-remanufactured

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

Thanks Lonnie, I think I'll replace both links also as the rubber in one is getting questionable. As said, Winter project. PJ
PJ Jennings

My car bottoms out too. It looks OK from a height perspective. Interestingly the shocks are impossible to move by hand but that may not be a sufficient test of how they should be to prevent the bottoming. I probably need mine rebuilt too. :-(
Christopher Couper

Check to make sure you have rubber pads in your axle limiter strap.

If the shocks are bad, it could just be bottoming out on the limiter.
Bruce Cunha

Mike,

It seems that you have changed your email address, please could you send your new one to "john dot scragg at wanadoo dot fr" I have an off topic request for you.

Thanks in advance

John
J Scragg

This thread was discussed between 31/07/2018 and 03/08/2018

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