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MG MG Y Type - Telescopic Dampers?

Hi Folks,

Anyone out there have telescopic damper conversion on the front of their Y?

Rob King
Rob King

Rob

Go to the search engine on www.mgytypes.org and type in Telescopic - and follow the link to MG YT 3208 and scroll through that article. At the bottom you will find a CAD drawing of Richard Prior's adapter.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Thanks Paul....that website has an incredible content...congratulations!!

I checked out your reference for YT 3208, it refers to telescopic damper conversion for the REAR..

...however there was also a guy who has fitted FRONT telescopic dampers to a a couple of his cars including YT 4265.

The reason I asked is I have been going through my boxes of bits and remembered that when I stripped down my YA 20 years ago I found it to have both the original dampers and a pair of telescopic dampers at the FRONT.

I took a photo at the time but I can't find that at at the moment, however I have attached a pic of the brackets that I have just come across.

I would love to know if anyone is currently runing a set-up like this.

Regards

Rob

PS The photo wont load as it is too large.....i'll try to load it later.
Rob King

Think I've got that sorted now.....here's the pic....

Rob King

Hi Rob

Thanks we appreciate your comment and have tried to cover most angles. Sorry I gave you the reference for the rear not the front (note to self - do better next time!)

The parts in your picture look like something I have somewhere in my shop too. I might look for them tomorrow (if i decide not to work on the setting up of a shop for the long awaited YZ Publications CDs and dont go fishing!).

Cheers

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hi Rob

Telescopic dampers are quite common on T Types for both front and rear. I have a paair fitted on the rear of my TA. I have no idea of the make, though it does say 'Made in Britain' on the arm. They were fitted when the car was rebuilt in 1995.

A few years ago I was advised at my MOT to replace the rubber bushes, which I thought would be a straightforward job. Not so and it was only at a visit to the National Classic Car Show at the NEC that I managed to find a suppier, who kindly popped home during his lunch break to pick them up. Cost was about £6. I think most bushes are now polypropolene.

I would say that on a T Type they look slightly ugly at the front but they seem to do the job.

I'll check out some pics for you - but dont forget that the early T Types are fitted with the old beam axle and not the sophisticated suspension to be found on the Y and TD!

I have never seen a TD fitted with telescopics but I guess there are a few around!

Sincerely

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

Back again,

Thanks for your contribution Jerry....

Ive attached a couple of old photos from 1997 showing the damper as fitted during my dismantling process.

Rob

Rob King

This one is a little better

Rob

Rob King

If you have access to a lathe and can MIG weld, I can send you the dimensions of the setup I have used on a couple of Y's for the front suspension. The most difficult part is sourcing new suitable telscopic shocks that operate in the travel range needed, and with a suitable damping rate for our cars.

I use the rear shocks from Mk1/Mk2 Ford Escorts - are these still available in the UK ? - they are only available to order here in Australia, and probably for not much longer, unless we all but a pair or two.

My design does not require any extra holes to be drilled in the chassis, bodywork or suspension, and can be fitted in less than 1 hour each side. They are also easily removed for a Concours display in about the same time.

I you are interested, I will send the drawings and dimensions to Paul for posting on the Y-Type website.

I must stress though, that the dimensions will only suit the above Escort shocks - if you use anything else - you WILL have problems.

The picture is not of my design, but the same in concept.

A L SLATTERY

This is a set-up I saw in Germany. It uses the mounting point of the Jackall strut.

Willem vd Veer

Hi - Sorry for the delay in adding to your thread, I have been a bit mechanically poorly! I fitted a conversion on my YT, it was off a YA that was probably raced. Sorry to say I don't know what I have done with the digital pictures that I took of them before I fitted them. They had a really heavy top bracket mounted to the chassis with the bottom shock absorber mounted through a bolt on to the bottom wishbone. I fitted them becuase I was alarmed at the over steer on a YT driven hard compared with my YB which was super to drive. I was going to fit rear telescopic shock absorbers as well but when I fitted the front telescopics it totally transformed the handling of the car.

This can be seen in the picture (taken at the Trois Epis event in the Alsace) of the month, September, of my YT in a tidy four wheel drift. I have come from the right in the picture. The tyres are not the best, they are 525 x 16 Air Cushioned Australian tyres. I did notice that the ride is slightly spoilt by fitting the telescopics but it is worth it for the handling. Now that we have sold the YB the YT will be out to play next year!

I do have a print/photo of the conversion if you are interested.

Hope this helps - Andrew Morland.
A Morland

I know they are ugly, but I want to but telescopic dampers on my TC, mainly because I don't have any originals to have rebuilt. Does anyone know of a source for the brackets? Small, short travel shock absorbers are available from most of the hot rod supply houses in the USA, like Chassis Engineering, Total Cost Involved, Hot Rod & Custom Supply, Posie's, etc., etc.
Some light front-ended hot rods use MGA/MGB rear lever arm dampers.
S.R. Barrow

This thread was discussed between 04/09/2010 and 23/09/2010

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