MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - Rear springs

Has anyone bought new leaf springs lately? I'm wondering if the problem of over-arched springs has been resolved.
Fred H

Yes - on our V8 - it's the second time they have been changed and she is quite high at the rear. It takes a while to get back to the right height.
Roger Walker

Most reports I hear say the too-high rear springs never settle (a very common problem for at least 20 years now) and I have BTDT (in 1997). I hear a few reports, mostly MGB I think, where the springs sag too low after as little as 6 months. Both are bad, and I don't know which supplier(s) may have the saggy springs, and I don't know any supplier that has good (correct height) leaf springs for MGA or MGB.

Having new springs re-arched downward is expensive. Might just as well have your old springs re-arched upward. Spring rates and spring free height (for MGA) is on my web site here:
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/suspensn/rs105.htm
Barney Gaylord

Good MGA rear springs are available from Limora. I have fitted a few in the last few years and they were all good.
dominic clancy

I had new ones last year. I waited some months for a batch to arrive from the 'preferred supplier'. Mike Rolls MGs was reluctant to fit them from any other modern source. Eventually we were both fed up with waiting and he sourced a pair of new old stock British made springs. I am very happy with them but have no idea if there are any more in a cave somewhere....
Shane
Shanerj

I bought some of the new rear springs a couple years ago and had to have them de-arched to spec. Besides having too much arch, they are of somewhat lower overall quality than the originals, but from what I was told by one parts vendor, there is only one manufacturer for new MGA springs no matter who you are buying from.

The leaves themselves are slightly thinner than the originals, so you need to be careful how you measure when comparing to originals. Also, the retaining straps that hold the leaves together are of different dimensions from the originals, and of lower quality overall. Forget about fitting straps from your original springs without a lot of fiddling around since the rivet diameters are different.

I would not have bothered except both my original springs, and those from my parts car were too worn to be re-arched, and used original MGA springs are not available in Alaska. I was able to eventually rebuild the repro springs into something usable, but if I had it to do over I would give more serious thought to having new springs fabricated to spec by one of the spring shops that specializes in vintage vehicles. I would probably not have them done by the local spring shop that I used for the de-arching. Their work was OK, but they were clearly more accustomed to working on trailers and commercial vehicles.

-Del
D Rawlins

I am sure there is more than one supplier, because having received one set from Leacy two years ago, these were very different from the Limora ones I have used subsequently.
dominic clancy

My reason for resurrecting this recent item from the archive is that I broke a rear spring on Saturday. (Where does Colyn keep his spare rear spring?)

Seriously I am looking for a good source of this notoriously difficult item. I hear what Dominic says about Limora having good ones. As I understand it they are only in Germany hence not ideal. They do appear to have a relationship with SC Parts in the UK hence does this mean SC are likely to stock the same rear springs as Limora?

Also any other comments on good or to be avoided UK sources would be appreciated.

As an aside the spring that went is one of a pair I bought in 1971 from the BMC dealer is Coventry for £15 the pair.

If no other advice I will probably ring Bob West when he opens tomorrow.

Paul
Paul Dean

Dave Godwin keeps his spare rear spring under the valance behind the rear bumper if I remember correctly. But he can justify carrying one, as his trips are a bit more than a trundle round the corner to the shops - he's just about to arrive in Vancouver for the start of the second part of his American trek from Vancouver to St Johns, Newfoundland. His spares kit puts Colyn's to shame, and he still makes space for all the souvenirs that Laurel buys!
dominic clancy

"His spares kit puts Colyn's to shame"
I doubt it - Colyn even carries spare souvenirs.
Graeme Williams

Paul: the Limora and the SC websites look identical so I wouldn't be suprised if the components come from the same sources.
Graeme Williams

So Dave carries a spare rear spring under the rear valence!

Wow that's brilliant , I bow to the master🙌

Cheers
Colyn
Colyn Firth

Following my rear spring failure reported a few weeks ago I have taken Dominics lead and obtained and fitted a new pair from Limora in Germany.

(Actually following the suspicion that SC Parts in the UK are the same, or a close partner, company of Limora I ordered them from SC in the UK, together with a replacement luggage rack, and the order was shipped directly from Limora in Germany.)

Visually they look identical in all respects, except as below, to the original springs so if there are some on the market that look different they must come from a different manufacturer. I asked SC about country of manufacture and they told me they are made in Germany. Comparing the measurements to those on the MGAguru page RS105 they would appear to be about 0.4" overarched. When on the car and loaded they have a camber of just over 1" when according to Barney's site the camber should be 0" when loaded.

By the way, also comparing to page RS105 spring height measurement, my old springs were sagging by 0.4" and 0.6" so my car is a bit higher but as much to do with the sag on my old springs as the overarch on the new ones.

In all this I am assuming the measurements on page RS105 are 'gospel'.

I attach a photo of the broken spring, clear by gap in top leaf, and a new one.

Paul


3:0:1

Yes,the dimensions listed are spot on as original factory specification. Much of the information comes from "Engineering Technical Data, MGA Twin Cam"
by M.G. Car Co. Ltd. This is the Technical Data Book. It has loads of technical data not available anywhere else. See http://MGAguru.com/mgtech/books/etd_tc.htm
Barney Gaylord

Thanks Barney for confirming source. Is my overarching the best you can do at moment?

Paul
3:0:1

This thread was discussed between 26/03/2016 and 19/06/2016

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGA BBS now