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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - 240z suspension

has anyone done a 240-260-280z suspension setup. the first generation z car looks small enough that it wouldnt be a big trouble. if you could use the front a rear z susp it would open up all kinds of performance upgrades as far as suspension and brakes go.

also i took a look at a honda s2000 the other week. im thinking that an all aluminum 2.0L that makes 240HP would be a great engine in a b. im looking into starting a b-gt in a year or two and im serriously considering this engine.
josh

A: Adapting the front suspension from a Z-car would involve a great deal of work, certainly a great deal of engineering and planning. Unless you really, really, really know what you are doing, I'd advise against it. If I Remember correctly, the X-cars used McPherson (sp?)struts? That would require some serious rework to fit a B, and, Mcpherson strut suspension systems suck by nature. That's the last thing you'd want to consider if you are going to that much trouble to improve handling.

B: The Honda S2000 engine would indeed make a good choice for a B. See:
http://www.britishv8.org/swaps/joesspit.htm for an example of this engine in a Spitfire.
Dan Masters

There was a website- The neonist I think- who was putting a ZX car rear suspension in place of the solid rear axle. IIRC, he built a subframe that picked up the front (and maybe the rear) spring mounts and the upper shock mounts.

I think the intent was to drop the esixting setup and bolt this thing in place
Greg Fast

Wow, I thought that Honda engines were a no-go because they rotate in the wrong direction - 5 reverse gears not being terribly useful.
Adam Birnbaum

The S2000, as well as some of the Acura engines, is one of the few from Honda which does rotate in the correct direction. I've unsuccessfuly searched for which of the other Honda/Acura engines turn in the correct direction.
George B.

To the best of my knowledge (and don't quote me), only the Honda 2.7L V6 spins in the wrong direction. This was used in the Acura Legend in the early-mid 90's, and the Honda Accord in 96-97. I know this because I have one of those accords, and I can't upgrade my alternator to handle my car stereos power requirements. :( Stupid alternators with the fan INSIDE the case doesn't leave any room for more guts.....

Justin
Justin

justin, i am no expert but i believe george is correct, almost all of the honda engines spin "the other way" my zc in my mini does, all the vtec's do and all the type r's do i know for sure. maybe if we lived on the otehr side of the equator we could use these? australia maybe? oops, i forgot they drive upside down. ???? this is all very confusing> jim
jim m

thanks for the info dan and thatnks for that spit page i wonder what scca class hes runnin i thought scca required original equip type engines

i found a website that has a front suspension kit but doesnt say how much. its a pdf file catalog for a mg-triumph performance parts store in uk.

www.mossint.co.uk/accessories_british/mg_tr_pdfs/
performance.pdf

i was wondering if any of you uk guys heard of the place and knew how much the kit is

also i was wondering about the triumph tr3/4 irs. it shuld be about the right size i think
joshua

IMNSHO the Triumph IRS is ineffective and dangerous. It's OK if you like three wheeling around bends with the outside tyre digging in and lifting the rear end until the inside tyre is clear of the ground. You'd be better off setting up the live axle properly.
George B.

George,

The Triumph IRS you are referring to is that found on early Spitfires. It was indeed a disaster, but the problems were fixed on the later versions.

The IRS found on the TR4A-TR6 was of a different design, very similar to the Datsun 240/260/280 Z cars. The biggest difference between them was in the axle shafts. The TRs used sliding splines, while the Datsuns used ball bearings in the splines. If not well lubed, the TR splines had a tendency to stick under power, causing all sorts of handling problems. One of the last things you want to happene when powering around a corner is for the axle splines to stick, limiting the travel of the half-shaft.

As a general rule, though, a "good" live axle set-up is much preferred to a "poor" IRS. For our application, a live axle is more than adequate (but since when has "adequate" been good enough? <G>).

Joshua,

There is at least one individual I know of that is adapting the Datsun IRS to an MGB. He has a web site, but I can't find the link right now, and I'm heading out the door soon for Michigan, so if someone else doesn't hook you up before I get back, I'll try to find it for you. There are also others with web sites using other IRS setups on an MGB as well, and I'll get you the links for them as well (hopefully, someone else will get them to you before I do).

I'm adapting a Jag IRS to my own MGB. I'm using nothing from the Jag unit except the differential and the outer hubs - everything else will be custom made or after market. There will be an article on it - and other IRS set-ups - in a future issue of the newsletter.
Dan Masters

has anyone here in the states ordered the irs kit from hawk cars. its 1550 pounds and i think the exchange rate is 1.6 so thats $2500 but i was wondering what shipping runs on something like that
josh

Josh,
Rather than trying to fit the Datsun z front end in the B, why not install the Hawk coil over front suspension kit. It seems to work great and not too costly. I am leaving for the UK in October and will inform about the IRS from Hawks.
Werner.
PS.: I am building a similar Coil over front suspension from the ground up. More details and pics when I am done. I might market it for the enthousiasts.
It is fully powder coated and has the urethane V8 bushings. Will last more than a lifetime !
Werner Van Clapdurp

You could also look into adapting Mustang/T-Bird suspension parts. A rear IRS and lots of after market performance parts for them. The rear is a 8.8 I believe so it should be plenty strong enough for most B V8's.
Bill Young

This thread was discussed between 16/08/2003 and 30/08/2003

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