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MG MGF Technical - MGF suspension

Hi, discovered this site a few days ago, and decided to give it a go! Can anyone advise me on MGF suspension? I bought mine 4 weeks ago, and am delighted with it...however on typical Devon roads (badly maintained, full of potholes etc) the whole car shakes (even the rear view mirror!) really badly. Is this normal or are the shocks in need of replacement? Hope someone can help!
Russell

Hi Russel,
Welcome to the site.

Join up (it's free) and you will have search access to a wealth of information from people all over the world.

The MGF's suspension is reasonably stiff compared to ordinary sedan type cars. This gives it great handling around corners etc, but the ride may be a little stiff or bumpy on rough potholed roads.

Most MGF's have a Hydralastic (Hyrdagas) Suspension which uses liquid and gas filled cyclinders (held at a pressure of about 400 PSI) which take the place of springs and shock absorbers. (dampeners). Even though the car has shock absorbers, these only assist lighlty in keeping the car from rocking around.

Check the ride height is correct. On the front wheels, measure from the center of the wheel cap to the underside of the wheel arch. It should be about 368mm +/- 10mm.

Check your tyre pressures are correct. Over inflated tyres can make the ride bumpy.

The rear view mirror is held in a slight wedge shape bracket which is glue to the windscreen. Sometimes this becomes a little loose and will allow the mirror to shake about. If you need to remove the mirror, it slides up from the bracket. Careful forcing it back as sometimes the metal bracke comes off the glass.

Cheers,
Branko
Branko

An old train ticket cut up is just the right thickness to jam between the mirror mount and the bracket to stop the vibration!

Tim.
Tim Jenner


LOL

Nice one Tim :-) There talks a man of experience

Stu
Stu Dickens

Thanks everyone, will check the height in the next few days, Branko, can you tell me the correct height for the rear of the vehicle please?
Also, it has a tendancy to pull left at low speeds...I guess this is a EPAS fault. can anyone advise on how to correct this please? ( sorry, but I'm a new MG owner, and have yet to find out all the 'habits' of this great, little car!!
Thanks again
Russell
Russell

The suspension is set by the height at the front as it's pumped to the rear spheres. My height from middle front wheel centre cap is 335mm but I do have lowering knuckles on other F's I have owned I tended to set them at 350mm. I would go to Rob's web site and check out the headins on tracking, suspension plus EPAS. www.mgf.ultimatemg.com He also has a guide on what to look for when buying an F. Good luck with the the above because when it's handling well you will get plenty of fun and enjoyment.
Andrew W Regens

Here's a link to Rob's site

A wealth of info here

http://www.mgf.ultimatemg.com/

Trust him he is a doctor :-)

Stu
Stu Dickens

A doctor with a cold at the moment <cough>

The front suspension should be 368mm +/- 10mm
The rear suspension should be 363mm +/- 10mm

Both measures are from the centre of the wheel to the wheel arch lip vertically above, measured at an ambient temperature of 17C. The correction for temperature is 0.4mm per degree difference to the ideal ambient temperature.

Hope this helps :o)
Rob Bell

Reading Russell's comments, I came to the F after 12 years in an MGB roadster. I was amazed at how flexible the MGF's body is after the really stiff shell of the B. The whole structure seems to shimmy when on a bumpy surface, like a TR4 with it's separate body/chassis. I've got used to it now, but it was strange at first.

Mike
Mike Howlett



"A doctor with a cold at the moment <cough>"

Rob, I forbid you to catch anything else this year !!

I bet you'll be glad to see the back of 2006

Still, soon you'll be old enough for a flu jab :-)

Get well soon buddy

Stu

Stu Dickens

Thanks Stu - I hope that I won't catch anything else; more than enough for one year!
Hmm, 2006 - definitely a year to forget for many reasons.

Mike, an MGF should be torsionally stiffer than a 'B. Why do you think that yours is not? I, like Stu and Dave, have had the VHS stiffening kit added, which makes quite a difference in my opinion. It doesn't make the car as stiff as a tin-top of course, but improves how the car feels in corners no end. Well worth it IMO. :o)
Rob Bell

Russell - if your car sits low like a proper little sports car then the hydragas probably needs a pump. Do this and get a proper 4 wheel alignment done (which is not something KwikFit can do) and the improvements to the ride and indeed handling will amaze you! Also, you find you can cross speed bumps without grounding. My hydragas has been pumped twice in 2 1/2 years.

As for the pulling left, while it could be the EPAS, my car for one always pulls toward the camber of the road which is of course typically left. Try driving on the wrong side of the road! To check if it is EPAS, jack up the front, turn on the ignition and see if the wheels twitch to the left.

HTH

Pete
P Davey

Thanks everyone...Pete, it does sit very low, and does ground on speed humps, will check it at the weekend! Had it on a wheel free ramp a couple of days ago, and with the engine running, the steering turned all the way to the left-all by itself! Also can someone explain what IMHO and HTH
Russell

In My Humble Opinion, Hope This Helps
C.R.B. Simeon

Hello everyone, checked the ride height today, front and rear are both 340mm...guess it needs a pump then! Thanks for all your help, Russell
R Jupp


It may have been lowered in the past by the previous owner but there are ways to do it and just letting the gas out is not always the best way. Your probably hitting the bump stops.

Make sure you get the tracking/wheel alignment reset after correcting the ride height as it will throw it out and that can cause awful handling too.

Again info on all this on Robs site

Cheers

Stu
Stu Dickens

This thread was discussed between 13/11/2006 and 18/11/2006

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