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MG MGF Technical - Trophy Ride Height

Could someone please advise regarding Trophy ride heights? I understand the Trophy should be 20mm lower than standard, which I think, is about 368mm therefore I’m assuming 348mm or thereabouts? I checked mine yesterday measuring from wheel centre to the point where the wing liner overlaps with the wheel arch edge and found that all except the OSF were 355mm and the OSF was 363 mm. The car was level and had been standing for at least a couple of hours. I’m not entirely sure how the system is adjusted – is it possible for one measurement to be different from the one on the opposite side? I realise temperature will have an overall effect on all measurements. There is no problem with the car, tyre wear or handling etc just that it is noticeable. Only done just over 6k miles but I wanted to have the facts from some experts before challenging the dealer under warranty, if indeed I need to have anything done?

Many thanks - Terry
Terry

Front 348 +/- 10mm
Rear 343 +/- 10mm these are trim heights,

from floor to underside of spoiler ground clearance,unladen 100mm.
Joe

I know it's not very accurate, but you should be able to get 2 fingers between the tyre and the arch! Mine has been like this for a while, but for some reason (surely not temperature) has jumped to 3 fingers in the last day of so! Not only that, but the offside rear is slightly higher than the other 3 wheels (5-6mm). I would take it to the dealer to sort out, but can't be bothered, and I'm going to be giving Techspeed a visit in the Summer - gas shocks and 4 nipple job here I come!!
Paul
PK51VDY - Yellow Trophy
Paul

Thanks guys, (I thought you'd parted with the Trophy Paul?) Measured spoiler to ground and mine's 190 mm I think the 100mm ground clearance refers to the lowest point on the car which looking underneath isn't the spoiler. I've finally found the diagram and measurements in the Trophy handbook supplement (I know - read the book first!) which does seem to indicate the measurement at that point as 100mm but this would make the GC much less elswhere under the car? The trim height would need to be about 90mm less or I'd need to take the tyres off to get 100mm at that point! Or am I (probably) missing something fundamental here as age and Barossa Shiraz take their toll?
Terry

Off topic, but a quest to the speciallists.

Who of you out there bets with or against me that the Trophy spec Hydragas unit difference to the Standard is just given by shorter ally pistons.
I mean the ally cone insert at the lower diaphragma.

Minus 4 mm is my first idea on that.
Any chance to approve this ?

:o)
Dieter
Dieter K.

Terry
You are right, I sold my Yellow MGF Trophy (reg PK51VDL) in August last year. I changed jobs and needed a more practical car to drive 100 miles per day to and from work, so I bought a brand new Mondeo Ghia X diesel. By the end of November I was bored of the Mondeo, and terribly missing my Trophy. So, I took a massive financial hit! Back to Browns of Longridge to PX my Mondeo for a new Yellow Trophy 160 they still had. The new one has a very similar registration - PK51VDY this time!!! My original Trophy was actually for sale at a local Honda dealer, and I really wanted to but it back. However, they wanted over £3k more then Browns wanted for the car I eventually bought. Incidentally, I also bought a little Pug 205 diesel to use for work. Problem solved, however bank account in tatters!!!!
Cheers
Paul
Paul

Just to revisit this subject, I had my Trophy in the dealers yesterday to check what looked to me like an uneven ride height between the two rear wheels.

To use Paul's method of measurement, they were about 1.5 fingers on the offside and 2.5 finger on the nearside.

Anyway, the workshop had a look at it, and couldn't find anything wrong. NOTE: Once the car is over 1 year old and/or has had its first service, a suspension check is NOT covered by the warranty. Cost me about £30.

Having said that, the technicians must have done something good to the suspension, as it now seems to be sitting evenly at just over 2 fingers on each side, and (this may just be a psychological effect) the car felt much more sure-footed and stable in corners yesterday afternoon as a result of the work.

Diggers
Diggers

>>Who of you out there bets with or against me that the Trophy spec Hydragas unit difference to the Standard is just given by shorter ally pistons.
I mean the ally cone insert at the lower diaphragma.<<

Dieter, you are right that both the displacement cone and the knuckles are different on the Trophy - and the shape of the cone does dictate the spring rate (the more oblique the angle of the cone, the stiffer the suspension, and vice versa).

Interestingly though, I was chatting to the chaps at TS about this, and it transpires that the Trophy 'spheres are different from the original MGF items - apparently using different gas pressures...

I think I may have a picture of a Trophy knuckle somewhere (compared, I think, with a B&G knuckle) so it should be possible to estimate its length...

>>To use Paul's method of measurement, they were about 1.5 fingers on the offside and 2.5 finger on the nearside.<<

Diggers, which side of the car was in the sun? I know it shouldn't make that much difference, but I am amazed at the difference in ride height upon a fully (over night) settled MGF suspension the warmth of the sun makes!

Also bare in mind that after driving the car, the suspension will have more heat, and therefore height than a car left over night. This emphases the need to be consistent in the way that one measures the ride height of ones car.
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 31/03/2003 and 08/04/2003

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