MG TD TF 1500 Need new shock absorbers BBS discussion at MG-Cars.info

MG TD TF 1500 - Need new shock absorbers

Derek, tyre pressures and wear on bushes, links and springs could also contribute to slop and bounce. But if you've got Armstrong lever arm dampers be very careful about replacing them. I don't know about new ones for T-types but I'd not trust them unless the T-chaps here know differently. Generally the "reconditioned" ones from many suppliers go from piss-poor to crap. You might be lucky if you're able to go through their whole stock to find a few that are OK-ish, less chance they match. For reconditioning you could enquiry at Stevson Motors in Birmingham as some B owners give them a good report but there used to be a chap that went to shows that did old dampers apparently, though not cheap. Contract Auto Engineering in Stourport send them out to a chap in Wales apparently, might be the same chap, I don't know. Turn around for the work would be weeks rather than days. Sometimes worth the effort to empty out, the possibly very ancient, existing oil and clean internally and then refill with (correct) fresh new oil and purge. I don't know what the situation is for gaskets, seals and valves for the T-types Armstrong lever arm dampers. Peter Caldwell of World Wide Auto Parts (USA) (who used to post on the BBS) is very well respected for his better than new exchange service on LA dampers in USA cautions about using thick oil, 30w max. "Stick with the 20w oil recommended (AW ISO 68 spec). At most use 30 (AW ISO 100). Best are synthetics like Silkolene or Redline suspension oils. They hold up under heat waaaaay better than standard hydraulic oils.... and these shocks get hot." AW just means anti-wear. Silkolene SF 20 Fork & Suspension Fluid – https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-89690-silkolene-sf-20-fork-suspension-fluid.aspx “The SAE figures give a good guide to relative oil viscosities, however, the ISO figures, related to the true viscosity at 40°C, give a more accurate assessment of damping capabilities.” . ISO 68 / SAE 20w . ISO 100 / SAE 30w HTH

Nigel Atkins

Nigel, Yes it was me who produce the seals. No reported failures and I have been making them sine 2015. There has however been a bit of a dispute. I cannot sell these suspension seals at the moment until some differences are resolved. My mate who actually produces them on his injection moulding machine (with my tooling) has them on his website. He will continue to (try and) sell them although they are known on the MG forum as my seals. Most of the seals that I had left have been sold to clear a backlog when I was recently in hospital. I do however have a few sets of kingpin seals left. These are the ones that are difficult to replace. It is not looking like I will be getting more but all is not lost ....read on. I have however designed new seals made from 3D printed flexible TPU which I will be selling exclusively. I am even considering a patent. I can make them them in solid or in split. The advantage is that the split seals can be fitted without dismantling your suspension. Both fulcrum pin and kingpin seals are split although the fulcrum pin seals are not as difficult to replace as the lower kingpin seals. With these you can replace a lower trunnion kingpin seal in a few minutes! Nobody else has made such seals that I am aware of and it makes life so much easier. The seals can be fitted with either M2 nyloc nuts, screws and washers or simple cable ties. M2 screws and nylocs are expensive. I have also made these seals for other cars. The photos in the attachment show a split kingpin seal on an MG TD repro trunnion. I have since added a third screw. Regards Declan

Declan Burns

The photo below shows the rubber seals as fitted on my car. I still have some of the kingpin seals left but not that many. Regards Declan

Declan Burns

This thread was discussed between 03/05/2021 and 15/05/2021

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