Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Comfort suspension

The stately fashion is very true, I must admit they both have a very regal wave when acknowledging other less fortunate road users. I do feel a "Budster" flag should be flown from a small flag pole mounted on the bonnet.

Neil

Neil
"Regal" could be the appropriate word!!!
Stanley is Regal Red. . . .
Bud

I agree 100% Mike.

This thread is actually misnamed and the term comfort suspension was never used by Suplex or PJB as far as I know.

The actual name of the kit is: SUPLEX 'Front Suspension Refinement System'

As Mike has said it does not alter the structure of the car but enables the Morgan suspension to work as well as possible. The system is simply a well engineered set of rising rate springs, adaptable to all models, that comes with carefully matched dampers. They keep the tyres on the road, reduce body roll and, at the same time, lighten the steering, improve safety, reduce shocks transmitted to the chassis and bodywork, and yes, they also improve ride quality.

To call it "Comfort" is not correct, it will never give a limo ride or handling like a new Caterham but wil make the Morgan system work as it should.

Nothing wrong in wanting a more compliant suspension but you are certainly changing the traditional characteristics of the car not making it more like a Morgan by using a one size fits all progressive rate system. Many Morgan specialists carry rebound springs with different spring rates to suit different styles of driving if you want to gently tweak the character of the suspension. I don't see how the Suplex "one size fits all" models system can benefit given the wide variation in weight and HP of the different models in the Classic range and the limited travel of the Sliding Pillar front suspension. Also why has it been reported on other threads here that Suplex might need steering dampers fitted to cure front end shimmy? Surely something is out of kilter if you may need to fit steering dampers?

Morgan specifically rejected the Suplex system as not being appropriate for their cars. They apparently saw little benefit in it. Again and again Peter and Charles Morgan resisted changing the character of the suspension because they want to preserve the traditional characteristics of a vintage sports car. They consciously took that decision. It was not made out of laziness or lack of funds or stubbornness as it is so often presented. Morgan know what they are doing. Thus the only tweak made recently by the Works is the move to shorter rebound springs which gives a little more compliance.

Interesting debate and its always good to gently tweak our suspensions to suit different Morgan driving styles. Just not convinced the Susplex progressive weight system is the best way to do that.

Now I have got it, I thought the lovely Lady Budster reminded me of someone, Princess Anne, I did not realise you mixed it in high society.

There is another thread on this and I have been investigating Suplex for a Plus 8 and I am yet to be convinced in its current supplied set up is right for a +8. This is based on talking to a +8 owner of many years who has it fitted. Personally I think the weight question and the tuning of the suspension with Suplex is a serious point. Once I get the opportunity to test drive a +8 which has it fitted will I decide whether it is an improvement to a +8.

Exactly. And why the need for steering dampers on some cars fitted with Suplex? Perhaps this is a weight issue on heavier cars such as Roadsters and Plus 8's.

And what's wrong with the British dampers extensively tested and fitted by Morgan. Susplex uses Bilstein dampers - why does Suplex require different dampers than those already fitted.

The need for a steering damper is nothing at all to do with the front suspension spring rate. It's to address an issue which arises from the interaction between the castor angle, tyre width, track rods, and so on.

Earlier cars had steep castor angles (4 degrees), narrow tyres (165s), and worm and peg steering boxes. They tended to suffer from steering flutter/shimmy, which was removed by fitting the damper blades.

Later cars with their shallower castor angles (6 degrees), wide tyres, and rack and pinion steering, were found not to suffer from the effect, and so the damper blades were removed.

If a car needed the damper blades (or an equivalent - some people prefer removing the damper blades and using a telescopic steering damper instead) before fitting the Suplex kit, then it will need one afterwards, and vice-versa.

As for the need for different shock absorbers, every other car on the road today has shock absorbers which have had their bump and rebound characteristics tailored to suit the spring rates and roll characteristics of the car to which they are fitted. Change the spring characteristics and you need to change the damping characteristics too.

Why on earth would anyone imagine that this would not be necessary on a Morgan? (Who AIUI source their standard dampers from the Far East).

Blame me - I am a newbie and would like to say that when I named this thread "Comfort suspension" I only knew that there was a solution to my suspension problems around the corner. I was convinced that my car was going to be 'more comfortable' relative to what I had. I could never guess how much attention it was going to get. I am deeply impressed by all the expertise and knowledge that has been exposed here and I would humbly ask you to bear with me as the newbie I am.

As I wrote in my first post: "I love the thought that the original construction, the sliding hub/pillar suspension, will still be going strong for another couple of decades..." - I still think so and I totally agree with both Mike and Peter above (the name of the thread is misleading). I also wrote: "The new Morgan 4/4 Sport suspension I think is a big step in the right direction..." which shows that Morgan actually are changing the characteristics of the suspension in a way that could be perceived as 'more comfortable' but basically just makes the car more drivable on bumpy roads. In my view it makes the car even more 'original and special' in that way that HFS's original suspension system still is competitive and enjoyable.

I hope that my layman-ish comments are not offending anyone - it's not my intention.

I make no comment as I have no experience, but GoMoG has offered it's view:
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