Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Comfort suspension

Robbie.....yes, I had that improvement on my 4/4 when I had the conversion. So I was surprised yesterday with both the cars I drove. It may have just been one of those things and I guess each car s different. Of course I'm also comparing the ride of my lighter 4/4 with narrow wheels which feels a lot less planted than certainly the Roadster.

Nick... I can't speak as an owner (yet) of a Roadster and the one I drove was barely run in so perhaps not the ideal comparison. Time will tell but it will save me some money!

I'll pick up my 09 Roadster from Williams on 22nd - With Suplex Kit installed. A breif test convinced me.

The difference between a stock 4/4 and a Roadster with Suplex is market!

Jay, I thought the front suspension on my Plus 4 was reasonably good after the dealer changed the springs. I then had the Suplex kit fitted and my initial impression was that there was not a huge difference, apart from lighter steering and a slightly softer ride over bumps, but once I started pushing the car I realised there was a great difference. My passenger noticed the difference immediately

Peter.....I think my impressions are down to the big difference between how 4/4s and Plus4s/Roadsters ride the road. More weight and wider wheels give a much more planted feel. I haven't dismissed adding Suplex at some stage; I want to get a feel for the new car first and let it bed in...its done less than 800 miles from new!

As I have a slight 'man crush' on Mike and some of the fabulous machinery he's owned, his recommendation, along with others on here, means that I'm highly likely to have the system fitted. I'd like the chrome king pins too - so I'm waiting for BHM to give me a bit more detail on that before pushing the button.

I've recently sold my boat following the death of my chum Nick in a similar boat, so there's a bit of cash slopping around for extras. I was tempted to trade in my Roadster for a new +8 but it's just too silly in depreciation terms to consider.

With 20,000 miles run the original kingpins were just OK, but would have needed replacing in the next year or so, so I bit the bullet and asked Williams to fit Chrome kingpins. The labour to add the Suplex front end wasn't that significant.

So now I have a Roadster with a front end that will give a good combination of ride and handling and won't need greasing every month in the summer...

I also had them add a badge bar, stainless door stays and stainless quarter panel covers, the car already has stainless door lock covers and chassis rail covers. With the leather seats and dash it all looks good....even though the additional spend wasn't exactly what the banker in my life expected...

Here's some more feedback: Since fitting the Suplex kit I have now also fitted a steering damper and brake reaction bars.
On my -99 4/4 with a very direct rack & pinion steering it became quite a bit heavier but at the same time very 'solid' and calm. I found that with all components in good order the car was still a bit unstable at higher speeds. Advised by a very experienced dealer (outside London) I raised the pressure in the rear to 28 psi and in the front to 26. Now the car is steady as a rock at all speeds - extremely enjoyable!
In short:
- Nodding - gone 99%
- Bottoming out - gone 100%
- Steering kick back - gone 95%
- 'All over' stability - improved a lot
- Road bumps - no longer a distraction
- Driveability - great!
- Value for money - yes!
- Morgan feel - still very much!

I also found out that my wire wheels were in bad condition causing shimmy and vibrations. Initially I thought it was a bad case of 'the Malvern dance' but it was clearly not. I can recommend a wheel check if there are shimmy or vibrations left after balancing the wheels.

Thomas,

after 300 miles with the Suplex front end I'd support your analysis, other than the "road bumps - no longer a distraction" comment. Sharp ridges and sharp edged potholes are still well worth avoiding.

I'd add that the steering is now lighter above 2 mph, it needs no more effort than any modern car. Yes, assistance could be nice at low speeds, but then you'd lose the feel and feedback.

More importantly steering is utterly precise: most A and B road driving requires a very light touch on the wheel, just "finger and thumb" most of the time. The steering gets heavier on fast long bends, especially when the radius increases. There is an uphill one coming out of Stockbridge towards Salisbury on the A30. The BMW 320 X Drive M Sport will take this effortlessly at 80+, the Aldermog I'm not happy above 70 and the steering load is noticeable towards the end of the curve; the surface isn't good so it needs both hands and concentration. Mind you my old 1990 Mercedes 190 2.6 was horrible at 60 on the same curve, so to even compare a 2009 Roadster with BMW's finest is good progress!

The Aldermog is generally stable up to about 80,depending on road surface quality, so will try altering tire pressure from the nominal 22psi. But think a steering damper could be the answer.
Before changing anything more I'd also like to understand more what the brake reaction bars do, and how much they cost.

Peter, thank you for your comments.

I fully agree with you that sharp edges and potholes are still very 'uncomfortable' and should be avoided (they are not very nice to my Citroën C3 either).
I found that before, the average Swedish bump could unsettle the car and cause quite a lot of steering kick back. Now the car feels well 'planted' (is that correct English?) on the road even if it moves a lot.

I also believe that the progressive springs gives you more freedom to adjust (raise) the tyre pressure without loosing 'comfort' and thus have less undamped movement in the front end. Tyres are very different and I believe it's better to control springing and damping by well designed 'hardware' than tyre walls with unspecified properties. It could perhaps even affect the high speed steering load in a positive way.

Regarding the steering damper:
I honestly feel that the improved stability at higher speeds is more due to higher tyre pressure (in the rear) than the damper. I think I could actually do without the damper if it wasn't for the good effect on bumpy roads. I will keep it though...

Certainly if rear tyre pressure is too low it can create a "squirmy" efect at the rear. The combination of springs, damping, and tyre pressure all have an effect on the sensations when cornering. You have to find just what settings suit your car and driving style.

With our 2012 Plus 4 a steering damper is absolutely not needed.