Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) rear suspension conversions

There are veriations on this that have been tried... from using a reduced leaf spring for londitudinal positioning and then coil overs to provide the actual main suspension spring and damper combined.

There have also been IRS conversions (See MGB Kits for examples) which use various donors to supply the parts... esentially a rear suspension sub-frame which mounts into the rear axle area... these are mainly used for the Class A +8 racers as it has much more favourable camber, castor, wheel travel ark characteristics.

MogSport have built this into a few cars AFAIK but is not available as a kit.. the front modification along these lines is available from MulFab the test bed +8 was on show at the centenary..... then how far away from OEM do you want to go....?

Using coil-over dampers would make the rear ride height adjustable. That would be a great thing on four-seaters as the load varies a lot. Unfortunately, I have been told that this cannot be done (using the original mounting points), because:

• the original damper mountings are too weak
• there is not enough space for the coil springs for most dampers

However, see the following link KW dampers.

Harald

Indeed.. but it would not take much to fabricate an alternative.

Alternatively .. these guys in the UK put together a kit for the TVR guy's they do a short 9" coilover and go up from there:

http://www.gaz-shocks.co.uk/COIL/COIL.html

Just looked at the AVO site.. they have a 9" damper single adjustable coil over damper listed with a 2.25" spring which is available in 3", 4" or 5" (ie. short lenths). That said the 5" is recommended for the 9" casing.

Given that they are the supplier of the non coil over Rutherford AVO dampers they can probably replicate the build in a coil over casing.. then you only have the problem about strengthening the suspension hoop to act at the main suspension device... rather than the leaf springs.... which having look at it would need at least front and rear triangulation onto the chassis somehow or possibly joining up with the roll-over-hoop if you have one (BTW, this is also blue book allowable) so does not contravene MSA regulations.

Yes Peter, that is what I referred to. I measured it yesterday just for you with nobody in the car and a nearly empty petrol tank.

If you already have 5 leaves I wonder if they are "original". I know cars of the early seventies with 4 leaves like my 1967 model. I changed from 4 to 5 after the first set of springs had sagged to a degree that in fast driven bends the tires touched the sharp edge of the steel strip inside the rear wings and showed deep cutting marks in the side wall - scary!

Frank

Thank you Frank for your answer, I will go and measure mine tomorrow and let you know the result on here. As far as I know , the springs ,5 leaves, are original. The car was restored in 1995, and I cant find any record of the springs being replaced. I wonder if I removed the springs, that I could have them reset at a spring company? or would it be best to fit brand new springs?
Peter

I had the springs reset on an MGB and they began sagging again after only 2 years. The costs for resetting are not very far away from the price for new springs. Therefore I vote for new springs - and new U-bolts (they can break where the damper mounting is welded on, I have seen it twice).

Frank

Plus a good lubing between the leaves if you're fitting new springs Peter. Seems to help the ride a little and reduce the potential rust build up between leaves (not that it will be quite the same problem away from Blighty's green and soggy land... ).
Cheers,

I have just measured the distance between the top of diff and underside of cover plywood and its 95 mm.!
Is this normal? if it had been 80mm like yours, then my springs would be resting on the bottom flange of the chassis!
Peter