Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Rear Suspension . 2006 +4

Very interesting.

Hi Everyone. Happy new Year.

Just thought I would give you all an update on my saggy suspension issue.

TO RECAP

2006 Plus 4
List to Drivers side when empty
Plus 4 has intrinsic asymmetric weight distribution due to exhaust etc
Driver 17 stone
Passenger 8 stone
Car lists also when driving
Speed bump grounding on down slope (even with caution) a regular occurance

Based on various responses to the thread I contacted the factory and three dealers and got several theories ec including bad batch of springs etc. However no conclusive recommendation so I decided to pursue the Doug J route (see above)
I contact Williams and asked them to engage with Peter Ballard form SSL.

SOLUTION

Several conversations betwee the three parties (Williams, Peter and myself) and we elected to do the following.
Peter to do the calculations
Springs sourced fro UK manufacturer
Springs both tested to ensure match and loadings etc.
Drivers side spring re-cambered using heat process to provide extra oomf on drivers side based on PB calculations then retested. (on mine the calculation was to provide circa 2" extra camber.
Trip to Williams for fitment while I waited.
Job Done while I waited. It took about 6 hours and Peter Ballard was in attendance throughout.

OUTCOME.

Car now level when empty looks sooooo much better
Car level when driving - even when solo.
So far (month later) no driving issues- in fact car feels much better in terms of ride, steering and suspension
Speed bump negotiation much better

CONCLUSION

So all in all I am a happy bunny! To answer the inevitable question it cost me just over a grand.

Thanks to all at Williams and Peter Ballard (who also found the exercise very interesting on the Plus 4)

Will keep you posted if any subsequent issues
Regards
Ian

Thanks for the update Ian.
I expect Peter enjoyed the challenge.

Well done, I hope you can now fully enjoy the car.

Nice that you have a solution now but something I don't understand.

How can the car be level when empty and still be level when loaded solo with 17st.

Have SSL come up with some clever suspension trickery here or are the rear springs so stiff that there is virtually no travel?

No idea! Maybe it still has a bit of a list when I am driving alone - but "not optically". Maybe if you put a spirit level on it!. Before it looked like I had flat tyres on my side.

But it has worked "so far" and in terms of ride, no noticeable change in terms of stiffness.

The Boss (8 stone) and I did Witney, Burford, Stow, Bourton on the Water and back yesterday and she didn't notice any ride difference. Trust me, if she had found the ride any harder/stiffer I would have heard about it!!!

As an aside, now "only" 16 1/2 stone. Post Christmas diet in progress. Now that does hurt!

Glad that you got it sorted. I have owned 2 2008 +4’s, the first a 4 seat, the rear springs sagged within weeks of collection and after 8 months back and forward to the dealer (and 3 sets of springs from MMC) I gave up and sourced a pair from Peter Mulberry of Mulfab. The dealer fitted them and they were perfect. A couple of years later I sold the car and bought an almost matching chassis number (3 numbers apart by coincidence) 2 seat version of the same car. Again the rear springs were so bad it was running on the bump stop! I knew this aspart if the used car assessment but had managed to negotiate a trade sale do no big issue and I sourced another set of the later 4 seat springs from Peter M.

A none complex job to fit but very physical and not to be undertaken lightly if your not feeling competent. I also changed the rear U bolts and plates to Mulfabs heavy duty units at the same time as it made little sense to refit the soft and flimsy ones the MMC were using back then.

As I say a simple enough nuts and bolts job but physical and I would not attempt without an assistant to help heave and push!

Totally transformed the feel, I had wondered if 4 seat springs might be a bit harsh but none of it, matched with a pair of decent adjustable rear dampers a perfect (for me) ride was achieved, not in the league of Peter Ballard’s amazing 5 link rear end of course but at under £400 for all parts not in the same price bracket either. If money were no object I would go for the SSL 5 Link but if on a budget it’s well worth doing.

As for someone to do the work I would actually give Cain (Wolf Performance) a ring first for a quote as I know he has done this job on his own car at very least.

BR
Colin

I can fully confirm that, Colin. I have the same 4 seater 4 leaf springs from Peter Mulberry in my 2 seater 4/4 together with adjustable shock absorbers, and I am absolutely happy with this solution, in every respect. These springs feel right on the spot even in the 4/4 and the shocks can be adjusted correctly without mimicking the job of the springs. As a positive side effect, the car accelerates much more immediately in first and second gear. Only now, in retrospect, it becomes clear that the original too soft springs had absorbed the energy of the acceleration before the car itself became faster.

I had the same experience as Colin with my 2012 P4. It rode on the bump stops.

4 Seater springs transformed the ride.

I had replaced plenty of Midget and MGB leaf springs but these are easy in comparison to doing this job on a Morgan, because access is much tighter.

I did it single handed but it's extremely physical.....my how to post contains the full story.

I did mine single handed using DaveW’s post as a guide.

A friend was asking recently about the springs I used and I checked the Mulfab web site - they no longer list the “4 seater 4 leaf” springs that I and others used. The nearest we could find was Cain’s advert in the January Miscellany where he advertises “Aero Racing Heavy Duty Leaf Springs”.