I was fortunate when I bought my 63 Midget that many major restorations
were done by the previous owner. However one that was not was the rear
suspension. My midget was suffering from a sagging rear. Every rough
patch of road or bump would make me brace for the thud, bang, etc that
was to come. Having 1/4 elliptical springs and finding that the 15 leaf
springs were no longer available, only the 10 leaf heavy duty springs,
instead I chose to install the competition springs from Mini Mania (5
leaves). Initially that was all I was going to replace but then thinking
of the rest of the moving parts, I said what the heck.
List of parts replaced:
Leaf springs (Competition Springs from Mini Mania)
Shocks (New)
Radius Arm Bushings
Shock Links
Bump Rubbers
Rebound Straps
The results from this have been incredible, the 20% softer ride Mini
Mania advertised is as good as expected. Having heard about the Heavy
Duty 10 leaf springs making cars ride like a truck or nosedive like a
Hot Rod, I was very leary. Now my car feels as smooth in the back as a
new car. Gone are all the clunks and bangs, my rear end doesn't shake in
reverse anymore. I now look forward to driving my car much more this
summer. Also thanks to Steve Pratt of the British Sportcar Center in
Cameron Park California who did such a super job of installing all these
parts. Now my wife's BMW can't stay even close to me on the back roads.
Fred Krampits
1963 Midget MK I 1098CG
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