After kicking around the options and List discussion for rear spring
replacement on my '64 MGB, I finally opted for the 7 leaf Moss item. I got
what I thought to be all the parts together for the Labor Day weekend and
spent a good four hours on Saturday making the change. Notes thus far:
*Check the U-bolts before the big holiday weekend. My supplier sold me the
7 leaf springs, but gave me the 6 leaf U-bolts. I found this out after
attaching the first spring and attempting to bolt up the axle...too short!
I believe that the radius is the same for both early/short banjo axle U
bolts and later/tube axle ones, the difference being the length. This led
me to the second observation,
*Setting the old and new springs down together, it appeared that the 7 leaf
was identical (metalurgy/spring rate aside?) to the 6 leaf one, with the
exception of the added second-to-shortest leaf. Not wanting to leave the
car up on jackstands for a week and remembering e-mails about strange ride
height with heavier springs on early roadsters, I took out the leaf and
bolted the assembly up. Don't know about ride quality/spring rate, but the
ride height looks level, and if they do sag later, as has been reported
about some replacement Moss springs, I'll stick the loose leaves in with
longer bolts.
*I put in the Nylatron pads and bushings. Lindsey Porter suggests putting
the front end of the spring on first, then the rear shackle...spent a long
time trying it that way, but there is so little compliance with the hard
bushings that it is IMHO a hundred times easier to put on the shackle
first, then jack and lever the front eye to line up for one bolt.
*Purists and Koni fans may scoff, but I got a slightly used pair of Monroe
shocks with the Moss hardware to replace the Armstrongs. Not a great job
of engineering--the shock becomes the jounce limiter, rather than the
straps. Also, the right side shock fouls the rear brake hose bracket
attached to the side of the battery holder. Where is that bracket located
on later chrome-bumper cars?
Chris Attias
'64 MGB
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