Choosing the correct front coil spring

[Guest]

Since I "derubbered" my Midget, I need to get the ride height correct. Problem is the front springs.

I bought a set of the Competition springs from Moss (264-605, 1 and 1/4 drop, 340lb) which they claim lowers a rubber bumper vehicle and inch and a quarter.

It lowers it a lot more than that- with no rubber. The nose is a lot lower than my liking also. I'm looking straight into the tailpipe of things like Kia's.

Also, after a year of having these springs in the car with less than 100 miles of usage, the vehicle sags on one side. I pulled the springs and there is a difference in the spring height. A noticeable one.

I ordered the VB springs. Looks like they sent me 1500 rubber bumper springs, although I specified the ones for a 1275. I double checked my order and the part number does reflect the spring for a 1275 car, but-the springs have the blue band. When installed I now have a front end ride height that rivals my old Jeep.

I noticed Moss carries some- preGAN6-171478 model springs. This looks like 1976 model year although the heavier rubber bumper 1500's were also preGAN6-171478's? I don't understand.

Two things here- can someone steer me in the correct direction for getting a set of chrome bumper springs for my bumperless 1500? Does somebody have a set?

 

[Baz]

Is it possible to use your original size springs, and then use spacers to lower the ride height?

 

[jlaird]

One time long ago I went to a junk yard and got a couple of springs the right diameter and cut them the length I needed. Hay, I know, but it did work.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

I had the same experience with VB Springs. Their stuff is marked wrong. I tried 3 tries before I gave up and ordered a set of BE Springs. I'll bet your Spridget looked like this with wrong springs installed.

 

[Guest]

One time long ago I went to a junk yard and got a couple of springs the right diameter and cut them the length I needed. Hay, I know, but it did work.

I did this on the front end of a Tempest. Many say this is one of the original sins and I have done this also Jack. Three tries of taking a little bit off and and it worked quite well- slightly stiffer spring rate and lowered a bit.

However the MG coils are tapered and flattened on both ends. In this case I don't see this as a very good idea and the trial and error may not be worth it.

I had the same experience with VB Springs. Their stuff is marked wrong. I tried 3 tries before I gave up and ordered a set of BE Springs. I'll bet your Spridget looked like this with wrong springs installed.

Here.. check it out- and this is with a 1/" spacer mounted in between the coil spring mounting base and the lower control arm.

Yeeeeeee-haw!

Jim, if I get the Bugeye springs from VB (I am going to call them about this) what can I expect for ride height? Even though mines bumperless it also as the 1500cc motor. How did the BE springs affect your ride height?

 

[tosoutherncars]

It's a donk!!

That's *got* to be the wrong spring... Unless, it's not possible to assemble it with the spring pan *above* the A-arm, is it?

I've just bought NOS stock CB 1275 springs.... I'll post a pic of how the 1500 sits when I install them.

 

[Guest]

It's a donk!!

That's *got* to be the wrong spring... Unless, it's not possible to assemble it with the spring pan *above* the A-arm, is it?

Possibly. Would require busting the joints where the spindle meets the control arms and then mounting the spring pan on top. However the pan would be slightly to wide to fit on top- unless I added some spacers. Reassemble and then- viola. 8" of lift.

But then the wheel Geometry would be way off. I'd probably be better off getting a Suzuki Samurai front axle with leaf springs and doing it up. Then I could go out and make some plowing money with my MG during the winter months. But then I'd need more power and a stronger drivetrain.

At that point I'd be losing purpose for what I built my MG for. What an irony- <span style="font-style: italic">in the past I wanted to raise trucks and found much better ways to lower them. In this case, I want to get the front end down to chrome bumper or slightly lower and I'm finding all kinds of great methods to do the opposite.</span> Sorry for the dry (very dry) humor as I'm trying to keep my spirit up despite what I am feeling about this situation.

 

[58Custom]

I had the same experience with VB Springs. Their stuff is marked wrong. I tried 3 tries before I gave up and ordered a set of BE Springs. I'll bet your Spridget looked like this with wrong springs installed.

Who is BE? My '69 is leaning to the left so my springs are fatigued and need to be replaced.

 

[bugimike]

BE is Bugeye!!!(1958-1960) :wink:

 

[JPSmit]

I had the same experience with VB Springs. Their stuff is marked wrong. I tried 3 tries before I gave up and ordered a set of BE Springs. I'll bet your Spridget looked like this with wrong springs installed.

Who is BE? My '69 is leaning to the left so my springs are fatigued and need to be replaced.

it seems like many cars lean to the left. (Says the 330 lb driver - I wonder why?) Seriously, this is a common malady sometimes solved by switching the springs left to right - also, someone, shimmed one side and this seemed to hep

 

[jlaird]

If springs are out of the car you can measure the height of them to determine their worth. I have also seen somewhere some numbers on compression someplace.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

All Spridgets seem to lean to the left. I tried rearching hte springs but that only lasted a few weeks, just learn to live with it.

I cannot venture ride height in converting from RB Springs to BE Srpings but take a look at these pics. You can see the difference in ride height caused by spring height. Since RB Cars sit several inches taller than Pre RB Spridget, I'm guessing compression ratios are different for RB Cars that BE or <75 cars. The bumpers on RB Cars weigh something like 75-80 lbs each. Here is an example of spring height differences. Jack Laird provided a measurement on this forum in the last day on so on correct ride height length for a BE Spring.

 

[jvandyke]

I wonder if a PO put on the wrong springs on mine. Front looks a bit silly another thing to add to the list....

 

[chrpark]

I just pulled the springs out of my Mk II and sure enough, the drivers' side spring has a rubber spacer installed between the 3rd and 4th turns of the coil.... I had planned to knock it out because I didnt know what it was, but it sounds like I should leave it in there to offset my weight on the drivers side... hey maybe that accounts for the different turn signal lamp heights on the fenders, they were designed that way so that as the car is driving down the road leaning to one side, the signals 'appear' to be at the same height....

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Bugsy looked like that when I put the first set of springs I received from one of the usual suspects on hte car. See if you can see any kind of paint codes on the springs . They do mean something. That tall set pictured above was supposed to be for a 68, I ended up with two sets of wrong springs before ordering a set that was supposed to be for a BE. I'd be willing to be you've got a wrong set of springs in there. Here's how the front end measured with that set of taller springs in the car.

 

[Pythias]

Also, after a year of having these springs in the car with less than 100 miles of usage, the vehicle sags on one side. I pulled the springs and there is a difference in the spring height. A noticeable one.

I ordered the VB springs.
I noticed Moss carries some- preGAN6-171478 model springs. T

It is my understanding that all the springs both from Mo$$ and VB come from CHINA. Even rear ones that say assembled in England are made from Chinese steel. They're crap. For the rears I've heard the best you can do is have your originals resprung at a spring shop. You'll probably want to find the correct length front spring and have done, rather than trying to buy new.

I've also heard of guys who have the "sag" changing the springs from one side to the other, only to have the sag STAY right where it is. The spacers under the spring pan DO WORK to cure it, but this is the first time I've heard of where the springs in the front are actually different in length.

 

[jvandyke]

Yeah, that's why I asked. PO's PO bought everything from VB and if there was a period of wrong springs being delivered, then he put 'em on not knowing I'm sure.
I really don't like that high in front look. I'll have to address that sometime. Wonder if shackles are a bad idea? Probably, easy way is usually a bad idea.

 

[theleisure]

I have an album showing the process we used to convert from standard springs to shorter 340lbs. springs with pan spacers posted on my website.

Here's a link: https://web.mac.com/smbags/Site/Sprite_Albums/Pages/Lowered_Suspension.html#0

There's a slideshow option or you can look at all the pics on your own.

I just shipped the wheels in the photos off to Tony Barnhill and installed wheels I got from the '66 Sprite Ray Evans/Whitephrog is parting out.

 

[Pythias]

To cure the sag, I put spacers in on one side only, without removing the spring pan. I used 3/8" washers as my spacers--3 or them per post 1/8" thick each, for a 3/8" change. I thought I should split the difference of measured height between the two sides. I didn't drop it enough, but the bolts I used to replace the originals were only 1/2" longer. I haven't yet bothered to go back to do it all over again, as the worst of the sag IS cured. Funny how dropping one side of the front fixes the sag at the rear.

 

[jvandyke]

Can I just go to a spring shop and they'll know what height/rate size whatever or do I need to give them this info? Maybe this is a good one kick over to the pros rather than me hunt down springs and try to install them?
Can any quote the numbers for proper springs on an MKI?