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MG Midget rear drivers side spring sag?
- Thread starter karls59tr
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aeronca65t
Great Pumpkin
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"Bachelor's Lean".....a fairly typical problem.
Check to make sure the bushings in the leaf spring ends and shackles are OK and that there are no broken leaves.
If all of that is OK, then you can either have the springs "re-arced" (many truck repair places can do this) or buy a pair of new rear springs. Many people who buy the new springs have complained that they seem to lift the rear end too much and subsequently, they end up having these new springs re-arced to level out the car.
I made a fixture to re-arc my rear springs. You can see it if you ~CLICK HERE~
It's also not a bad idea to look at the front end too....these are small cars and a low front spring may make the car appear low in the rear.
Check to make sure the bushings in the leaf spring ends and shackles are OK and that there are no broken leaves.
If all of that is OK, then you can either have the springs "re-arced" (many truck repair places can do this) or buy a pair of new rear springs. Many people who buy the new springs have complained that they seem to lift the rear end too much and subsequently, they end up having these new springs re-arced to level out the car.
I made a fixture to re-arc my rear springs. You can see it if you ~CLICK HERE~
It's also not a bad idea to look at the front end too....these are small cars and a low front spring may make the car appear low in the rear.
Pythias
Jedi Knight
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It may sound strange, but putting washers under the spring pan on the opposite side front will cure it.
You may note that the passenger side front is now higher than the driver side? If you haven't noticed, go measure. .. get a stack of 3/8" id washers, some 3/8" all thread, and some nuts to fit. .. remove one of the spring pan bolts, replace it with the all thread, .. do that again and again until the spring pan is held on with nothing but your replacement all thread. .. go get some bolts about an inch longer than the ones you took out. .. take out one all thread, replace with the longer bolts but put a stack of 3/8 washers UNDER the spring pan. They're 1/8" thick, so using the measurement you took at the beginning you'll know how many to add. .. put it all back together the same way it came apart, except the the spacers, and you're lean will be gone, or un-noticeable anyway.
YMMV
You may note that the passenger side front is now higher than the driver side? If you haven't noticed, go measure. .. get a stack of 3/8" id washers, some 3/8" all thread, and some nuts to fit. .. remove one of the spring pan bolts, replace it with the all thread, .. do that again and again until the spring pan is held on with nothing but your replacement all thread. .. go get some bolts about an inch longer than the ones you took out. .. take out one all thread, replace with the longer bolts but put a stack of 3/8 washers UNDER the spring pan. They're 1/8" thick, so using the measurement you took at the beginning you'll know how many to add. .. put it all back together the same way it came apart, except the the spacers, and you're lean will be gone, or un-noticeable anyway.
YMMV
In a previous thread on this topic, someone suggested the "Bachelor's Lean" may have been caused by the sway bar(s), as when the changed the springs, the lean still persisted.
Also, check the leaf springs closely. My Sprite developed the "Married" lean, in which it was leaning to the right. It turned out that two of the leaves in the right rear leaf spring had cracked and broken in two. Needless to say, the car got a new set of rear springs left and right.
Also, check the leaf springs closely. My Sprite developed the "Married" lean, in which it was leaning to the right. It turned out that two of the leaves in the right rear leaf spring had cracked and broken in two. Needless to say, the car got a new set of rear springs left and right.
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What is "all thread" I'm not familiar with the term....maybe called something different up here in the frozen North?
Threaded rod. Usually available at any hardware or home improvement store:
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