• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Shock arm modification?

Share this page

N

Nader

Senior Member
Offline
In an attempt to gain more negative camber to the front wheels, is it possible to shorten the lever shock's arm? I mean by sectioning and re-welding. Is there any reason why it can't be done? Is that arm forged steel?

I know about the camber-changing bushings and even the replacement trunnions, but just wondering if the shock arm is a modification candidate as well.
 
I've seen it done once. I wouldn't risk it unless I also installed a redundant top link. Even then ... it seems risky.
 
Nader said:
In an attempt to gain more negative camber to the front wheels, is it possible to shorten the lever shock's arm? I mean by sectioning and re-welding. Is there any reason why it can't be done? Is that arm forged steel?

I know about the camber-changing bushings and even the replacement trunnions, but just wondering if the shock arm is a modification candidate as well.
Click to expand...

If it is forged you might do a test on a spare arm with 1/8" 7018 rod using reverse polarity and about 145 to 150 amps In several overlapping passes..With the amperage right and your technique right the slag should pretty much pop off by itself. Also use a pointed chipping hammer to work each pass. That will reduce stress and make a tougher weld.
 
Nader said:
Is there any reason why it can't be done? Is that arm forged steel?

.
Click to expand...

Yes, *you* in fact may become shortened/modified.

I do believe so.

About the only thing I would try is finding a blacksmith and shorten it by bending a bit or maybe even compressing but that still may be risky. The only way I personally would feel comfortable with welding would be by a hand w/ 30+ years and then x-rayed. Some of the guys my dad worked with most likely could have done it safely.
 
Last edited:
I've seen the last two inches of the lever cut off. Then the end of the arm is drilled and tapped and a male heim joint is screwed into it. Looks like a bad idea.

I use the offset bushings, but here's an interesting solution.

(photo credit to "https://www.britishracecar.com" )

RickHaynes-MG-Midget-CC.jpg
 
Interesting and pretty? Yes. Also needlessly expensive and far more likely to fail than a properly welded upper strut.
 
There are other simpler methods: 1/ remove shock, place in press, heat arm (with big wet rag covering shock body to protect from the heat) in the middle and bend - you bend up about 1/2" to increase negative camber; 2/ make spacer plate to fit between shock body and frame mounting point, thickness of the spacer determines how much negative camber you build in. On my LP Hprod Midget, I use MGB front shocks, which have the double shock arm. They are mounted to a tapered alloy plate which bolts to the frame, which is about 1/2" thick at the outside and less than 3/8" thick at the engine side. The plate is fitted with helicoils for the four moutning bolts of the MGB shock and is mounted to the frame with three bolts in countersunk holes on the standard mounting position. With this, i have to use the eccentric upper trunnion bushing (steel) set so as to build some positive cambe back in, with the Hoosier slicks I am running about 1 1/2 degrees negative camber
 
Back
Top