Lowering My Jube
After tackling the current problems I have had (well most of them) thanks to all your advice, I have now come to my next part of my build.
After getting the car checked over by a mechanic, I was told that almost all the mecanical parts of the car had been replaced only recently, so that put a bit of a smile on my face, and more money to spend elsewhere.
What I plan to do now, is to lower the car to improve its handling, as I as taken for a ride in a Chrome bumpered MG recently and on the ride back in my car, I certainly noticed the difference.
What do I need to lower the car bascially.
I will be getting lower springs for the front, and lowering blocks for the back, but I am sure I am missing some things, or extras I could do whilst doing this job, so any advice from people who have lowered there car.
Will I be able to lower it without replacing the rear springs and just by using blocks.
Does lowering it provide clearance problems for the exhaust?
And also, I can only seem to find springs that lower it a different amount to the rear, does it matter that much if the car is slightly higher or lower on the front or back?
Thanks
Tom
Hi Tom
You are a busy bee
Northerner has lowered his so can obviously advise you but it is just a case of fitting the shorter front springs and adding lowereing blocks to the rear-just make sure that you replace the axle check straps with CB ones and that your car hasn't got any problems with clearence between the axle and the exhaust.
If you are looking to improve handling though I would seriously look at fitting one of the moss ant-roll bar kits (EHK101) first as you will find they tranform the handling and you won't have to worry about smashing your exhaust on the sleeping policemen.
Hi there;
I went for the chrome bumper height when I was restoring my Jube last winter, for the exact reason of improving handling and overall appearance.
To lower the front end is just a case of changing the front springs, and the rear there are fitting blocks to reduce the height at the rear.
There are kits you can buy for this basic change and they retail at £72.05 and the part number being similar to BKSUS105.
To fit both the rear and front end lowering parts, you end up more or less having to split the front and rear suspension completely down, so I would recommend a full polybush set to fit at the same time, as otherwise its a bit of a false ecomony unless you've replaced the bushes already.
I recommend going for polyutherene bushes as they last much longer, they're tougher and also tighen things up a bit. Front bushes part no similar to BKSUS004 at £42.83 and rear SUS105P at £42.59.
This kit has the basics to lower your car by about 1 inch or 5 centremetres.
There are other ways of improving handling, such as fitting telescopic dampers to the front and rear as kits are now readily available to do this. But the rear kit costs £138.58 and the front kit costs £234.48!
These kits just improve the handling, and wont lower a rubber bumper car. That would be on top the basics such as bushes and springs.
When I did mine I ended up buying a complete new front suspension kit, which was basically a nut and bolt rebuild of the front suspension, including new stub axles with needle roller bearings, and whole lot of new bushes, plus the lowering srpings. The rear I bought new leaf springs and polybushed with the lowering kit.
I would recommend new rear leaf springs if yor going to do the lowering. The new rear leaf springs part number BHH1767 at around £52.35 each. The difference a new set makes is amazing. If you only have the budget to buy the basics I would highly recommend spending the extra on new rear leaf springs as these will definately help with better handling.
Here are some before, during and after shots for you
Before lowering
Difference in spring heights
All in and polybushed with new front rebuild
Rear during rebuild
New lowering blocks and rebuilt
Overall difference after finish
Haven't got any better side pictures since the rebuild, but it has settled much more and lowered a little more. Be warned though, when you do fit this kit and it becomes settled, you will no longer be able to jack up the front from the crossmember on a convenctional trolley jack as the front crossmember sits very low. Look out for the speed humps when finished!
Will get some better side shots when the weather has improved.
Just take your time, clean, paint and replace whats needed like check straps and bolts as you go along and you'll do a super job 🙂
Exhaust clearance isn't a problem, if you have a rubber bumper exhaust shouldn't be too much of a worry once finished. I had a chrome bumper exhaust fitted when it was rubber bumper height and it was forever hitting the rear axle due to the minimal clearance. No more problems now.
The kit BKSUS105 will lower the car equally over the whole car, so the car should sit more or less level
Great, thanks guy for all this info, this should e quite a fun job to do, when I get round to it.
Unfortunatley, I have to put it to the side at the moment, as I have to put in my New clutch I brought, which it needs.
And so am deciding whether to fork out the hefty price to get it done by a garage as they need to remove the engine I belive to even get to it, or do it myself.
if its the latter, you may be hearing from me again once I get an engine hoist.
There's always something isn't there? I hope that you manage to get to drive/enjoy her soon.
What has the garage quoted you to fit the clutch?
I have an enjoy hoist (and clutch aligning tool) that you are welcome to borrow but is probably uneconomical to collect (not checked where you live. If you do it yourself I would definitely check the condition of the clutch solid/flexi pipe and the slave cylinder and replace anything that you're not 100% sure of.
Also if you need a pair of engine mounts mine are barely 18 months old (no use to me as the V8's are a different compound).
As always ask if you get stuck-you may even find someone local to you who can help;)
There's some lowering springs front and rear that have been showing up on ebay from time to time. They are claiming to lower the car by 1", but don't know what they are like in terms of quality etc. Had a look just now and there doesn't seem to be any on there at the mo. But found these -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MGB-lowered-front-springs-CAHT21-set-UK-delivery-free-/360213510674?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item53de65fa12
Will a set of rear springs from an earlier car go straight on?
Oh no..... the old clutch!!
Done this with my Dad and his mate. It took us 12 hours to do. We put it back together putting the lever arm in the wrong way....... :@
It is either engine out and leave the box in, or box and engine out as one and then replace from there.
As previous replies, new engine mounts are highly recommended.
Garages are looking at hefty labour due to the amount that needs to be done. Your looking at anything between 4-8 hours dependant how good they are are getting it done through practice. Think I got quoted around £600 when mine went.
I really appreciate the offer, even though I live in london, I was very tempted to take you up on it, as I would have loved to get my hands dirty with the engine.
Unfortunatley I have nowhere I can work on the car, as I would probably have to take two days to do it.
I have been quoted £350 to get it all sorted, so it is less than I first thought.
I just have one quick question though, I have spoken to my mechanic and he said he can do any work needed with the engine out for no extra cost, If I provide the parts.
What work can be done to the engine, that can only be done with the engine out?
I was looking at getting a lightened flywheel, ready for any other upgrdes to the engine, but while it is out odf the car, it seems a waste to pay all that labour money to have it taken out and put back in without doing everything I can have done when its out.
That's not a bad price.
As you have fitted a new clutch did you fit a roller type release bearing-if not well worth the money as it will last forever?
I presume that the clutch fork (plain) bearing is okay-no excessive play? Other than that the only other thing worth checking is that the rear main bearing and the gearbox input oilseals are okay as if they leak it wrecks the clutch and means engine out again:( I assume that this is okay though otherwise you'd have replaced them last time.
yes I got a roller release bearing with the clutch kit I brought.
Everything else if being checked over and made sure it is all tip top.
Just wondering is there are any upgrades worth doing with the engine out, or can most work be done with the engine still in the car?