Ride Height
Can anyone tell me what the clearance measured between the top of the wheel arch on the wing and top of the tyre should be? On my GT LE, the front is about 3.5 inches and the back is about 1 inch. The front looks OK but the back looks low. The previous owner replaced both front and back springs in the last few years.
Hi Tony
The tyre profile on my Jube is different but I have measured from the centre of my wheel the the wheel arch for you to do a comparisson. The front is 15-1/2" and the rear is 14".My springs are all standard fac tory height and were all new last year/settled.
Hopefully someone with an L.E. GT will also come forward aswell.
Hi Colin, thanks for those measurements. The front of mt GT L.E. is about the same 15-1/4" average of both sides. But the back measures about 12-1/2" . The springs look quite new and everything about the rear (and front) suspension looks standard. I wonder if the wrong springs were fitted?
The R/B models are supposed to sit higher than the C/B models? What are the differences?
Hi Tony
The spring mounting points were moved on the RB car plus the springs themselves are different. Do you springs have any numbers showing on them-the correct part number is BHH1767 (GT springs have 7 leaves and roadster have 6). I am wondering if someone has fitted either chrome bumpered springs or possibly lowering blocks (which in effect go between the spring and axle thus moving the axle upwards by 1").
If you can't see any of the above then the only option is to go for a set of new springs but make sure that you ask for them to be matched.
Here's my problem - I got new springs from MGB Hive (look like 7 leaves - mind you the 7th is pretty small, dampers are untouched and original as both seemed fine. Polybushes throughout. New drop links (twice fro those with long memories!) and U bolts etc. The mountings for the springs didn't need any welding so should be as per the factory. Now the passenger side rear is about 14 1/4 inches by Colins method and the drivers side is 13 inches. Does anything other than the springs make a difference - can the U bolts be too tight or loose, can the dampers be affecting it? Anybody any idea where to start?
I wonder if the springs are at fault myself as some of the "new" items I've had have been of questionable quality.
That's a big difference...are the part no's on the springs the same?
Trouble is I cleaned them off and painted them then added some thin underbody wax so it got between each leaf so I probably wont be able to get the part number of them any more. Clearly something wrong - the passenger side is in keeping with the height of your car assuming it settles a little but the drivers side is way too low.
All MGBs seem to sit lower at the rear on one side but only after settling and not with brand new springs. I assume that when you fitted them you only loosely fitted all the nuts and bolts etc and then lowered the car back onto it's wheels, bounced on it a few times and then tightened everything up with the car still on the ground.
Even if you did this it might be worth loosening everything again and then going through the same process to make sure everything is equal.
Ray
I did but my idea of loose may be different from actually loose! I think I'll give that a go but I wonder is one side actually low rather than the other being high which would go against this as a solution....?
I think that the low side syndrome occurs with use and may be due to MGBs spending more time with just the driver in the car with no passenger. This is very often the case with my cars anyway. The mountings etc are exactly the same on both sides so it shouldn't be an issue. I found the best way was to tighten everything reasonably tight and then loosen to a 'tight' handtight, if you understand what I mean. It sound 'double-dutch' (sorry Rob) but actually makes sense. After you have bounced on the car tighten all the various bolts and nuts progressively around the axle and springs, like torqueing down a head, and then you will be sure that everything is positioned correctly. The front spring bolts and rear shackle bolts are the most important. The axle U bolts won't really make a lot of difference.
Drive it around for about 25 miles and then check the ride heights. If they are still wrong then you definately have a problem with the springs. The B Hive are very good and will respond to any queries with the items they sell.
Ray