MG Sports Cars

I have a Chevy small block in a '73 MGB Roadster and the additional engine weight is too much for the stock springs, ride height is reduced by about an inch. I have fitted spacers to make the car driveable but this only a temporary "fix". Can somebody recommend suitable springs to maintain stock ride height? Thanks

Hi Warren,
Here's a possible solution that I have done on one of my MGBs.
I removed the spring pans. Cut the bottoms out. Welded in approx. 1" of extra material so the spring pans were deeper/taller.
Then I was able to add aluminum spacers and try different springs to attain the ride height I wanted. You can purchase front springs of different stiffness from MOSS. I have a pair of MGB racing front coils if you are interested. I don't much about them i.e. specs but they are lower and stiffer than stock springs. $50 if you want them.

Cheers,
Martyn
Waterloo, Ontario
519-725-2895

Hi Martin
Good suggestion to modify the spring pans, I'm going to think about that.
and thanks for the offer for the springs but I think going shorter will make more work to get the height right

Surprised nobody else has run into this problem and had to change front springs.

The Chevy V8 is much heavier and usually mounted more forward. Your car may have already had lowering springs or had a coil cut off. The GT springs were taller and stiffer. If you look in the Speedway Racing catalog on line, they have lots of springs in different diameters, length and spring rate. I think the MGB's were 3 1/2" ID and about 4"OD. Measure to be sure.

Most of us used engines closer to the weight of the original. MGB springs are 3.75" OD (or maybe a smidge more). ;)

The engine is mounted as far back as and as low as possible, no heater - the distributor is just about touching the firewall, and narrow foot wells! It does feel well balanced now that I have the temporary spacers on the front springs. Heavier springs are needed not just due to sag, but to firm up the front and to match the rear.
So, I think the best approach will be to go through the catalogs and get a firmer stock length spring, and if necessary, modify the spring pans to adjust ride height.

Edit - I was just going through the gallery checking other Chevy V8 conversions and most are using stock front suspension which leads me to believe my front end has been monkeyed with, maybe lowering springs installed as suggested. Wish I had remembered to measure the springs when I installed the spacers.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2013 10:29PM by worn.

I have a SBC in mine and mine is mounted as far back as possible hence no heater, small body distributor that rests near the firewall behind the original heater and I have stock springs and I am very surprised how well it sits and handles, I feel I dont need stiffer springs.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2013 09:46AM by MGB-SBC-Jimmy.

Jimmy, thanks, that confirms it, I've got the "wrong" springs in it.

Hello warren just wondering what year your car is like to see pics of her mine is a early 74 chrome bumper I put a 2001 chevy small block 4.8 ls1 it's nice no dizzy and so much lighter it is 292 ci with 300 horse it has aluminum heads oil pan, intake I even got rid of the efi and went with a edelbrock 600 anyways just wondering how you like yours I love mine good luck with the springs

Hi Bill, I'm very happy with the car, still got a few bugs to work out. I bought it as an unfinished project that 2 previous owners had a shot at. I bought it running but more or less assembled finger tight with none of the bugs worked out, really undriveable. I've been working on it all summer going over and redoing most of the work that had been done on it to the point now it is reliable. The hood had been cut open for air cleaner clearance and had a Mustang scoop on it, just didn't look right. I cut it open further to get the heat out and put on the cowl induction scoop which still doesn't look right! Plans include replacing the hood and maybe add louvers if needed, I want to keep the MGB look.
2 pics - one with hardtop and scoop with mismatched blue paint, the other withe scoop in black bedliner ( the hardtop is finished in bedliner too).

Yeah, those bolt on scoops are kinda ugly. Nicest one I think I've seen is Bill Jacobson's hand made GTO style, now there is a sharp hood scoop on an MGB.

Jim

Today I installed a set of 480lb Suplex springs listed in the Moss catalog as giving a 14" ride height - nope, 12" ride height on mine with the extra weight. Pulled it apart again and installed the temporary spacers to get 13" ride height.
I measured the springs that were in it and they were 10" stock springs. The Suplex 14" ride height 480lb springs for CB are 9".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2013 10:21PM by worn.

Hi Warren,
Sounds like you are getting it under control. Before I changed over to the Vette front end I had the stock 77 springs in it and didn't notice any problems. The 77's are about an inch taller to start with. Couple of old pictures attached with original wheels and the Vette wheels with adaptors on the original suspension. That version had a 305 with iron heads. Currently it has Gen 1 350 with modified LT1 Aluminum heads and Vette front end. I think a set of aluminum heads would really help your cause. Needless to say I'm a big fan of the old SBC and I really think they get a bad rep with the weight deal. I'll take the dollar per horsepower/weight penalty of a SBC anytime.
Plus they are easy as heck to put in. No steering linkage issues, no suspension mods and a little hammer work. ( depends on how big a hammer ) in the tunnel. The only thing difficult is the exhaust. A big block is a lot more work but that's another story!
Cheers,
Bill .

A friend is going to turn some aluminum spacers for me fit on the top of the new springs and locate on the spigot on the subframe. Here's a quick sketch of what I'm planning. Between the 3/4" spigot on the spacers and the spring tension I can't see the spring being "spit out" or any other problems.
I've also ordered a rear lowering kit to drop the rear down from 15" and hopefully balance out the weight distribution a little better.