MGB & GT Forum

The PO installed the Moss rear tube shock "upgrade" in my B, and I must confess that I absolutely HATE it. Every speed-bump is a bone-jarring battery-throwing trunk-contents-tossing fiasco.

Then last night I was out with three college students, all of whom arrived on skateboards, and it began to rain just as we were leaving. So we crammed all four of us and their skateboards in the B for the 1 mile trip to drop them off. That trip included two of the worst offending speed bumps which, with the additional weight of three extra people, the B handled with ease and grace.

My options are now to either request that they all climb in the car every time I go anywhere, or to find an alternative to the tube shocks.

The PO seems to have thrown out the old rear shocks, so to revert to original would mean to buy new ones and suck-up the core charge. On the other hand, I could try to find gas shocks that actually work. Does anyone have a suggestion as to which gas shocks are best? That would certainly be the path of least resistance.

Using the search function I see a mention of Monroe Sensi-Trac 5877ST. Can anyone verify that this works?

Can we assume your shocks are not adjustable . The ones on mine have just about every setting, from jelly to concrete !

Mine are Gaz shocks (installed by PO) and are adjustable. With stock springs I had them on softest setting, on the new parabolic springs I have them set to 4 (out of 32)

Find a parts car and get the original Armstrong, they've worked for 50+years on mine, are designed for the car, and can be rebuilt. Parts cars on here all the time. Believe all are interchangable so you have a lot to choose from.

G

I have the GAZ set on No 4 and there fantastic.

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68 B roadster, Daffodil yellow, supercharger, Burgess SC head, SC cam, Mikuni HSR 48 carburetor and engine built for supercharging.

73 BGT V8 conversion starting with a bare shell. Built the engine "3.9L Rover" early in 2016 with high comp pistons and a few other nice bits, plus a T5 ford trans. Started on the body late 2016 and complete late 2017, Did all the work myself, mechanical, body. paint etc.
Finished and going well, great to drive and quick. Now has a nice 3.23 LSD.

I have Monroe Gas-matic tube shocks on mine. Monroe part # 33090, $18 each on Amazon (link below). I had to open up the lower mounting hole in each shock very slightly with an appropriately sized drill - very easy.

Nice ride, not too stiff, a good alternative to the (expensive) lever-arm Armstrongs, IMHO.

http://www.amazon.com/Monroe-33090-Monro-Matic-Shock-Absorber/dp/B000JWMBQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397740211&sr=8-1&keywords=Monroe+33090+Monro-Matic+Plus+Shock+Absorber

Go back to the Armstrong. Talk to Peter Caldwell at http://www.nosimport.com/

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Jim K is a grease-stained wretch

Armstrongs were what the suspension was designed around.

However, I also tried out the rear tube shock theory once upon a time, and came up with a slightly different Monroe shock than most every other conversion has used, and with essentially identical performance to the OE Armstrongs. These were also gas charged shocks.

Monroe Sensa-Track 5893


The ride, even over speed bumps and the like was always very close to OE, and handling did not seem to be impacted in any way that I could determine - positive or negative.

I only mention this as an alternative shock for someone who doesn't like their existing tube shock and who doesn't like the truck shocks these conversions used to come with. (My reason for doing something different). FWIW



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-04-17 03:18 PM by bobmunch.

Hi
I changed from my gaz shocks back to lever arm for the same reason as C Hanson, had them on the softest settings and speed bumps etc you had to slow to a crawl, much to the chagin of those behind you.
In the uk you can find replacement lever arm shocks without exchange at a reasonable price.
My gaz shocks are now sat in the corner of the garage, and my ride is ahain comfortable.
Ian

All things equal, that's certainly the best alternative. But all things aren't equal. With no cores on-hand, and then the need to buy the links as well, I'd be looking at about $200 per side. That's certainly reasonable as far as prices of shocks go these days. But when faced with the alternative of buying two tubes for $50 or reverting to stock for $400, there's not much of a choice as far as I can see. Esepcially when I'm in the middle of a bunch of other projects elsewhere on the car.

FWIW - you should be able to go back to Armstrongs for about half what you stated (~$100-120/side, less if you can find used parts). But your logic for simply swapping the tubes still holds. Good luck!

Including the core Peter charges $107 a side for rear shocks (plus shipping). So even with shipping the cost would be about half what you think. Don't discount the idea of used shocks either. The rears seem to hold up much longer than the fronts for some reason. likely because they only go up and down and don't serve as control arms too like the fronts do.

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Endeavor to Persevere

"The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you never know if they're true" - Abraham Lincoln

+1 on the GAZ shocks, but they're not cheap either.

I have found that 33076 shocks are too firm. They are for a full size Chevy vans ect. The 33090 were much smoother. They go on the Dodge Colt

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1971 MGB



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-04-17 02:57 PM by danc.

I'm running the Spax shocks Moss sells. They are adjustable, and I have no complaints. But I must also confess they feel much the same as the Armstrong lever shocks. When they wear out, I'll probably go back to levers.

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Terry Ingoldsby
terry.ingoldsby@DCExperts.com