MGB & GT Forum

Looking at MGOC spares, several options shown, looking for any recommendations, advice or your experiences.

Part NumberH052BrandGazWarranty2 Years, cost £194.95
Designed to even out bumpy road surfaces and offering greater control and stability over standard lever dampers, a Gaz rear damper conversion kit offers long lasting performance and comfort. Kit comprises a pair of gas/oil filled Gaz dampers with twenty point adjustment, brackets, fixings and installation instructions. Includes two year warranty.

Part NumberH001BrandKoniWarranty12 Months £279.95
Suitable for MGA, MGB, MGC and MGBV8 models a Koni rear telescopic damper conversion makes a big difference to the ride, reducing the influence of the heavy rear axle over uneven, bumpy road surfaces whilst achieving greater tyre to road contact with improved control and stability when putting the power down. Kit comprises a pair of oil filled adjustable dampers, brackets, fixings and fitting instructions.

Part NumberH022BrandSpaxWarranty2 Years £254.95
Suitable for MGA, MGB, MGC, and MGBV8 models a Spax rear conversion kit comprises a pair of Krypton gas filled twenty eight point adjustable Spax rear dampers, brackets, fixings, fitting instructions and two year warranty. Designed to even out bumpy road surfaces and improve tyre to road contact.

From pic basically look similar, all similar fittings. Prices vary £194.95 - £254.95 - £279.95. Two are adjustable. which is best make?, GAZ, KONI, SPAX.
Most expensive shortest warranty, which won't make much difference to me. in the middle of rebuild so warranty could be finished before it gets on the road.

thanks Ross

Why?

The B is suited to the Armstrong levers and not telescopics unless you're doing something like on my GT.

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Mk1: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67; owned since 3/77. 18GB +40 balanced. Peter Burgess BVFR head. Piper 285. 123. FidanzaFW. 4synch c/r box. Lots more as I did a nut and bolt rebuild; finished 2015. Tartan Red.

GT: December '78. VW Golf guards, flush fit front and rear valances. Torana XU1 vents, frenched indicators & Mk1 rear lights. 'Worked' Rover V8 with Monsoon ECU for EFI. GM4L60E, Lokar tiptronic & Quick4 controller. Vintage Air A/C. FC IFS. CCE 4 link rear. Salisbury with Quaife. Jaguar Storm.

Rear telescopic dampers are not really an "upgrade" on a street driven MGB IMHO. The stock Armstrong lever shocks are perfectly acceptable.

However, if you are dead set on changing to the telescopic shocks in the rear of your MGB, I wouldn't use those ones you reference in your post. I have no first hand knowledge of the Spax, Koni and Gaz shocks - I've never had any of them on any of the MGBs I've owned over the years. But I've read many anecdotes from others who have used them and many of those people indicate that they all give a stiffer than stock ride even when adjusted to their softest setting. Make of that what you will and I'm sure others will disagree, especially those who have spent the money and fitted them to their MGB.

My objection to those kits is the cost. They are very expensive and give little or no advantage over these:

https://www.amazon.com/Monroe-5877-OESpectrum-Passenger-Absorber/dp/B000C55MTC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3N0DKNBD3713V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.X7FdgpuYojDTKuH0O2KpedsyS0DhkQrqt4vc8dVO3qC1QOePT-lZ1_xYJ8h25jebgTGpmu7CWY_eT6inGVbfd_zP6BIBws-5b47qk9hCthpI23w6lKApRry5zQ0TY-kR83DE6jnv_JRQbSbbw_knJ40CyyfWixrYksK6W4r-UBLmPctjspI5gypaGc-Q17UnAGaBRQ-a7xk2OMgS3oqzCr4RTBcPMaEUrZy1dDmT4tfUHv-Uc6dWz5b-XAJD4S07VXMvpown6Rj73JPzfgtG7HxApxCw7QoBFuElEKX6TRY.29aOJMo25TLic9ithoIb3M4WlGxfhNwieVjQ7YIvkKg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Monroe+OESpectrum+5877&qid=1713708055&s=automotive&sprefix=monroe+oespectrum+5877+%2Cautomotive%2C95&sr=1-1

I replaced my OEM Armstrong rear dampers with a pair of these years ago when I couldn't find a vendor to rebuild my leaky worn out Armstrongs. I have been very happy with the ride & handling of my MGB with these shocks fitted to the rear suspension. Very much like the stock lever arm dampers that they replaced, I still have them fitted to this day.

Let me be clear, I do not consider the telescopic shocks to be an "upgrade" over the OEM lever arm Armstrongs. Many MGB owners think that replacing the old fashioned lever shocks with the more "modern" telescopic kind will somehow improve the ride/handling of their car. They will not IMHO. The best they will do is replicate the ride & handling of a freshly rebuilt pair of Armstrong shocks. These cheap Monroes do that & do it well.

Of course if you're into the name brands like many people you may want to spend the dollars to get the Koni, Spax or Gaz items instead of the lowly Monroe that's made to fit a Hyundai or other Korean or Japanese vehicle. If that's the case - - go for it.

We MGB owners are lucky to have Peter Caldwell at World Wide Auto Parts to rebuild our worn out OEM shock absorbers. I've had my front ones done by him. Quality work and a lifetime warranty. I will probably send him my old Armstrongs (if I can find them!) for rebuilding at some point and re-fit them to my car. Until then I'm happy with the cheap and cheerful Monroe shocks for now.

I put on the Spax the rear shocks. They work fine. Just like the Armstrongs.

If I were doing it again I'd stick with the Armstrongs. If and when the Spax wear out, I'll change back to Armstrongs.

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Terry Ingoldsby
terry.ingoldsby@DCExperts.com

X2, the Amstrongs are fine and well suited to be combined with OEM leaf springs, having their inbuilt friction damping

For those under us that change to parabolic rear springs without this friction effect Koni's are often advised as addition in the back. Koni's can be adjusted after high mileages for almost eternal lifetime by decoupling and turning them around their axis. Koni's are oilfilled which helps prolonging lifetime.

GAZ dampers as the name implies have an airbased mechanism and can also be adjusted, but as I recollect their lifetime is much shorter than the Koni's
Gasdamping is supposed to permit faster response and adjustment is without decoupling, but for normal street car use I wonder about the advantage

In any case the B was designed for a combination of arm shocks and leaf springs and even tried before its introduction to the market with a Panhard rod. In the end the normal setup as we know it still as of today worked best on the CBB with its lower stance. It was only later in the RBB era extra measures needed to taken for keeping the same stability as the CBB. All still without telescopic shocks!

Ross, from my experience using GAZ shocks on the rear of my MGB, they are great. Easily adjustable from firm to hard. I think I'm only 2 or 3 clicks up from the softest. Excellent control of axle chatter on rough roads. Quick response prevents bottoming on severe bumps. About 30,000 miles on mine. As far as the MGB leaf springs not being suitable for tube shocks, there's nothing about the design that would indicate that--tube shocks have worked well on most solid axle leaf spring vehicles, sometimes vertically mounted, often staggered or angled forward or backward or inboard. But the damping needs to be right for the car. I have many miles on Koni classic adjustable shocks on another car, low pressure gas, and they are excellent though hard to adjust. I don't have experience with Konis on the B.

I have Worldwide rebuilt front lever action shocks and love them. You'd be happy with a quality rebuilt lever action on the rear as well. Phil

Hi All
thanks for input, I have gone with Gaz, £194, adjustable.
didn't fancy buying shocks, bolts, brackets, separately as room for error. the kits are tried tested fit, less room for error.

Ross

Hi Ross, Itwould be good if once fitted you gave an update on how the car feels, I am considering the same kit for my mga.

Just to add to this - my MGB has Bilstein shock absorbers fitted to the rear ( fitted by a previous owner ) I haven't seen a kit for these, but the fittings look very like the MGOC kit. Fronts are still the standard Armstrong lever arms. This being my 6th MG over the years, I think this one handles the best of all of them.

Well done Ross, that appears to be a comprehensive kit, and as you write, with the guessing left out!

B

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Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?"

Being from the UK, I'm sure you know more about GAZ than I do. I used them on my Lotus Se7en replica (Locost) and was perfectly happy with them. Adjustability is the key IMO. Please let us know how they turn out.

There are adjustable valve for the armstrongs.
If you want adj. shocks, there is a issue with tailpipe alignment you might have also.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-28 10:06 AM by Wal.