> What do the rear leaf springs in an MGB (1977) look like when they are in
> good condition? Are they flat? Bowed up? Bowed down? Car seems to be
> bottoming out more often these days and I'm beginning to suspect the springs.
That, plus the axle hop, are more likely due to oil-less shocks. My
worst bottoming-out and axle-hop problems on a B came when the links
between the lever shocks and the mountings on the axle had actually
broken, leaving me essentially without any damping.
To repair, pull up the carpet panel on the rear parcel shelf and look
for a pair of white plastic discs just inboard from the edges of the
flat section. Lift these out -- well, "gently prise them" with a
screwdriver and they'll pull out. Beneath them you'll find a little
hex bolt, oh, 7/16" or 1/2" or so. That's the filler for the rear shocks.
Next, get some Armstrong shock oil from the usual source -- TRF, Moss,
or your local provider of British car fixes. Do NOT use motor oil, as
it will dissolve the seals in the shocks. You can use motorcycle fork
oil, but modern fork oil is the wrong viscosity and won't perform well
with the antique shocks in your B.
Then, clean the surface well (I use brake cleaner) and remove the bolt
carefully. It's best if you have a friend help with this stage.
Use a small handheld oil can filled with the shock oil and carefully
add it to the hole that this bolt went into. Here's where the friend
can help: it works best if you slowly move the car up and down to work
the shock piston as you pump oil into it. If you have to, you can put
in a few squirts of oil, then get out and press on the car yourself,
then put in a few more squirts of oil, and repeat the process.
You're done when there's no more oil in the shock, which you'll notice
by the fact that the oil runs down the side of the shock instead of
going into the hole. Replace the filler bolt and go for a road test.
You should also do the front shocks at the same time. To do them, you'll
have to remove the road wheel, then look for a bolt of the same size but
mounted to the vertical surface parallel to the wheel's plane of rotation.
Perform the same steps, except that you won't be able to move the car up
and down. Do all four corners, then see if this helps your handling.
> Also, the rear end hops under acceleration and often feels like it's about to
> loose it (as though it wants to keep going in a straight line) when going
> around corners. Is that just normal behavior for this car?
No. You should look to make sure your shocks are actually connected
to the bumper. If they are, then they're completely dry inside. Soft
springs won't cause the problems you describe, but failed or missing
shocks will.
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