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Re: Rear Shock Kit

To: "Dodd, Kelvin" <doddk@mossmotors.com>
Subject: Re: Rear Shock Kit
From: Larry Colen <lrcar@red4est.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 19:12:42 -0800
On Wed, Nov 12, 2003 at 06:28:55PM -0800, Dodd, Kelvin wrote:

> 
>  For the type of driving and experimenting you are doing I strongly
> > > suggest going with an adjustable shock unit.  
> > 
> > Thanks for the advice.  Can you refresh my memory as to which of the
> > units are adjustable?  I believe that you sell a spax unit which is.
> 
> 
>       The Spax are adjustable and are a specially short unit which
> allows the OE shock brackets to be reversed and retained.  Early
> Spax were longer and required a dropped bracket.  Point to note.  On
> my race car I am running the 2" drop reversed eye leaf springs.
> With these installed I had to dust the cobwebs off a pair of the old
> Koni/Spax drop mountings to prevent the shocks from hitting full
> compression. 

Since I need to pull in and out of my driveway, I won't be lowering
the car overmuch.

> 
>       Another point to note is that there is very limited exhaust
> clearance on all tube shock conversions I've fitted.  I routed the
> Paeco system I'm using around the shock and then welded the system.
> On a side note we got pretty downed out looking at MGB exhaust
> systems for the blower MGB.  We think there is enough demand for a
> domestic manufactured top of the line performance exhaust for the B,
> so we are looking into having one fabbed and dynoed. 

I've got an exhaust system from my local mufffler shop. If there's a
problem, I'll have them fix it.  They came up with a really nifty low
profile muffler for me to use as the resonator. Unfortunately I'm
drawing a blank on the brand name, but it's actually shallower than my
tubing. These mufflers are made for cruisers, who need low profile but
who run large american V-8s. I'm happy with it.  I also am running a
set of Hans' headers.


> 
>       There may be some other brands of adjustable units out there, so be 
>open to other feedback.  I've used the Spax for many years and have been very 
>happy with them.
> 
> 
> >> 
> > Thanks.  Are the shocks in you coil-over kit adjustable? The sale on
> > your coil-over kit (actually on all large purchases) is driving my
> > impending order.
> 
> 
>       The coil over kits are coming in with adjustable GAZ units, which are 
>pretty nifty.
> 
>       There are some definite issues with the kits that we are not
> happy about.  1.  The spring is not installed on the shock.  This
> requires either someone really heavy leaning on the unit or some
> small spring compressors.  2. We have run into a problem with the
> honing of the bush tubes not being accurate.  You hate to spend so
> much dough, then find that hand work is required to install. Once
> all the finicky work is done they should work well, but use lots of
> anti-seize as the steel bushes have a tendency to freeze on the
> cross bars.  I ran a set of the first generation coil overs on my 65
> MGB and loved them.  I intend to use them on my V8 MGB, when that
> gets further along. 

Thanks for all the notes on the kits. I've got a set of spring
compressors for installing the coilovers in my Spec Miata.

> 
> Hope this helps.  Keep in mind that the coil over kit is a verboten
> modification in many race groups. 

So is the supercharger.  

At one point I was trying to keep the MG so that I could bring it back
to stock, or run it in conference production with minor changes, but
I've given up on all that. It's realistically just an art project. A
hotrod that's all function and no paintjob. The class that it is
nominally racelegal for pretty much as the rules:

Based on a production tub
Runs on street legal tires

As such I can do pretty much anything I want, however since I'd be
competing with people starting out with 5 liter engines, aren't trying
to maintain streetability etc. the only point in racing her is if
there is a fun race that I'm more interested in driving than in
winning. For example the Illgen enduro.

In addition to being an art project, it's also proving to be a very
educational practical lab in automotive engineering. I'm learning a
lot more about getting a car to go, turn and stop than I intended when
I started.


-- 
                   Girling is not a verb.
lrc@red4est.com                                    http://www.red4est.com/lrc




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