MGB Handling You’ve Only Dreamed of…

The Secret Lies in the Moss Dynamic Coil-Over and Spax Shock Conversion

 

In comparison to contemporary sports cars, the MGB is considered a little out of date. Regardless, enthusiasts such as myself have tried all sorts of tricks in hopes of improving the obsolete suspension. First there were competition valves for lever shocks, then the progression to tube shocks. Now Moss has gone one step further with the Moss Dynamic Coil-over Suspension kit.

The main problem with lever shocks, apart from the price, has always been that even on new shocks, there is always a certain amount of undampened movement that is accentuated with the length of the arm. This is. theoretically, eliminated with a tube shock. Without the lever arm. every movement made by the shock is effectively dampened. Unfortunately, on the MGB. the front lever shock also serves as the upper control arm. so it must remain in place. As a result, brackets to mount the shock have to be designed around this unit, making for a rather clumsy installation. The end result is. brackets that have a tendency to flex under heavy load, there fore minimizing the effect of the tube shock.

Enter the Moss Coil-over Kit. The problem of working around the original shock is eliminated by replacing it with a separate A-arm. The shock is a compact unit produced in England specifically for Moss for this kit. In addition to having infinite dampening adjustability, this unit also incorporates adjustable ride height and a variety of available spring rates, depending on the application. What all this means is, not only do you get improved handling due to the addition of the tube shock, but you also have the adjustability to make the car handle just the way you want it to.

I found the Moss Coil-over kit remarkably easy to install. The hardest part is drilling the hole in the crossmember that the shock passes through. The kit comes complete with two drill bits; the idea is that you take the small drill bit and make a series of guide holes with the template that is also included in the kit. Once that is done, you use the larger bit to open the holes enough that the center just falls out. The instructions tell you to use a slow drill speed to preserve the drill bit. I tried that on one side and it took over an hour to finally get through. I bought a high speed drill bit and some proper cutting oil, and using a standard high speed drill, blasted the other side out in about 10 minutes. They also suggest using a file to clean up the inside of the hole, to enable the shock to pass through. That works. However, a die grinder or a stone on your drill will work much faster and he less frustrating.

The Moss kit comes with most of the parts you will need to make the conversion, but not everything. The A-arm bushings, lower trunnion seals, washers, and distance tubes, as well as the upper trunnion bustlings must all be ordered separately. While I had it apart, I replaced the kingpins, tie rod ends and steering rack boots, because I didn’t want to do this again any time soon. Inspect them at the very least. I always use the Urethane A-arm bushings; they tend to last nearly forever, also, they are soft enough to dampen road vibrations but hard enough to positively mount the suspension. Be sure that you coat all bolts with anti-seize, you never know if you will be the one to next disassemble it.

Once I had the front suspension done, I realized just how bad the rear suspension was. I decided that an excellent compliment to the Coil-over kit would be a Moss Spax rear tube shock kit. The Spax damper incorporates a similar damper adjustment to the Coil-over kit. though it doesn’t affect ride height. I also chose to replace the standard springs with the new de-arched springs that Moss is carrying, lowering the car approximately one inch in the rear. The installation of the Spax kit couldn’t be easier. Typical Spax kits use brackets that hang down about 2 ‘/2 Inches below the spring plate. This positions the shock very low and can cause problems with ground clearance. The Moss kit uses the existing spring plate turned upside down, eliminating the clearance problems, and with a simple bracket with two bolts in place of the old shocks, it couldn’t be simpler.

Adjustment of the dampening is by trial and error, as is the ride height. Out of the box, the Coil-over shock comes ready to install. I found the dampening suitable for street use but the ride height was bit high with the lowered rear springs. The Spax shocks are at the end of their adjustment, so tighten them equally until the car reaches the desired firmness.

I find that the Moss Coil-over/Spax combination really tightens up the suspension; the car feels like it adheres better to the road surface, and is in much better control. The undampened movement of the shocks is gone, so even on the open highway, the car feels more secure than any MGB I’ve had the pleasure ol driving. In short, if you don’t like the way it handles, change it. The possibilities are endless. I haven’t experimented with sway bars yet, but that may be next, though the way the car feels, I may just leave well enough alone and go for a blast up highway to Big Sur. Honest boss, it’s a business trip!