MG ZB Front Springs

My ZB is listing a bit to starboard. The right front corner is about 1 1/4 inches lower than the rest of the car. I think I need a new set of front coil springs. I know that I can order these from England, but do I have other alternatives? Is there anyone in the USA that has these springs?
(I checked with Cecelia Bruce, and she does not have them.)

Thanks,
Randy Kegg
1958 MG ZBV
Glen Arm, MD

Hi there
I've got the nearly similar problem with my 58 ZB. LHS sags about 20mm (3/4") and the top of the LHS shock absorber post touches the fender on full rebound.
I suspected some sort of suspension problem but as I need to renew the suspension arm rubbers this year for Club registration, I might get the springs LH and RH both reset.

Randy
I have the same problem with my 1958 ZB. It lists a little to the left. LHS is about 3/4" lower than the RHS. Checked tyre pressures and they are OK. Rear of car is level LHS to RHS.
Also I notice the shock tower on the LHS hits the fender???? See photos below.
I suspect accident/front end damage as the LHS tyre is wearing on the inside more quickly than RHS tyre. Going to check alignment after I replace suspension rubbers before next roadworthy inspection.
Will also check spring lengths left and right. Springs may need resetting/changing. I have made enquires re springs and been told shouldn't be too much of a problem to replace. Guess I'll find out when I put my hand in my pocket.
Merry Xmas and safe motoring MG style
Les

Les, you may have a serious problem there. Either the crossmember has suffered big damage or the shock tower is broken. The crossmember is so massive on these cars that you would have to drop one off a cliff to bend it. It is an integral part of the front of the car and can't be removed.

Better pull that wheel off and see what you got there.

Wray
Bloody hell!!
I've got to pull the front apart to renew all the suspension rubbers anyhow so a bit more in depth surgery needed.
I guess the ZB is off the road until I investigate.
The TD or TF135 will have to suffice until the ZB is operated on.
Thanks
Les

Les, if your ZB is pretty much untouched since you've acquired it and the rubber bushings are in tatters then it is a good idea to pull all the front suspension apart and check it out. Of particular concern are the control rods, especially where the front control rod goes through the bracket on the frame right next to the radiator.

Of course I can't find the pictures of my front control rods as they looked when I took them off but suffice it to say I was taken aback by their condition. I'd been bombing around in the ZBV, at speed, with no idea how bad they were. The big washers and bushings had hidden the rust damage to the rods where they went through the bushing. I reckon water gets in there and just sits. Anyway, the rods were down to about 1/4" in diameter from their correct size of about 3/4" in diameter and looked like they were ready to snap off at any moment. It could have been unpleasant to have one break off at 60+ mph.

The Shortens should be able to fix you up with a bushing kit for the car. I had no end of problems getting the substitute bushings for the control rods to fit and had to ream them out. Once in, they immediately burst when the nut was tightened. A call to Lou got me bushings that were much easier to fit. I would ask if they had poly bushings available as the currently offered rubber bushing seem to be crap.


I found a couple of pics from an old file, my ends were a lot worse than these.

Wray
As you can see from the photos on my first post, the rubbers are pretty much shot to pieces.
I will dismantle all the front and replace all rubbers with polyurethane.
Thanks for the tip and I may need some more help.
Les

Les, my worst bits were the front control arms, number 89 in the pic, under the bushings 90 and 91. I've had the entire assembly apart; I ripped off the existing front suspension and put a good one on from another car. The spring pans were delaminating, the whole thing was in bad shape. Be glad to help if possible.