MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
Hi all,
May be looking to rebuild or replace my front schocks on my 68 B in the near future. Was wondering if it's more economical to buy a new set from Moss or have someone, say like Apple rebuild them. Pro's/Con's? Does anyone have experience with this outfit. I understand that you send them the cores but you don't necessarily get your originals back? Is that something to be concerned about?
Thanks,
Dan
I had apple do my Brake MC and they seemed to do a good job, but for shocks I've heard rave reviews for Worldwide.
http://www.nosimport.com/?
I got a set rebuilt by Worldwide and am very pleased, both with price and quality. They guy who owns Worldwide posts here every now and then but for the life of me I can't remember his name!
I'll second Peter Caldwell & World Wide. The ONLY place I send my lever shocks!
http://www.nosimport.com/
I just installed my front shocks that Apple Hydraulics rebuilt. I chose the heavy duty valving and am very happy with the job they did.
I'll be sending my rear shocks to them next fall once I've recovered from spending too much money on the GT this year!
I just received a set of rebuilts from Worldwide & they look real good! They claim better than original.
Worldwide. Great product and great customer support. Peter was a speaker at MG2006 and showed some of his secrets to a great product.
Straight from Peter Caldwell of World Wide:
"How World Wide Approaches Rebuilding Lever Shocks…
"First. What fails in a lever shock? Almost all of the (non-traumatic) failures result from lack of oil in the shock. The manuals always recommend Checking or topping-up your shox in various intervals 3000 miles or so. Why? Because they leak!.. what a surprise! They don’t leak just because they are British, they leak by design (now there’s a bumper sticker). Speaking here of the rear shox... the shaft that protrudes from the body of the shock is rotating in the body without a bearing. To ensure sufficient lubrication there is often a channel or groove in the shaft bore. At the outside there is a rubber packing retained by a thin metal washer. A packing needs some lubrication to work at all and the weeping of oil acts as a deterrent to dirt getting in. Dirt getting in will score the shaft at the seal area hastening the demise of the packing and wearing the bearing surface in the body.
"The solution that all of us rebuilders use is to machine the body and install a bearing. We use Delrin, others use bronze. Bronze requires oil, Delrin doesn’t. We also machine the body for a rotary oil seal (others don’t) (in fact we use a double lip seal with dust excluder). One guy does use a rotary single lip seal and the others use several rubber washers held in place with a steel washer or two. To solve the pitted and scored shaft problem, others sand or grind the shaft down.(you don’t need to be precise with rubber washers) We have manufactured for us, to our specs, stainless steel sleeves that allows us to have a 3 micron finish and consistent diameter and concentricity of the shaft. After many years, we have found this to be very reliable. Our shox don’t leak.
"The process... step by step. Receive grimy old shock, tumble clean in a deburring/tumble cleaner. Glass bead blast entire shock. Disassemble.
Tumble and hot wash internals. Bead blast the rest of the arm. Machine for
the bearing and for the seal. Wash again. Press in bearing and seal. Press
on sleeve. Inspect and repair/replace as necessary the pistons and the
valving. Reassemble components using all new hardware of proper thread and
style. Fill with oil and bleed. Compare valving with NOS shock, adjust if necessary. Wash AGAIN. Paint 2 coats primer and 3 coats high heat black enamel. Date code and ship.
"There you have it.
"Peter Caldwell president. 800 362-1025"