My First Two Emergency Stops and The Difference Between Them

[Uncle Gump]

I think on a daily driven Ranger that needs limit straps to prevent too much body roll...

Someone really needs to just slow down a bit.

 

[Lefty]

I think on a daily driven Ranger that needs limit straps to prevent too much body roll...

Someone really needs to just slow down a bit.

Just thinking out loud today. I doubt that I will ever need limit straps. I will not need a Hellwig sway bar either.

I pulled a Ford Explorer bar many moons ago. I never installed it. I don't really need it.

 

[Blmpkn]

MG used those wonky assed chains because the British are absolute trash at properly engineering a vehicle

Bentley, rolls, Aston, jaguar.... All now engineered by folks who know better than the British.

Hell.. even the French do better at keeping their companies lol.

If it wasn't for Ford and the japs... The UK wouldn't of had jack for decent vehicles for quite a few decades.

 

[Blmpkn]

That all being said....

I'd be quite smitten with a mg bgt..

Although the British made absolute crap.. most of it is extremely pretty.

 

[Lefty]

That all being said....

I'd be quite smitten with a mg bgt..

Although the British made absolute crap.. most of it is extremely pretty.

I once owned an MGTD, the kind with running boards on the side. The switches and the electrical connections were terrible. The MGB was little better. I rewired almost everything in my 17 years of ownership.

 

[Blmpkn]

I once owned an MGTD, the kind with running boards on the side. The switches and the electrical connections were terrible. The MGB was little better. I rewired almost everything in my 17 years of ownership.

Ooh! The td’s were gorgeous.. super stately look to them. There's a few old guys around me that I always see putting about in them on the weekends all summer.

I accidently gave the Brits too much credit by saying the bgts were pretty. now that I think about it.. the bgt along with many of the other super good looking British sports cars were styled by pininfarina. Which.. as the name suggests.. extremely Italian oh well.

At least you didn't have too many wires to replace! it's super awesome you kept it for so long too, love that.

 

[JoshT]

One thing I'm still enjoying is the difference in the 3 piston / side of the 6 piston (Wilwood) caliper, some of the pistons are larger & some smaller.

Are you saying that you have Wilwoods on your Ranger, or were those on the BMW that you mentioned earlier?

Of course the stock 2.8L solid lifter V6 was a very fast motor with that 5 speed manual spun some steel 15" x 8" wide wheels with some "60" series V rated tires.

Yeah, people hate on the 2.8L but mine was a little rocket. I hate that I never did anything else with that engine after totaling the truck.

I'd be quite smitten with a mg bgt..

I'd be all for an MGB fitted with all the suspension and handling goodies that are available for them now. I was seriously considering picking one up and swapping said 2.8L into it. I'd even researched and found a guy that made a conversion kit for it. Of course I'd also have been stripping out every bit of wiring and installing a new harness, nip that little problem before it had a chance to appear. The GT looked good, but I was leaning more towards a vert with the optional hard top.

 

[Lefty]

Are you saying that you have Wilwoods on your Ranger, or were those on the BMW that you mentioned earlier?



Yeah, people hate on the 2.8L but mine was a little rocket. I hate that I never did anything else with that engine after totaling the truck.



I'd be all for an MGB fitted with all the suspension and handling goodies that are available for them now. I was seriously considering picking one up and swapping said 2.8L into it. I'd even

researched and found a guy that made a conversion kit for it. Of course I'd also have been stripping out every bit of wiring and installing a new harness, nip that little problem before it had a chance to appear. The GT looked good, but I was leaning more towards a vert with the optional hard top.

Mine had a blueprinted 2.8 v6, much faster than the stock 4, also much lighter. I had made a few additional changes. One was a Holly carburetor with a big accelerator pump.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I drove an MGB for 17 years. It was the best handling car I ever drove, There were no sway bars in the back end, but it did have leaf spring clamps. It also came with hold down chains on the rear axle. These days we use them for off road applications in order to prevent the shock absorbers from hyper extending.

My guess is that MG designers had installed them them for different reasons, that they were intended work work a little like a sway bar, holding the rear end down on very tight corners.

My guess is that the stock Ranger sway bars work well with spring clamps, that together serve as well as those thicker aftermarket bars like Hellwig, and for cheaper too. Anyone use hold down straps?

A long time ago I ran chains from the axle to the frame on my 68 Torino. Then pumped in about 80psi into some air shocks. It was an experiment for drag racing which didn't work all that well. But cornering was good.

 

[JoshT]

Mine had a blueprinted 2.8 v6, much faster than the stock 4, also much lighter. I had made a few additional changes. One was a Holly carburetor with a big accelerator pump.

Awesome! You're probably the first that I've heard from that actually had the 2.8 swap on one. I asked about it in MG groups and forums, but everyoen was just saying to use newer engines. They wouldn't understand that I had an attachment to and reason for wanting to use this particular one.

Mine wasn't exactly stock either. Mildly ported heads, Offy intake, Holley 390 carb, mild cam, and headers. Would have liked to see what it would do in something smaller and lighter, with better transmission and gearing.

 

[JoshT]

A long time ago I ran chains from the axle to the frame on my 68 Torino. Then pumped in about 80psi into some air shocks. It was an experiment for drag racing which didn't work all that well. But cornering was good.

I'll bet, that suspension couldn't move. Not going to get much body roll with no suspension.

I think the problem with that for drag racing is that the weight transfer helps rear tires hook, and with the shocks pumped up like that, the weight couldn't transfer to the rear tires. That said I've never drag raced anything, and rarely watch more of it than a few clips on the interwebs.

 

[Lefty]

I installed that extra pair of leaf spring clamps today. There was indeed a slight improvement. The Ranger kept level (more level) around corners and the nose did not drop under heavy braking. The ride was somewhat stiffer but not so much as to be noticed.

The stock sway bar in the back does not need to be replaced with an uprated version, an Explorer bar, or a Hellwig. The spring packs make the difference. There is also such a thing as being too stiff. Save the time and money.

 

[Lefty]

I installed that extra pair of leaf spring clamps today. There was indeed a slight improvement. The Ranger kept level (more level) around corners and the nose did not drop under heavy braking.

Under normal conditions, the ride was somewhat stiffer but not harsh or so much as to be noticed.

The stock sway bar in the back does not need to be replaced with an uprated version suchnas an Explorer bar, or a Hellwig. The 4 spring clamps make up for the difference. There is also such a thing as being too stiff. That just might happen with a stiffer sway bar and 4 clamps.