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I'm sorry to read of Jenever's problems with his newly fitted Supplex conversion kit and as Rob says, there will be an article on my conversion in FTF. I really cannot put my finger on what is causing his shock absorbers to go walk about, but will add, that mine have been no problem at all, Roger Parker on the other hand, is now using GAZ dampers on his, which he tells me, has helped to tighten up the suspension. I personally have never been a lover of those neoprene bushes, that B&G have fitted. I tried them once in our VW Golf and it made the ride that much harder and at my age, comfort is the order of the day. Jenever mentioned the knocking noise. Well this IS something I did experience and it did, like Jenever, give me cause for concern. [although my anti-roll bar bushes were worn] Not wanting to spoil the FTF article for the readers, but as an assist to Jenever, tighten up the suspension yourself [1 flat on the nut = 1mm] and bring it down to Trophy height of 348 F & 343 R. You will have to drive it around the block a few times to allow the springs to settle, but the loud knocking noise will disappear, not entirely, as there will be still some noise over big pot-holes.
Incidentally, the springs are not made in Germany, they are made in Holland. The shock absorbers on the other hand are made in China.
Dave Hughes
Liverpool

Thanks Dave

I've also mentioned this problem to Roger Parker, who is also running Suplex units on his car. He's recently changed from prototype to production units - and has also experienced the same knocking sound. Here's his thoughts on the matter:

Roger Parker wrote:I have in recent months replaced my prototype system for a full production one and in doing so introduced an occasional front left clunk. Being well out of my normal routine recently I have not had the time to fully sort this but I have recently narrowed the problem down to interaction between the knuckle pin engagement into the Suplex adjuster rod, but frustratingly having renewed both knuckles and swapped units from side to side, and done many other part renewals to eliminate other possible sources, the noise remains firmly concentrated at the front left.

Now as I know where the noise is being generated and have had some sit down time to ponder the issue I am tomorrow into another change as I have since fitting the production spec units operated with the standard 3.6mm spacer that Hydragas has sitting over the top of the knuckle pin. (Note in my original instructions this is deleted and my reason for refitting it now was to test how it impacted on ride heights. As Freelander ride heights are available without, it confirms it is not an advantage to retain, and quite possibly a disadvantage.)

As you probably know the knuckle pin is quite long, but most of it is tapered and losing 3.6mm at the ‘fat’ end could well be allowing more movement between the knuckle pin and inside of the adjuster rod, and able to generate this occasional noise. I have already lubricated this area but left the spacer in as I need to do one change at a time in order that any changes can be accurately attributed to that change, but this makes for a longer drawn out process though. Otherwise when driving the quality of the ride and general smoothness of the suspension constantly makes a very positive statement over Hydragas, anyway I shall update you both in due course.

Dave or Rob, if you want to copy and paste this text onto the Forum please feel free.

Update from Rog:

Roger Parker wrote:Just to advise that between showers I stripped the front suspension and removed the 3.6mm spacer per side between the Suplex adjuster tube and the knuckle and what a difference in this mornings run to Swavesey has shown, hardly a murmur!

Hi All, have now got my F back from the workshop, complete with newly fitted Suplex suspension, make no mistake it is very good indeed. The suspension can occasionally get caught out on our subsiding fen roads, but apart from that it is excellent. I think the positives outweigh the negatives except for the cost of the kit!
Whilst in the workshop the car had new coolant pipes F to R, full service, MoT, cleaned underneath and then waxoyled. Roll on the warm weather.

Good idea to get it waxoyled - especially given the recent "dampness" John

Good to hear that it has all been sorted

Excellent news John and I'm delighted you are pleased with the Suplex suspension. You mentioned the cost, well I'm not privvy to what you had to spend, but what I am convinced of, is that in a short period of time, as more and more MGF owners start to fit this new suspension, the cost will be reflected in the higher re-sale price of our motors, simply because our cars have been given a new lease of life, which must make them more attractive, plus the fact that there is an 'F', racing around the tracks, fitted with Suplex Springs, which can only be good news for the future of our cars.
Well done.
Dave Hughes
Liverpool

yo55er wrote:... plus the fact that there is an 'F', racing around the tracks, fitted with Suplex Springs, which can only be good news for the future of our cars.

Absolutely right Dave - and here's Mike's car in action (complete with TF front and rear bumpers) - the car has been very heavily developed:

Try this AUSTRALIAN Kit, which is height adjustable

http://www.rv8mg.com.au/gallery/SPARE%2 ... -kit/45110

The suplex kit is adjustable although not as easily.

Assuming the cost is in Auz $ it is over 25% more expensive.

The Australian kit is £1000, and that'll be before shipping it across the globe and import taxes. For us in Europe, the SUPLEX kit is the better option. If you're on the southern side of the equator however, the economics shift in the other direction...

Good evening again Gentlemen, and "Gruss Gott" to Dieter. (no beta on my keyboard)
Further to my knocking problem, and having taken on board what was writ above, I got my mechanic to strip the front offside Suplex unit and have a look.
That was the worst offender, qua noise.
Well apart from Kerriges not having painted any of the flats on the adjuster nut, all appears well.
There was a bit of play in the bushes on the rollbar when it was unloaded, so we replaced those while we were at it. D bushes and round ones ( I have forgotten temporarily the precise description thereof, but those "au fait" with the MGF will know what I mean).
A passing mechanic of my generation saw what we were up to, and asked if we had checked the bottom of the knuckles?
He said that, " in his youth, nobody changed a hydroelastic unit without changing the knuckle as well."
Well indeed indeed, the plastic holder and "O" ring clip that sits on the underside of the knuckle was completely pulverised.
Unfortunately you have to buy the complete knuckle.
The result at least appears to be a much improved ride. The general ride is much smoother. The clunking has not dissappeared altogether, but it is now much more marked on the other three corners, than the front offside.
It is also better under load. As I mentioned the car belongs to my wife, and given certain stoutness issues, with her driving it seems a lot quiter from the passenger seat. Actually that is the only time I am in the passenger seat as obviously, when I am alone in the car, I sit in the drivers seat, but you know what mean.
As a result of this I have put it in for the other three corners to have their knuckles changed next week, so I will keep you posted.
As always any feed back is greatly appreciated, especially as this is rapidly becoming a costly exercise.
Hopefully, once sorted, that will be it.
Regards Edward

Well done !
The knuckles would have been the last that I'd suspect to having gone.

But ...

He said that, " in his youth, nobody changed a hydroelastic unit without changing the knuckle as well."

Broken standard knuckles are very rare at the MGF beside of big troubles with the so called lowering knuckles from aftermarket. They are known to go early, special when not fitted correct.
See what we have about them here http://www.mgfcar.de/suspension_knuckle/index.htm

Are you sure that the changed one hasn't got damaged when they put in the Suplex Unit ?

However, keep an eye on this one and let us know how the other three are.

Pic shows the standard knuckle on the left and the lowering knuckle on the right with crumpled gaitor.

Knuckles often break their plastic housing when someone attempts to remove them - or perhaps they were put under a lot of lateral strain when the original hydragas unit was removed and the Suplex unit put in its place? If cracked, the housing could have then simply disintegrated under normal road conditions.

With respect to the lowering knuckles, what Dieter's picture shows is how the lowering knuckle achieves the lowering - just above that rubber gaiter is a landing surface that bears up against the hydragas sphere displacer cone. On the lowering knuckle, as can be seen, this is lower down the knuckle's shaft, which leads to a more compressed gaiter. The other way to lower Hydragas (which is the way Tech-Speed does it) is to shorten the displacer cone - which means you can retain the standard knuckle, and avoid the problems sometimes associated with it (like Dieter, I've heard about premature failures and corrosion of these).

Good evening gentlemen.
I thought I should write to let you know that the ride has settled in, and now I see no reason to proceed with my promised changing of the other 3 knuckles. The ride is so much improved, and the clunking is now minimal.
I have the knuckles in stock now, so should the rattle worsen then I will replace the offending corner, and of course, keep you posted, but in the mean time I will proceed with my next problem.
Thank you all anyway for your council.
Regards Edward

Jenever wrote:
I have had it fitted with Suplex suspension from B&G.
I got Kerriges to do the work as I am new to MG's, but I am left with a query.
As your previous correspondent mentioned, B&G supply replacement shock absorbers with the Suplex kit. So I had them replaced as well.

The bottom bushes in all four shock absorbers drifted off until they hit the large retaining washers, resulting in an anouying clunk on potholed roads.
I took them off - realigned the bushes - then looked at where the natural resting place for the bottom of the shock was, and added a 10mm spacer.
They have drifted off again, but twice as fast.
What else should I try.
Have I just got a duff set of shock absorbers?
Other shocks that I am used too have hard rubber bushes in them, so I haver nrver experienced this drift before.
Am I too understand from this forum that I am in the minority in biting the bullet and fitting th Suplex system.
What can anyone tell me before I return the shocks to B&G for a refund.
Any help would be most appreciated.

Regards Edward

In reply to Edward, the bottom damper bush problem you experienced is not an isolated case. I have recently fitted this Suplex system and have experienced multiple problems, one of which was the same drift of the bottom bush. I have had eight dampers and they all did the same!
The problem is that bush is a direct copy of the mk2 F bottom damper bush, which has a similar problem. ie the inner sleeve of the bush is too long so that the washers tighten up on this sleeve without compressing the rubber bush. The rubber bush is not a tight fit in the damper fitment and so without compression cannot prevent the damper moving around on the bush. This will continue until the damper fitment is hitting one of the washers.
Incidentally this is the cause of so many MOT fails on MK2 Fs.

I cured this problem on my Mk2 F by reducing the inner sleeve length by 4mm. The bushes were still A1 after 12 months. You can see details of this here. http://www.the-t-bar.com/en/forum/21-da ... to-cure-it
I had to explain to a Suplex engineer why they were getting this problem! I sent him a modified bush so that he could see what I had done. Another solution might be to use cup washers on both sides of the bush.

The Suplex dampers are the same as the original Monroe dampers, in that they only have resistance in one direction ie Extension.
The Suplex rear Dampers differ in that they have an internal bump stop on the shaft, giving a greater compressed length than the originals.

Incidentally, If you'd like to read my woeful Suplex saga, it's here.http://www.the-t-bar.com/en/forum/9-mgf ... experience

Thanks for that info David - very helpful!

Dear MGF member,
Like many of you, I updated the Hydragas suspension with the Supplex kit and like many of you i have a "klonk" noise issue with it.
Recently, i sent an email to Rimmer&Bros to know what can I do to solve the issue. They contacted the provider and here is the solution proposed: "Over the years I have tested the clunking canisters and found issues with the rocker joints locating and moving with the internal components. We have recently concluded that if the fitter loosens the adjuster to the point that the canister can spin, the fitter should rotate the unit 180 degrees and re-set the ride height according to the instructions. So far we have had 100% success in this method. Please forward this information on to the kit owner / fitter, Any queries please just ask".
Would you mind telling me if you know this tips and if yes, does it successfull?
Thank you in advance
Kind regards
U.

Hello MGF fans,

I was wondering if someone would have feedback?
Enjoy your week end

U

Have you tried this yourself?

Hi

Not yet since i don't want to try if 80% of feedback are unsuccessful. I'm not a menanic expert.

Best