The MGB uses Armstrong lever arm shock absorbers at the rear throughout its production life. These units also serve as the upper mounting point for the rear axle on each side, meaning a worn or leaking rear damper affects both ride quality and axle location. Symptoms of worn rear dampers include excessive body roll, a wallowing ride over undulations, and rear-end instability under braking, all of which worsen progressively and can be difficult to detect because the deterioration is gradual. Rear shock absorbers are available as refurbished exchange units on a surcharge basis, refunded when the old unit is returned in suitable condition.
For owners who want improved damping without replacing the complete unit, an adjustable Armstrong damper valve can be fitted in situ, allowing the damping rate to be tuned across a range of settings.
Link Arms
The shock absorber link arm connecting the damper to the axle differs between chrome bumper and rubber bumper cars, chrome bumper cars use a shorter arm and rubber bumper cars use a longer type to suit the increased ride height. These are not interchangeable.
When fitting a lowering kit to a rubber bumper car that retains lever arm dampers, chrome bumper type link arms are required, the shorter drop of the chrome bumper arm is needed to suit the reduced ride height and will not provide the correct geometry with the longer rubber bumper arm. The shock absorber mounting bracket position changed from September 1976, and replacement brackets on this page are for cars from that date onwards. The bump stop and pedestal arrangement also differs between banjo and tube axle cars and must be ordered accordingly.
Rear Anti-Roll Bar
The rear anti-roll bar is a September 1976 fitment, introduced on rubber bumper cars only as part of the wider handling improvements made for the 1977 model year. It was not fitted to any chrome bumper MGB, and cannot be retrofitted to earlier cars without extensive welding and fabrication of mounting brackets. The rear anti-roll bar bush in urethane road specification and the end stop locator kit are the most commonly needed service items. The complete bar and end joints are listed should replacement be required.
For owners seeking a more comprehensive rear suspension upgrade, telescopic damper conversions, parabolic spring kits, and the five-link rear suspension conversion are covered in the Rear Suspension Upgrades section.