Rear telescopic damper conversion kits replace the original Armstrong lever-arm rear dampers with a pair of modern telescopic dampers carried on purpose-designed mounting brackets. Three kits are available through MGOC Spares, each supplied as a complete conversion from the lever-arm installation: a Gaz kit, a Koni kit, and a Spax kit. All three kits are suited to the MGA, and the same kits also fit the MGB, MGC and MGB GT V8, reflecting the common rear-suspension architecture shared across these BMC models. Each kit includes the pair of rear dampers, the mounting brackets that locate them to the chassis and axle, the fixings required to complete the installation, and fitting instructions.
Gaz rear damper kit (part H052)
The Gaz kit is supplied with a pair of gas/oil-filled Gaz rear dampers giving twenty-point adjustment, allowing the damper rates to be set across a 20-step range to suit driving style and load. The kit also includes the mounting brackets, fixings and installation instructions. MGOC supply the Gaz kit with a two-year warranty.
In service, the Gaz kit is described as designed to even out bumpy road surfaces and provide greater control and stability over the standard lever-arm damper configuration.
Koni rear damper kit (part H001)
The Koni kit is designed to reduce the influence of the heavy rear axle over uneven or bumpy road surfaces, giving greater tyre-to-road contact with improved control and stability under acceleration. The kit suits the MGA, MGB, MGC and MGB GT V8 models and is supplied with a 12-month warranty. Like the other two kits, the Koni package comprises the dampers, mounting brackets, fixings and installation instructions as a complete bolt-on conversion from the lever-arm arrangement.
Spax rear damper kit (part H022)
The Spax kit comprises a pair of Krypton-gas-filled Spax rear dampers with twenty-eight-point adjustment, giving finer resolution of damper-rate selection than the Gaz kit's twenty-point adjustment. The kit is designed to even out bumpy road surfaces and improve tyre-to-road contact, and MGOC supply it with a two-year warranty. It fits the MGA, MGB, MGC and MGB GT V8. As with the other kits, it includes the dampers, brackets, fixings and fitting instructions as a complete conversion.
Relation to the original Armstrong lever-arm damper
The original MGA rear damper is the Armstrong double-acting lever-arm piston-type unit, fitted to every MGA variant from factory as set out in the Rear Suspension node. The factory specification is common across all MGA variants, 1500, 1600, 1600 Mk II, Twin Cam and De Luxe, with the one factory variation being the optional higher-setting hydraulic valves for the Twin Cam, available from approximately January 1959 for competition use. Rear telescopic damper conversion replaces this factory arrangement entirely, swapping the lever-arm mounting and operation for a telescopic damper set. For concours restoration, the factory Armstrong lever-arm damper should be retained rather than converted; for road use, each of the three telescopic kits provides an adjustable modern alternative.
Choosing between kits
The three kits differ most obviously in warranty length (Gaz and Spax at two years, Koni at twelve months) and in adjustment resolution (Gaz twenty-point, Spax twenty-eight-point, Koni not specified in the product description as step-adjustable). Gaz and Koni both describe their kits in terms of ride quality on uneven surfaces and rear-end stability; Spax likewise emphasises the ride and tyre-contact benefits. The choice between the three is largely a matter of preference for brand and for the specific adjustment range and warranty terms, all three are supplied as complete, self-contained conversion kits for the MGA rear suspension.
Ordering considerations
The conversion kits suit all MGA variants, as they fit the Armstrong lever-arm damper mounting positions common to every MGA. Cars that have previously been converted to a non-standard rear damper arrangement, or that have had chassis repair work around the damper mounting area, should be confirmed for compatibility with the kit before ordering. The kits include the brackets that reposition the damper-mount geometry for telescopic operation, so no chassis modification beyond the bracket fitment is required. The Ford Type 9 five-speed conversion covered under the Five Speed Conversions node (for the gearbox side of the car) and a rear damper conversion are independent upgrades and can be combined on the same car.