Uprated lever arm dampers are the upgrade route for MGA owners who want improved damping performance while retaining the factory Armstrong lever-arm configuration that was fitted to every MGA variant, 1500, 1600, 1600 Mk II, Twin Cam and De Luxe. The damper arm itself forms the upper wishbone in the MGA's double-wishbone front suspension, and the Armstrong damper bodies in natural aluminium with black-painted arms are part of the car's factory appearance at both the front and the rear. Uprating within this configuration allows the damping characteristic to be improved without converting to a telescopic arrangement.
Adjustable Armstrong damper valves
MGOC Spares stocks the adjustable Armstrong damper valve under part number AHH7217Q, supplied as an individual valve (each). The valves fit into a standard Armstrong lever-arm damper and allow the damping rate to be adjusted. A full set to suit a complete car is four valves.
Ordering considerations
The AHH7217Q adjustable damper valves are sold individually, so the quantity should be specified at ordering, typically four valves for a complete car. The valves suit the Armstrong lever-arm damper fitted to every MGA variant. For a more substantial change in rear-end damping where the original Armstrong lever-arm appearance can be given up, the rear telescopic damper conversion kits covered under the Rear Telescopic Damper Conversions node (Node 2664) are the alternative route. For concours restoration, the original Armstrong lever-arm damper configuration with standard factory-specification valves should be retained. .