75ZT Community

Just took car in to diagnose hum/rumble in drive. Thought wheel bearing/drive shaft? Wrong, rear tyres uneven. So 2 new ones.
But also found rear spring gone. Rare on a ZT supposedly but it happens. So those with a ZT keep an eye on yours, its not just 75s that suffer Dave

Any idea how long they'd been broken Dave?

Chartermark wrote:Any idea how long they'd been broken Dave?

I will have a look at the break when I pick the car up to see if new and shiny or rusty. May be tomorrow as my garage are having problems tracing the right springs. Fit 2 tyres fit 2 springs The wife will have to go back on the streets again I guess Dave

Hi Martin, examined the spring, very badly rusted at break, I would guess it happened months ago, probably in the winter!
So 2 new tyres 2 new springs and I'm £400 lighter in the wallet! Dave

Dave Goody wrote:Hi Martin, examined the spring, very badly rusted at break, I would guess it happened months ago, probably in the winter!
So 2 new tyres 2 new springs and I'm £400 lighter in the wallet! Dave

i feel your pain on this

Well Dave it just shows doesn't it. I suppose we become accustomed to a degraded drive, it probably wore away in stages, finally broke and the difference was by then indiscernible?

£400, perhaps not too bad really, what boots did you buy?

I got told a few weeks ago that my front tyres (£37 Ebay specials), are showing signs of splitting! They've covered 24,000 (previously on the rear, now front) and to be honest they seem fine and there's probably 4/5,000 miles left the way I drive.

I trust the lads at the ex Rover Dealer in Clacton, especially as they don't sell tyres, so have no interest financially within their observation, and .31p a mile for tyres has been pretty good anyway!

However, there's no perception without contrast and I would probably find the ride on a better 'quality' tyre significantly superior to that, which I currently experience. I've just grown accustomed to what I have and it's probably inferior.

So I'm thinking of having a new set before Xmas (I'm on 17's) going for a higher profile than the 45's I have and also getting something with a kerbing band?

Hi Martin, I really think the spring has been broken for months with no apparent loss of ride quality. I don't tend to drive it hard in bends so probably didnt notice it. A lot of owners only find out they have a spring gone at MOT? I only do a low mileage about 4-5k a year as I use my little van to run around in and do the shopping etc. I guess an MG with a broken spring is more comfortable than my old van anyway.
re. the tyres, 18s on mine which are expensive, tried Falkens this time at about £90 each. Probably could have got them cheaper at a specific tyre place but thought they have to take the wheels of anyway they may as well fit the tyres. Thought I would go for a middling tyre this time although the more budget ones I had on, have done 30k but have worn unevenly i.e. bumps on the tread and were making a droning noise [down to 2mm anyway] I only noticed when a passenger in the car on a fully laden trip to Cambridge [my sons wedding] mentioned he thought a wheel bearing gone as he could hear a droning noise.
It was only then I heard it [my van drones a lot ]
I think test driving the car and fitting the springs about £200 inc the dreaded vat.
Dave
What do you think happened to your horn surrounds? someone at the garage? Strange thing to nick in a car, could understand the Stereo but horn surrounds? dave

On my tourer, I bought the car with a broken spring without realising it, and it even passed an MOT shortly afterwards. Only spotted the break a few days after the MOT when changing brake discs.

The saloon had both rears broken, one was broken in two places, and it still drove OK.

That said, I very rarely have rear seat passengers.

The tourer now has new rear springs with self levelling shocks. Best upgrade ever for me. Cariied 14 square metres of floor tiles home at the weekend, and it looked like it was empty!

Duncan wrote:The tourer now has new rear springs with self levelling shocks. Best upgrade ever for me. Cariied 14 square metres of floor tiles home at the weekend, and it looked like it was empty!

Great Idea Duncan,

I just completed 51,000, had the car with 374 miles on, and I can't ever remember having rear seat passengers. I hope to get more life out of the springs yet, but I'll definitely go for self levellers when the times due.

Does the car sit higher, or just doesn't sink so far with a load on?

Dave Goody wrote:What do you think happened to your horn surrounds? someone at the garage? Strange thing to nick in a car, could understand the Stereo but horn surrounds? dave

I reckon another customer saw them took a fancy and skimmed em off with a blade, they only take seconds to remove.

I've had similar things happen on other cars in the past.

There' definitely a sort of predator for unusual accessories about, suppose he saw them, took a fancy and 'Bob's you uncle'.

They're just too lazy and unimaginative (true adjective with held) to source their own!

Chartermark wrote:
Does the car sit higher, or just doesn't sink so far with a load on?

No it doesn't sit higher.

The shock absorbers have a kind of pump in them So when the car is empty, the springs let it sit normally. When you load it up, it sinks, but as soon as you start driving, the pump in the shocker helps the spring and brings it level again.

That's a simplification, but I reckon searching t'internet for Nivomat should reveal greater detail if anyones interested. My shockers came from SMC, and I have a single brand new spring available to anyone doing the mod who can find another single one, after a cock up from Rimmers that Mick helped sort out nice and quickly.