Pair of rear springs

[jeff turbo]

The whole rear spring situation is a but of a nightmare. The springs shown are certainly not Rover, since Rover ones do not have the closely compressed coils that the MG ones do. There are several types of MGR ZT260 rears, and then the Xpart "variants"!

Of the real MGR ZT260 saloon springs, RKB000480 are the early type, with the closer coils being at the bottom. These were prone to breakage and replaced by RKB000820, the last design, with the closer coils at the top.

An extract from Nick's excellent run-down of the rear (saloon) spring types:

"Xpart also apply the same for the rear spring in that part number RKB000820 fits all. There are numerous problems with this as they have managed to copy the original less durable spring design for MG Saloons and used the improved redesigned spring part number!



The Xpart spring top compared with an original RKB000820, note that the Xpart spring is longer and the tight coils face the bottom. Although the spring is longer it has a lower ride height fitted to an MG Saloon and even worse when fitted to an MG Tourer due to the extra weight. On the subject of the rear spring orientation the bottom coil is machined flat and can only be fitted one way up, this means you can not turn them upside down as they will not locate properly. "

Could explain why the springs do not look like the B&G springs?

David

Yes very much could be. The ones on the bottom of your picture are the springs supplied to me from Brown and Gammon and are the same as the broken ones I removed, but i have ordered a pair that Rimmers say are the original MG Rover springs, so will see how that springs out. My other V8 is due an MOT Thursday so I will have a look at those springs while it's up in the air and compare. Sorry if it sounds as though I'm casting doubt on your springs Steve, I'm not its just they're different and david has cleared that up