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FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 9:45 pm
by meganwilkinson2008
HI can anyone give me any hints or tips on the front suspension. My car is standard and i want to replace the bushes and wanted some advise on the torsion bar and the best way remove the wishbone etc.Many thanks .

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 11:16 pm
by bmcecosse
It's been covered MANY times - and is also well described in the Workshop Manual.... Read the Manual sections - and then come back if there are any specific uncertainties. We will pretty much universally tell you to fit polyurethane bushes - not 'rubber'.

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 12:00 pm
by Tudge
Except rubber bushes on the rear of the tie bars!

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 1:28 pm
by philthehill
What rubbers on the rear of the tie rod ? ? ? :-?
There are rubbers on the front of the tie rod :D
Also there are no wishbones on a Minor though the tie rod does triangulate the front lower suspension through the thick and thin lower suspension arms. 8)

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 7:59 pm
by bmcecosse
Rubbers on the rear of the tie bar 'front mount' to allow some movement - quite right! The poly on the front to take the braking forces......

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:24 pm
by Tudge
Sorry, yes I meant rubber bushes for the rear of the bushes on the tie bars.

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 9:36 am
by bmcecosse
I know you meant that - it was my mistake for not pointing that out first time round, and well done to you for making the point! :lol:

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:19 pm
by Tudge
One question on front suspension (sortof - sorry for hijacking the thread)... Having now fitted some wider wheels (5.5 inch slotmags - lovely :) ) I'm getting some serious axle tramp on rapid pull aways. Going to fit 7 leaf traveller springs I think, but the question is; will this throw the handling out having stiffer rear springs and not stiffening the front?

Many thanks, hope this isn't too nasty stealing this thread hehehe

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:31 pm
by bmcecosse
No - it will be ideal! Minors are far too soft at the rear. You may want to use lowering blocks with the new Trav springs. Have you drained and refilled the dampers with SAE 40 oil? And - learn to take away smoothly or a broken half shaft will be the result.....don't ask me how I know..... :oops: :roll:

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:54 pm
by philthehill
Fitting traveller 7 leaf rear springs will have no detrimental effect on the Minor handling. The rear suspension will be a little stiffer and the back end of the car may ride a little higher.
Whilst you can Use lowering blocks between the axle and the springs it does reduces the effectiveness of upgrading to traveller 7 leaf springs. This is because fitting the blocks increases the leverage against the springs and somewhat negates some of the advantage gained.
The correct way to go is to fit anti-tramp bars and if you want to lower the car body relative to the axle have the rear springs re-set, whilst what bmc recommends goes part of the way to eliminate axle tramp the above is the right way to go.
On my Minor I have fitted 7 leaf traveller springs with the shortest leaf remove so effectively 6 leaf springs and they were professionally reset to give a lower ride height of the body of 2" relative to the axle.
I have also fitted anti-tramp bars and upgraded the dampers to fore and aft telescopic ones.
Even with approx 135hp plus at the engine flywheel I do not get axle tramp - just a lovely right foot controlled wheel spin. :D
As bmc says - be gentle with that right foot or you will have a half-shaft break. My half shafts can transmit 178 bhp so no fears in that direction for me and there is a spare set on the shelf if they do ever break. 8)

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 4:22 pm
by meganwilkinson2008
Hi Many thanks for all the info.Have managed to fit tie rod bushes and upper ling bushes,i used poly as advised. Without sounding stupid can anyone tell me if i can replace the inner bushes on the lower arm without removing the torsion bar.Have had to soak the lower arm in WD as everything is stuck solid. Any advice would be helpful thanks.

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:11 pm
by bmcecosse
Yes indeed - DO NOT remove the T bar. But while in there - take the chance to induce a little bit of negative camber by fitting 1/4" thick spacers behind the eyebolt. I agree the lowering blocks won't help axle tramp , although with your standard power.... - but without them it will sit too high...and the springs will soon 'reset' themselves anyway...especially if you put a couple of slabs in the boot for a week or two....

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 11:36 pm
by Tudge
Cracking advice cheers everyone. I'm thinking I'll go 7 leaf springs with lowering blocks then, and, when money eventually finds its way into my bank account I'll invest in some tele dampers! (and possibly radius arms and have the springs rest to do away with the lowering blocks)..

And I need an escort axle! No fun not being able to spin the wheels up, and it's no fun worrying about my halfshafts all the time!

Especially since I've got an engine to rebuild into a slightly pokey-er chap to go in...

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:22 am
by bmcecosse
The ONLY teledamper conversion worth bothering with is the JLH 'weld in turrets' kit... Otherwise just drain and refill the lever dampers with SAE 40 oil. Unless you fit a Limited Slip Diff - it only spins one wheel - and that just looks silly...... :cry:

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:48 pm
by Tudge
Not that I'm trying to argue with you BMC, and I'll agree that the JLH kits do seem to be the best reviewed by a long way, lots of people have used other supplier's kits and loved them...(ie chrisryder who had refilled his dampers before changing over)

I will certainly try to save up for the JLH kit :) The dream would be the coilovers they do! mmmmmm :)

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 1:23 pm
by IslipMinor
An alternative to lowering blocks is to remove the bottom leaf on the standard early saloon 7-leaf spring, turn it upside down and reassemble the spring still with 7 leaves, but one working in the opposite direction to the others. The effect is to lower the rear about 2", keep a reasonable amount of stiffness and still less axle tramp than with the later 5-leaf springs.

I did this 40+ years ago and it is still like it! And still works very well.

Before the restoration, it had a well modified 948 and would spin the RH wheel quite easily. Now with a 1380 and 110+ bhp it has anti-tramp bars, LSD, Peter May's EN40 half shafts, Koni's etc. If really provoked on take off it will spin both wheels, but it's not something I do deliberately, as what's the point?

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 6:10 pm
by bmcecosse
Donuts!! :lol:

Re: FRONT SUSPENSION

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 11:00 pm
by Tudge
I never try to spin the wheels up for wheel spinning's sake, but it's nice to be able too hehehe. Plus wheel spin is SO much better than tramping...

And cheers Richard, that may be the best bet.