Morris Minor Owners Club

Replacing my rear springs. Everything came apart relatively easily but the front bush and pin arrangement looks like it might be interesting to put back.

Any tips appreciated

Thanks.

There should be no problem re-fitting the spring bushes and pin even if you have removed the pin location plate.
I would recommend that you fit poly bushes (lightly greased).
Fit the pin locating plate first and then offer up the spring front eye with bushes fitted, insert pin through pin location plate and then through the spring bushes & the outer spring hanger plate. Use a plain nut to do the initial assembly then replace with a self locking nut when the pin is under load. Bounce the rear of the car a few times to settle the bushes and pin before tightening the self locking nut.
Below is a tool I adapted from a small disk grinder spanner to hold the head of the rear spring front eye bolt - using a plain nut should do the initial job.

Thanks, Phill.

The only problem I encountered taking it all apart was getting the front spring eye out. The bushes were stuck in the protruding part of the bolt on plat. Loosening the 7/16 nuts removed the plat allowing the front spring to slide out. I’m thinking about putting it back in, if the plate is bolted up will the bush slide in? If the plate is loose, how will I tighten the front nut and bolt?

I’ll make one of your tools for certain, thanks.

You have to drop the front of the spring to remove the old bushes. There should be no need to remove the plate.
The plate (with the two 1/4" bolts) is fitted first, then the bushes to the spring eye, the spring eye (with bushes fitted) is then raised to allow the pin to be fitted.
If you do not fit and tighten the two 1/4" plate bolts first you will have great difficulty tightening them especially the one deep inside the spring hanger bracket.
Note: The plate is a factory modification as it was found that the pin chattered in the spring hanger and wore the pin holes in the hanger. Fitting the plate alleviated the pin chatter and if it did wear the hole in the plate it was of no matter as the plate can be easily and cheaply replaced.

Another modification I have done is to make up a new rear spring front eye bolt pin from a 12.9 T/S cap headed bolt which when fitted in conjunction with a Metalastic bush (Pt No: FMK5137) makes fitting the front of the spring so much easier.
Fitting Metalastic bushes was a well trodden path before poly bushes came along and if you can get them is a well worth modification and in my eyes a better bet for the rear springs than the poly bushes.

This is what came out of mine. Clearly recently replaced but they seem poor as with the bolts loose the plate came away leaving the circular flange in the chassis mounting. Hence why the springs were difficult to remove. They drift back in easily enough but I wonder if they would come out again when pulling the bolt through?

I’ve got new ones on the way in the full kit from ESM, I hope they are one piece pressings.

Making a tool like the one shown later in readiness

Cheers

Those are very poor quality parts.
The plate should be a one piece pressing.
In service the circular flange as is could easily come detached from the plate (as shown above) allowing the eye pin to flail about causing the mount at the other end of the pin to fail with serious consequences.
The head of the eye pin should be a very snug fit into the plate and the plate flange a snug fit into the spring mounting bracket.
Below is a photo of the one piece plate fitted to a dummy spring hanger with the modified eye pin head ready for fitting the cap head bolt.
The two holes in the head of the pin have been drilled slightly larger and deeper to accommodate the pins of the tool. I have found that the size and depth of the pin hoes are not always consistent.
You will also note that I have changed the 1/4" bolts for 5/16" cap headed bolts which are much easier to secure and hold with an allen key.

Well it’s all in and looking lovely. Only one drama other than those self inflicted by a combination of age and stupidity.

One of the plates had some flashing that prevented it fitting into the chassis bracket. Two mins on my little lathe sorted that.

Hoping for a little run out tomorrow to see how it compares than check all the bolts for tightness

Thanks for all the pointers, much appreciated

Pleased to report that everything was good

The ride is much improved and so much quieter