Metalastic bushes in rear spring eyes.

[philthehill]

With the help of sparesman and Declan Burns I have managed to obtain sufficient number of NOS Metalastic bushes to fit into the rear spring eyes and possibly the rear chassis legs. Currently the chassis legs are fitted with Minor Mania's hard plastic bushes.

The Metalastic bushes BMC Pt No: FMK5137 or Metalastic Pt No: 13/1772 (long) which are the same as those fitted to the J4 front suspension and when shortened can be used in the Minor front suspension eye bolt. I have also Metalastic bushes Pt No: 13/11771 (short) which are the same dimensionally except for the length.

Fitting the Metalastic bushes will keep the springs well and truly under control.

This morning I have started the job by shortening the bushes to 44.5mm. This is 0.2mm longer than the rear spring front eye pin. This 0.2mm is required to nip the Metalastic bush between the head of the pin and the spring body bracket.

I will post on here as the job slowly progresses.

[don58van]

Hi Phil

Is this for a road car or your hillclimb racer?

Don

[philthehill]

Don
The bushes are for my hill climb car.

The bushes are suitable for a road car but the only problem is the unavailability of the bushes. It has taken me some time to gather up enough NOS bushes to do the job.

Phil

[philthehill]

Having shortened the bushes to suit I find that the after market spring front eye pins bearing surfaces are not all the same length in that they vary by one or two mm (different suppliers and the original BMC pins are still in place so cannot check their length).Therefore the pins are going to have to be fettled so that the outer shoulder (threaded end) is below the end of the Metalastic bush metal tube by at least 2mm when fitted. This will make sure that the bush tube is pressing against the outer spring hanger bracket and not the pin shoulder which would allow the Metalastic bush to turn and wear the spring hanger bracket.
Reducing the length of the pin bearing surface by 2mm is acceptable as the inner end of the pin (large boss end) is not secured but just sits in the bolt on spring hanger plate therefore the pin can absorb the 2mm reduction. Any difference in the pin bearing surface can be easily absorbed with poly or rubber bushes but in this case sufficient nip of the Metalastic bush tube is most important so the pins must be right..