Broken Suspension, is it worth fixing?

Post by **tomsowerby** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:58 pm

Hi everyone, new here and seeking advice from the experts!

My Grandma has a Morris Minor and it's a beautiful car, unfortunately, a couple of years ago the suspension went and, now that I'm looking at getting another car, I thought it was worth looking into fixing it.

Problem is, I don't know much about it. So was wondering if anyone's had a similar experience as I've heard it's a fairly common problem.

The Problem is (I quote):
"suspension gone due to cross member collapse, situated under the front seats".

If anyone has an advice on this problem and how much time and/or money it would take to fix then I'd be very greatful, just trying to work out where to start, if it's possible/practical to do.

Many thanks in advance.

Tom Sowerby

Post by **MoggyTech** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:05 pm

The center crossmember carries the loading of the torsion bars for the front suspension. It is available as a part to repair the problem, but it's a huge welding job and has to be done accurately. The cross member also adds structural strength across the car.

If the crossmember has gone, it is likely the rest of the car will have quite severe rust, likely to be sills and floor.

To be done professionally you will be looking at about £2000 for a quality job. DIY £400 + your time and a load of Mig welding wire.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:02 pm

It's a big job - but IF the rest of the car is ok it may be worth doing. You really need the car on it's side. The new crossmember is less than £100 - but the job will take a few days work and good welding skills!

Post by **tomsowerby** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:25 am

Thanks for the info guys. I'll check around for other signs of rust, unfortunately it's probably quite likey as its been sat in a garage for some time now.
But if it looks ok I'll maybe start a "save the morris minor" campaign for it.

Thanks again for the help.

Post by **8009STEVE** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:36 am

Where is the car located?

Post by **rayofleamington** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 11:23 pm

If it needs the crossmember ends (not the entire crossmember) they are not that expensive and take less effort to replace.
This kind of job is an easy DIY for someone with experience and a MIG welder, but certainly not a DIY job for a novice.

Some Minor specialists will be able to do a competent job for a sensible price (prices vary!!). Very few local garages would do a half decent job, unless they know what they're doing with classic cars.

As mentioned already - what determines if the project is viable is how much other work needs doing.
The amount of work has to be balanced against what you can DIY and what needs to be done by a garage/specialist. It's quite rare for a rusty Minor to be a viable project (financially) if you have to pay for all the work, but fortunately there are enough people willing to pay to keep the specialists in business.