Lowering the suspension...

Post by **stephenpolhill** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:40 pm

Hi There. After looking at ways to lower my friends modern car, we wondered about lowering my '65 2dr. I am not 'pimping' it and making a kerb-crawler, but I would like to possibly lower it by a small amount. I have read that torsion bars and leaf springs are fairly easy to adjust. Does anyone know how easy it is, what is needed and any guides to do this? Will I need a ramp or anything that only garages really have. Thanks alot
Steve

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:58 pm

Easy to drop the front torsion bars one spline (see workshop manual) - but if the car then sits on the bump stops it will soon ruin the inner wings. The rear usually sits too low anyway - as the springs sag! Easy chcek - look under - how much clearance is there from the bump stop rubber to the chassis leg ?

Post by **MColes** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:06 pm

There's about an inch and a half maybe two between the bump stops and car on the rear of my car. It must sit on the stops with people in the back I'm sure but I've never looked.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:40 pm

That's as much as you can expect. You can cut about 1.5" off the rear bump stops if you wish....

Post by **flowersGTR** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:56 pm

i was thnking of doing the same actually for an improvement in handling
i found this which might be helpful
http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about758.html

could you post any links you have found that a useful please?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:15 pm

There are many better ways to 'improve the handling' - the suspension must have some movemnt for use on the road.

Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:22 pm

MColes wrote:There's about an inch and a half maybe two between the bump stops and car on the rear of my car. It must sit on the stops with people in the back I'm sure but I've never looked.

i hope that is a typo and you missed out the "not" i.e. "It must NOT sit on the stops"

Post by **MarkyB** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:23 pm

How many sleeping policemen do you typically have to drive over?
Standard Minors don't like them, lowered Minors hate them.

Maybe you could put a lump of blue tack where the bump stops hit then drive around normally for a week, then see if they are flattened out of existance.
If they are you are already using all the available travel.

Post by **MColes** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:33 pm

charlie_morris_minor wrote:
MColes wrote:There's about an inch and a half maybe two between the bump stops and car on the rear of my car. It must sit on the stops with people in the back I'm sure but I've never looked.
i hope that is a typo and you missed out the "not" i.e. "It must NOT sit on the stops"

It wasn't a statement of fact that every car should It was an observation about my own car.

Post by **IslipMinor** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 7:30 pm

Our Minor is lowered by about 2" all round, and the bump stops have been shortened by at least 1". In addition to shortening, the stops have been reshaped to restore the 'progressive' function.

Fully loaded with 2 people and a boot full of luggage means that the rear has about 1" to the stops loaded, and does use the bump stops occasionally, but there is no crashing at all - just a soft 'stop'!

The front has at least 1" loaded, and again will occasionally touch the shortened stops, but not as often as the rear.

Lowering the front is very easy, one spline = ~1.25". With the 7-leaf rear springs on the earlier cars, removing the bottom leaf and turning it upside down and putting it on the top, lowers the car by about 2" (that is what we have done for nearly 40 years!). I don't think that would work with the later 5-leaf springs, so lowering blocks would be required with longer 'U' bolts.

Handles extremely well!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:52 pm

I bet it's already sitting low at the rear - most are - unless new springs have been fitted. Did you re-shape your front stops Richard ?

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:06 pm

Perhaps have a look at the engine sump.....I've never seen one which hasn't been bashed about by grounding - you may think twice about lowering it after having a look!

A bit of sump info - I once welded a Morris sump with oxy-acetylene......what marvellous steel they are made from, like a welder's dream material.

Post by **IslipMinor** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:45 am

Roy,

Yes I did reshape the front bump stops as well to restore the 'progressive' function.

The RH rear spring is 'original', i.e. from 1958, and the LH one was replaced in 1965 as the car had a slight lean to the left. It made no difference, but adjusting the LH torsion bar 1 or 2 holes did! The torsion bars are now Marina van, so the ride height had to set up from scratch with them as part of the restoration 11 years ago.

The sump has a few light marks on it, but nothing significant, and we do have speed humps in the village where we live as well. Bear in mind the suspension was lowered in the first place almost 40 years ago, when the 5.5" X 13" wheels were bought!!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:10 am

Ahh -well the stiffer torsion bars explains how you can run with the front end lowered!

Post by **IslipMinor** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:52 am

Ahh -well the stiffer torsion bars explains how you can run with the front end lowered!

Not really, it was at much the same height for 20+ years before the restoration with the original torsion bars, and without the anti-roll bar that now offers a limited protection.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:20 pm

Well - I know when I ran my rally car lowered - it battered the inner wings badly. Was often to be seen at Rally starts under the car - lifting the front suspension by one or even two splines - on news of a 'rough event' ahead! Had it down to a fine art though!