Choosing new leaf springs

[MorrisMinor-65-1000]

http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pro ... dc917f23d1

Purely anecdotally, does anybody have an positive experiences to report with these? Or would you advise me to 'continue looking'

I'm looking for something that isn't likely to sag.

Michael

[bmcecosse]

Get them to do the 'kit' with polyurethane bushes rather than rubber.

[MorrisMinor-65-1000]

Get them to do the 'kit' with polyurethane bushes rather than rubber.

Okay, will do. They are a 'good buy' then?

[bmcecosse]

As good as any - for the price.......

[MorrisMinor-65-1000]

Okay, thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.

[les]

You may want to enquire about the strapping around the leaves, The manufacturer of mine deemed it ok to substitute the metal straps and bolt fittings with thin steel banding around a piece of rubber, as used on packing cases etc. Needless to say they rusted off.

[MorrisMinor-65-1000]

... thin steel banding around a piece of rubber, as used on packing cases etc. Needless to say they rusted off.

Doesn't sound very good at all. I'll enquire. I notice that my current springs have the brass (?) straps around them as standard, so anything more substantial (and ideally as shown in the picture in the link above) is better in my mind.

[bmcecosse]

They look like proper clips in the ESM picture....

[les]

To me the picture is showing the rubber band that the strapping is wrapped around, the actual strapping is not easily seen, but suspect it is running around the centre of the rubber band. I'd say it's the same as I bought, maybe the're all like that now. I did run up a picture a while ago showing the difference between the original set up and the poor excuse for it. Can't remember whereabouts I posted it now.

[bmcecosse]

Surely the 'rivet' is seen on the underside? But you may be right - could be rubber I'm seeing....

[les]

I think this is what you are getting----

[les]

Compared to this---

[MorrisMinor-65-1000]

Don't like the look of that one bit! I'll be asking about this.
The proper bolt-through types would be my preference, but strangely these don't seem to be widely available in the correct size.
I had plans to rebuild my original ones, but at these sort of prices, there's no point messing about with the strip-it disc and PTFE paint.

[les]

You could buy them and make the original straps, that's what I did when I found the strapping rusted through!

[philthehill]

If you enlarge the picture of the spring kit from ESM you will see that the spring clips are not as original but are solid metal clips with a rivet through the bottom leaf to stop the clip moving either fore or aft. No banding in sight. This type of spring clip would be acceptable to me but of course the original clips with the top bolt (as re-manufactured by les) would be better.

[les]

I did notice what looks like a rivet head Phil, so my deduction may be wrong. Possibly a half way house!

[philthehill]

Les
Not as good as your original type clips but acceptable.
When fitting leaf springs with unequal numbers of spring clips fore and aft of the axle centre the larger number of leaf clips should go at the front and not at the rear. Having the larger number at the front helps eliminate axle tramp.

[Mark Wilson]

Just had a look at the ESM website - the Traveller springs have the bolted clips a la Les.

http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pop ... dc917f23d1

Mark

[bmcecosse]

Traveller springs will be much better - eliminate axle tramp and stiffen the back end nicely. If TOO hard - just take out one leaf.

[MorrisMinor-65-1000]

Springs arrived last night from ESM. Will post picture up tonight, but can confirm they are the heavy duty bent steel clips very similar to this. Which is very encouraging...