Eye bolts - near miss!

[Mark Wilson]

Some time ago I purchased a pair of "New Old Stock" eyebolts prior to my rebuild, as from the condition of the rest of the car I expected the existing ones to be worn or corroded. I'm finally rebuilding the front suspension and was in the garage tonight to paint a couple of pieces I'd forgotten about, which included the eyebolts. I've never been convinced that they actually were "new with some surface corrosion" so I measured them for ovality, which was OK, then for some reason compared them with the old ones. As you can see below, the original, top in the photo, is considerably longer with a shoulder which moves the pivot further from the chassis leg. Fortunately the originals are in good condition so I'll be re-using them. The "NOS" would have made the camber interesting!

Are these from a different model of Minor (mine's a very late one)? And would anyone like them as they are no use to me

Mark

[greendefender123]

How bizarre. You'd think some new ones might be slightly longer to make up for chassis leg repairs but they arnt.

[philthehill]

I am certain that the longer eye bolts were factory fitted a little while after the screwed top links pins were converted to rubber bushes.
The longer eye bolt accommodated any spacing washer, the horse shoe washer, the spring washer and the nut.
The original retro conversion utilised the shorter eye bolts but with a castellated nut.
With the horse shoes washer fitted there was little of the eye bolt thread protruding through the chassis leg for the castellated nut to be fitted onto; because of that lack of protruding thread there was no ability to fit even a flat washer between the chassis leg and the castellated nut so the longer eye bolt to incorporate those additional parts including the spring washer between the chassis leg and plain nut was incorporated by the factory.

[RobThomas]

Wot Phil said. You'll lose about 1.5 degrees of camber with the wrong eyebolts (too short) so an ideal solution is to go for the longer ones AND a horseshoe washer if you can get it. I had plans in place to get new eyebolts manufactured with correct spacing and even longer threads but the price was going to be too high at about £30 each.

[Declan_Burns]

Rob,
Try contacting Jeff Knight (info@thelatheman.com) on 07712 556462. He has made some bits for me and was very reasonable especially on postage.
Regards
Declan

[philthehill]

Forget about the horseshoe washer and fit a thick flat plate washer between the eye bolt and chassis leg so as to spread the load over the chassis leg side.
The normal washers including the horseshoe washer are not large enough to spread the load and if larger tyres are fitted the extra stress can cause the eye bolt to break out of the chassis.
The plate should be large enough to cover all of the raised section of chassis leg around the eye bolt. That ensures that the eye bolt loading is spread to the strengthening/reinforcing plates inside the chassis leg.
I managed to pick up a pair of longer eyebolts with 74mm shanks different thickness camber adjustment washers from Minor Mania but unfortunately they are no longer available.

Scroll through the link below for details of eye bolts:-

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=53114&hilit=eye+bolts&start=60

[Declan_Burns]

It would be great if somebody could produce some decent ones. This is a photo of the rubbish currently being sold by the usual suspects.
Regards
Declan

[philthehill]

Just a tempter

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Morris-Minor- ... SwCU1YtPFG

In my experience there are plenty of NOS items out there but it is the finding that is the problem but when found I am pleased as punch.

[RobThomas]

EN24 (?) ones were still under £40 but there aren't enough people interested in buying them to make it worth me risking the cost of getting them made, unfortunately. Being part-unemployed at the moment I don't have the spare cash to do it.

[les]

As you say if there's little interest, it's not a good plan, even if you did have the money.
I have noticed in the past the wear pattern; it is generally concentrated at one area of the tube, can't remember if it's top or bottom readily but whatever, this means it can be rotated 180degrees, so at a push a bit more use can be had when wear has taken place. Not as good as a new item but an option.