LCV rear shock absorber top mounts

[Andmurph]

I’d planned a light maintenance project for the custom pickup and removed the bed to find considerable rot in the shock absorber chassis cross member. Both the shock absorbers were different from each other and about 2 inches shorter than the replacements I have from ESM. I am having a new cross member (ESM RPv180) welded in and will repaint the chassis from the cab to the back along with the axle.

I also ordered two of the shock absorber/ damper top mounting kits (ESM FIX189A) for van / pick-up. I can’t understand how to fit these? Looking through the search facility I can see old posts with images removed. Has anyone still got them or could someone please explain how I use these correctly? The old shock absorbers were held in with coach bolts and washers!!

Once that lot is replaced and painted I have ordered a full vehicle set of Superpro bushes and springs from Jones.

[philthehill]

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/rear- ... up-p831390
The centre spacer fits between the flanges of the cross member, the large washers go on the outside of the cross member.
The bolt goes through large washer, the cross member, the centre spacer, the cross member, the large washer, the sleeve and then the nut is screwed on.
The sleeve (item No: 4) is there to allow clearance of the cross member flange.

com damper.jpg (1.15 MiB) Viewed 3339 times

[Andmurph]

Fantastic!

Thanks Phil.

[svenedin]

Looking great! If you edit a photo (a small crop for instance) and then upload the edited photo it magically always appears the right way up......

Stephen

[Andmurph]

Fantastic, thanks Stephen! Edits made.

[svenedin]

Fantastic, thanks Stephen! Edits made.

Very nice photos. Really smart! Love the woodwork and the green. What can you do to extended the life of the chassis parts you are going to have to replace? I have been using Bilt Hamber Electrox zinc primer paint. It says it is used in extreme environments like articles submerged in salt water. It comes in rattle cans or for brushing on. It has a very high zinc content and so needs a great deal of shaking or stirring. Too early for me to comment on whether it protects well in the long term but I see no reason why it won't. If surface well prepared and totally grease free it sticks tenaciously.

Stephen

[Andmurph]

I’m still in the process of reviewing paint options. I recently did the Midget engine bay that had been peeling for years and had a lot of trouble finding something that would stick to one particular panel that had a thin smear of somekind of filler. I tried etch primers from Frosts then zinc rich aerosols and they all peeled after a week or so. In the end I had success with Car-Rep 2K primer. It was an expensive learning experience but the car-rep 2k aerosol is different to many in that it can be stored and reused without the whole can being activated. I then used underbody black enamel aerosols from paintman.co.uk to get a low satin Matt match to what was there before. That went on very nicely.

I don’t own the pickup. I’m the mechanically minded friend and co driver. The owner had a stroke a few years back and with my medical history we make a passable team. I am currently leaning towards getting back to bare metal then rust treating with Bilt Hamber before trying the Car-Rep 2k primer and 2K black gloss across the axle, fuel tank and the chassis. The enamel from paint man.co.uk has dried with a very tough finish so a gloss version of that could be an alternative.

The woodwork needs stripping and refinishing. I’m thinking Teamac Black Tar Varnish for the under bed and supports and some kind of 2K yacht varnish to brush on for the bright sides. All 5 wheels are going to go for Old English White powder coat.

Once this rear end is done the car is mechanically sound and should be easy to maintain for a long while. The bigger project in the future is to restore the front end bodywork.
Hopefully we’ll make it to Moggyfest at Beaulieu and maybe we’ll take a ride up to the MMOC event in the Cotswolds.

We may have time for a few cosmetic updates, the green fabric door draught excluders are in need of replacement as is the interior light cover. The ESM summer 24 newsletter raised our hopes but they don’t have a date for availability still at the moment.

The car draws a lot of conversation and I believe the early customisation that was done needs to be restored as is rather than restoring the vehicle to a factory van. It’s a good drive with a 1098 engine and rear axle from a car so the gearing is good to cruise on the motorway at 65ish. Hopefully changing the bushes, springs and shock absorbers will make it even better to drive.

[svenedin]

What to do with woodwork has a lot of opinions as it comes up all the time relating to Travellers. I have never owned a Traveller but I know people who have and I also own wooden garden furniture that stays outside all year. I am of the school of thought that an impervious layer like varnish will always fail and then water will become trapped behind that impervious layer and actually rot the timber faster than if it had no coating at all. I use oils like Osmo on my garden furniture and it is still good after 25 years. Mind you the timber in that case is teak.

Stephen

[Andmurph]

I have experience of oils and varnish on wood and completely understand both sides of the discussion. The owner and I met through Sailing Flying 15 keel boats and many of the earlier Classic Fleet wooden boats by Chippendale and others were varnished and maintained like beautiful furniture. Both routes require annual maintenance as a minimum to keep it looking pristine.

I recently refurbished the wooden steering wheel in the Midget and ultimately went for Morells Cellulose lacquer as I thought oils or varnish had the wrong feel to touch, especially in warm weather. The cellulose can cope with being caught in a shower as long as it is thoroughly dried but will be ruined by a hand covered in petrol for example.

[svenedin]

Looks great. Rather like Shellac (French Polish). Beautiful but fragile.