Morris Minor Owners Club

Yes have an IRS on my Minor but it too has a space frame.

It is a lot of work to fit IRS unless it is on a self contained subframe like the MX5........

Never mind then, I'll stick to my live axle. So you have built your own custom chassis? Where did you learn to engineer something like that?

Unless the independent rear suspension is done well (i.e. double wishbone type) and designed to complement the front suspension, it will very likely be worse than running a properly located live axle.

Martin

I've got a jag IRS on one of my V8 minors, the other having a ford 9 inch which is 5 linked. The jag IRS works very well, with a plush ride and good roadholding. Downside, is it is very heavy, and saps a bit of power, plus if it needs a rebuild is pretty costly (cost me £100 for hub bearings a while back - trade price). They do look the part though.

Pete

plastic_orange wrote:I've got a jag IRS on one of my V8 minors, the other having a ford 9 inch which is 5 linked. The jag IRS works very well, with a plush ride and good roadholding. Downside, is it is very heavy, and saps a bit of power, plus if it needs a rebuild is pretty costly (cost me £100 for hub bearings a while back - trade price). They do look the part though.

Pete

How much more plushness and roadholding quality does the IRS have over the live Ford axle? Which would you choose now if you were starting from scratch?

Is this the setup found on XJS's, E Type's, All XJ6's? If so why does everybody use them?

The Jag IRS was the first commomly available IRS that hot rodders couldput under there cars. It was easy to mount requiring a crossmember and some radius arm mount. It also looked good with the spinning Ujs on the drive shafts.

It is however very heavy and really only suited to big engined cars.

As to learning how to do all this stuff....... look, read, ask and do it!

School taught me the basics of solving problems and fabrication. Then I just got on and did it. My first car was a Minor and I fitted a twin cam when 17, then at 19 started building my first space frame car. Doing it is the best way to learn because it forces you to solve the problems you come up against.

Be warned that the hardset part of all car building is keeping going for months or years and finishing the project. The welding, fabrication, wiring etc is a piece of cake in comparision...... remember that!

For starters look here www.beardmorebros.co.uk

My cars are completely different in concept. The ford axled one is Pro Street style - i.e. Drag car look, whereas the other is more of a custom.
The Ford axled car isn't completed yet, so I can't comment on the ride/handling, but I would say it wouldn't be as good as the IRS.

Pete

ford axled ones more of a point and shoot, eh pete?

It should be.

Pete

anyone got a list of axles with widths

i do like callyspoy's wheels and i know they stick out a bit further on the rear so maybe a narrower axle would be good.

hence the size question

With a different offset on the wheels they would not be too wide. The Ford axle is 54" backplate to backplate so a 5.5" or 6" rim with up to a 195 tyre will fit the arches easily, assuming an offset of between 15-18mm.

so that will be peugeot wheels then.

Correct, sir

so whats the standard minor axle width?

and what would need to be done to fit whels like callyspoys

oh and i already have mk2 escort axle with anti tramp bars

jonathon have you ever tried fitting a ford irs

Nope, we have now stopped Rand D on the rear suspension design and the 5 link kit will be our premier product for the forseeable future, as we will soon be diverting our attention to a full chassis for our race cars, which will have IRS.
The Ford IRS is about a foot too wide for the Minor if copied directly.