Morris Minor Owners Club

Dean......good that you did - you made me remember that the pin and the plate are two separate components! My 'rocking' instructions are mainly for getting the pin OUT, as the pin and plate are unsually locked together in rusty bliss.

It's all coming back now....I used the rocking technique to put back a united pin and plate I had removed from the hanger, as a single unit.

So my post, if followed to the letter, would have someone rocking the plate but not the new pin, as they'd not be welded together with rust.

I think I might join the new pin to the plate with a small weld, and rock on..........is that cheating?

no need, the pin is not et far enough in to the plate to prevent the rocking , i literally only need to get the infernal thing a few more mill through so i can get the nut on the other side, however this is without the aid of the grease that is white.im sure with all this advice i will get there in the end. gonna give it another bash on wed. im fed up with trying to do it in the few mins of light darkness when i finish work.

As someone who has replaced five sets of springs on my Traveller in the last 16 months, (soon to be six...) I have not encountered all this grief, maybe I have been blessed with an understanding car!
I always insert the pin and plate as an assembled item, using a long thinnish screwdriver to bear against the head of the front 1/4"BSF bolt to stop it being pushed out of its' hole (the nut and washer will screw on with the bolt head wedged by the screwdriver). The rear little bolt can be assembled with its nut and washer afterwards, as you have easier access to it. Assemble the bushes in the eye first as the Scots Sage suggests, and use anything slippery to ease things.

The important thing I've found that helps is to remove the rear shackle and support the weight of the wheelhub on a trolley jack, that way you are not wrestling against the leafsprings! Without doing that I would have given up after the first attempt!

When I did my springs earlier this year I was surprised to see that the flat plates supplied had a raised bit that was about 2mm taller than the old ones and that the pin (also new) didn't fit inside it. Luckily the old plate came off and was perfect so I reused these with the new pins.....hope this isn't part of your problem

I let the spring dangle from the front end and supported the middle of the spring a bit by tying it up with a bit of electrical wire from the centre of the spring, this seemed to work well while I thumped the pin in

The front pins should certainly be fitted first - but I don't remember it being in any way difficult to do.

Indeed i am fitting front pins first, i think its just the lubrication issue, and the fact ive only had a bit of time when i get home from, work, i will strike tomorrow with renewed enthusiasm

I'm remembering more as we go.

Yes, with the springs freed from the axle by removing the large 'U' bolts (often a good thing to do, to get in for a good clean-up and maybe a lick of paint - the bracket welded to the axle, which sits of the spring and holds the handbrake cable rear end, can catch a good dose of corrosion), they can be wiggled laterally a bit, as well as up and down, which may help you to get the pin through, if all else has failed.

You'd need to support the body and the rear axle, of course. Body first, on stands, then a trolley jack under the axle.

success, the white grease worked a treat!

I had it done in an hour in the rain, replaced the rear shackle bolts as well, all new bushes, put her wheel back on lowered her to the ground and then set about tightening, one side done, and its now dark. I got absolutely soaked, but I don't care cause i want my car back.

Just the other side to do, then the front bushes and trunnions to replace. although I may leave the front a little while before i do it.

Well done Nigel. I have been hiding indoors all afternoon and I am impressed you went out there to work on Nobby in this weather.

Don't finally tighten anything until both sides are done - and the car is back on it's wheels. then bounce it about a bit - and then nip up the nuts with the weight still on the suspension. Obviously - to get access you can jack it up under the diff! But make sure it doesn't fall on you!

"I don't care cause I want my car back."

That's the spirit!

Nigel

If things runs true to form, the second side will now be an absolute doddle ! Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Bob

Yep I put its back side on the ground, and got inside it rocked it around, pushed up and down on the wings, and then set about tightening everything up, its a doddle with all new bolts, although i notice one of the rear dampers is now leaking oil out of the seal where the arm protrudes, is there a repair kit for these or will i have to replace them aswell? don't wanna wreck my nice new shiny springs...

The difference is fabulous, it doesn't feel like i'm gonna launch into the moon now when you sit in to drive, oh and its so much smoother to ride in.

I always continue working in the rain, if i wanna get the job done, i just work a bit slower. The day i put the roof on my conservatory, it snowed...

Well done - but no repair for dampers - just look for others.

Ive seen reconditioned ones available, wondering if they are worth using? by the time you apply the surcharge and postage costs of returning old ones, and claimed it back i may as well bought new. question is if i do go through the process of trying to save my money by using recon units, will they be as good as new? or indeed will the new be as good as recon ones?

As far as I can recall, MGM sell them without the surcharge-at least they used to-worth checking.

MGM no longer exist - bought out by Bull M about a year ago. Anything MGM did Bull now stock.

They are still listed on their website but I see they now require a surcharge. Was just an idea.

DSN haven't had MM rear shockers in for ages and neither have ESM until this week or so - they have them in stock and also have a variant which is 25% uprated whatever that means. Both are expensive and BM seems to offer best vfm and have stock.

thanks for the advice on the dampers, I get payed in a couple of weeks so it might be the purchase, depending on the snagging list from the MOT