Morris Minor Owners Club

Aye -but much more in droop. And -you really should allow for what will happen if the bump stop breaks off! The original lever dampers have sufficient travel to cope with this. I suspect most tube dampers will bottom out if the bump stop is not there - with obvious heavy damage risk to both damper - and mounting points.

The Escort ones range from 12" compressed to 18 1/2" extended- should be able to work around that OK!!

If you buy decent dampers they have an integral bumpstop in them. The 2" rule of thumb would normally be for a std spec Minor, as this will reduce if modded more drastically, unless the bumpstop is removed totally and one then relies on the dampers own stop.

The damper may take the thump, through it's 'bump stop' (only ones I have every come across with bump stop are Koni ?) - but will the top mount on the car survive?

If its designed correctly it will.

Regarding bump stops vs shocks - I've seen a 4x4 shear through its front shock stubss when the bump stop rubbers failed.
Yes, ok it was a 2 tonne 4x4 on rough terrain, and the shock stub was only about ø16mm, but it did remind everyone about checking bump stops!

older peugeots had their dampers are ridiculous angles, almost horizontal but their rear suspension worked great and i presume that it was because the damping effect of the dampers was appropriate for the amount of travel that they moved in normal operation.

what is the obsession with the dampers being upright? yes i know that the same dampers will work better when upright rather than angled but a stronger damper will do the same when angled as a weaker would when upright.

if it goes between chassis rails then surely its going to be pretty tough, when i build by kit (which has a similar design in my head) then ill weld the crossmember to the chassis rail at each end and possibly to the floor at various points across it.

I have also seen floors split when this type of kit has been used both welded and unwelded in position.

The Peugeot rear suspension was designed (very cleverly!) using torsion bars and horizontal dampers operated through a leverage system. The reason we want our dampers to be as vertical as possible is simply to give them the best leverage on the suspension movement. Anything off vertical reduces the movement of the damper for any given suspension movement - and so reduces it's ability to do the necessary damping.