Morris Minor Owners Club

I,m changing the front eye bushes next weekend and I,ve looked high and low for the axle u-bolt torque settings, tried every combination of searches I can think of, but still nothing, anybody know what it is please? PS Mines a van so dont know if its different from a car.
Thanks Bern

If 3/8" thread (and i think they are) then 35/40 ftlbs is fine. Should be double nutted - full nut followed by thin lock nut.

Excellent
Many thanks for that.

The U-Bolts when tightened compress the two rubber pads that sit between the U-bolt plates and the leaf springs. If you try to torque too high you will over compress the pads leading to early failure. It's more a matter of feel and visual inspection of the pads than a torque figure, which the manufacturers do not give. That's why they have a 6,000 mile service inspection for the security of these nuts.

More important is to tighten these a few turns each as the rubbers start to compress, and get roughly the same thread length on each U-Bolt. Then fit the locknuts.

After 37 years I doubt if there will be much 'spring' left in those pads, looking at the state of the edges of the bushes I,m intending to change if indeed they are still there at all, all will be revealed once I,ve undone everything

In that case fitting new spring pads will improve the rear end a great deal

Forgot to add, that if the U-Bolts and nuts are original, they will be cold welded together. A nut splitter is great here, and replace the U-bolts/nuts, rubber pads, carrier plates. Access is good, so you can even just hacksaw through the old U-Bolts, but don't score the axle casing.

Front eyebolt pin can be a pig to get out, it often cold welds to the later type packing plate they fitted to the front spring hanger. If stuck, remove the small nuts and bolts that fix the plate to the spring hanger (you will need new ones) then drive a sharp cold steel chisel carefully between the plate and spring hanger, just enough to break the cold welding. Then tap out the pin with a drift. But check condition of the spring hanger first.

If corroded, but not too bad, try heating the rear of the pin (round face with two dimples in it) and tap it out when hot.

This can turn out to be an expensive repair if things are corroded solid.

If all goes well, it's worth cleaning up the body around the spring hanger, and painting with a rust inhibitor, as it's a known rot spot.

Be careful when you undo the nut on the front spring hanger. Mine sheared off and I wasn't using alot of force. Take plenty of care as it's not an easy repair if you do. Also not sure if the vans had the rubber seating pads fitted or not. I think they just have a metal locating plate instead but I could be wrong.

The seating pad on the spring? LCVs had'em too.

The U-Bolts when tightened compress the two rubber pads that sit between the U-bolt plates and the leaf springs.

I don't think so on a van, they should be metal plates about 3/8 inch thick.

Fair enough - Mine always seem to have had them, but they're hardly concours

The metal plates are more for practicality than comfort, but then the lcv is for real men I suppose!

Ah yes - Not really designed to be driven unladen, are they. Still, I guess the fact that the rear suspension never moves means it lasts lomger. Or something...

Still, I guess the fact that the rear suspension never moves means it lasts lomger. Or something...

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Unlike the rest of it!

Well that went better than I,d dared hope, no stuck nuts (thanks to a daily squirt of plus gas for the past week) and a slow methodical approach using two jacks one on the axle and one under the spring and axle stands under the front spring mounts, its all done, there are steel plates on van springs I can confirm not rubber pads so I,ve got four of those now if anybody is desperate!
To be honest although the visible bits of the rubber bushes looked shot the portions inside the eye where still capable of doing their job effectivley, but they where the last two on the van I hadnt changed, gone for poly bushes all round, time will tell if its a good choice!
Thanks to all who took the time to reply.
Bern

Does it feel any better for all your efforts ?

Nope! not a jot of difference, still solid as a rock I think a couple of paving flags in the back might help.

Or - if you run lightly loaded - take a couple of leaves out the springs. I assume it's not sitting on/very near the bump stops ?

Hard to see quite how an LCV could be "sitting on/very near the bump stops" at the rear ;)
a

Indeed! But have to ask just in case. Cos a car on the stops is 'very firm' etc!!