Morris Minor Owners Club

My Trav has got a problem with the tie rods.

Basically the tie rods have become majorly loose, to the extent I can move the (poly) bushes 1/4" inch along the shaft! It appears the nuts havent moved even though there arnt any split pins . The nuts wont do up any further than they are.

What should I be looking for? The car is in daily use and it obviously not safe as it is!

How long have the poly bushes been on? Were they tightened up after the weight was back on the hub?
Have been advised thats certainly what you need to do with the rubber ones to prevent premature wear.

Strange - maybe poor poly bushes that have compressed ? I assume the brackets aren't tearing away from the chassis ? Can only suggest undo the nuts - and add some large diameter washers - and tighten right up. I have heard that 2 x poly bushes are too much - and that one poly (on the back) and one rubber (on front) is a better combination. My own car just has 2 x rubber - and it's fine.

I didn't rebush the suspension before the MoT, I have a receipt for them in May 01 and its done 3K since 2004

Mine were tightened up till the nut found the end of the thread ! That was about 6 years ago - no problems since.

explain a bit further BMC...

I cant do mine up any more than they are now, and there is lots and lots of slop

Sounds like the bushes are shot/compressed if you cant do them up any more and theres slack. Maybe a bad batch?

But why would they have passed the MoT 500 miles ago and now be totally shot?

I have taken some pics (not wonderful, its difficult when you cant see what your pointing the camera at!)

http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/aa14 ... mview=link

(no the multicoloured van isnt mine)

They be goosed Matt !
Dont know why it didn't get spotted on the MOT.
Did mine with rubber a little while ago, they were really tight going on to the point had to use a g gramp just to get the thread started.
Even then though the nuts tightened to the end of the thread onc the nut had started.

From your photographs, it appears that the rear bush has been compressed during braking. I would suspect this is due to kingpin bush wear, allowing the kingpin to move fore and aft too much. You will also need to check the Armstrong damper bolts are tight, and that the eyebolt is secure in the chassis leg. Also check for elongated holes in the tie rod forks on the lower wishbone, and that the distance piece washers are fitted, between the tie rod forks and the wishbone.

Joy... suspension overhaul! But surefly the front bush should compress under braking as the wheel tries to move rearward in relation to the body?

Matt wrote:Joy... suspension overhaul! But surefly the front bush should compress under braking as the wheel tries to move rearward in relation to the body?

Now that's got me thinking Indeed the majority of the inertia is the weight of the car, which will transfer load through the tie plate front fixing bracket to the tie rod bushes. So yes, I would have thought the front bush would take most of the compression forces. So unless your doing 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, it is kind of wierd that the back bush has compressed the most.

You could remove the tie bars, and check for any excessive fore and aft swing of the kingpin with the car jacked up. It may just be a simple case of defective poly bushes.

Well I do have a hot engine but I have only been running it in! Even with massive accelleration, it would still push the front wheels back due to the resistave forces of the wheel. I cant really see a use for the rear bush ;)

You're right Matt - the rear bush in a Minor doesn't do a lot - different state of affairs of course with a Mini. It won't b anything to do with the kingpin - and the eyebolt really has very little fore/aft influence or strength. No - I think it's just poor bushes - and only a few minute job to fit some others.

Oh well time to save up the £6.40 for another set

Does look remarkably like the gap there'd be if the spacer was missing at the other end. Quite sure you've checked that's there though
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theres meant to be a spacer??? there hasn't been one on any of the cars i've had/looked at in this area!

Little rectangular spacer between the tie-rod fork-bolt and the front suspension arm. Approx 1/8" thick.

The one between the fork the rod fits into and the suspension arm. It'll all go back together without it, and it's easily mislaid - and I guess they're sometimes left off to ease the fitting of the bushes

Ahh I dont think thats there because I have tele front shocks, and part of the mount for that replaces that spacer, if I understand what you are refering too