Morris Minor Owners Club

Right (sorry for the long message)... I'm currently running a lowered marina rear axle with MGF 15in alloys and spax adjustable tele shockers (angled) it looks good and hasn't broken yet..... but the wheels rub on the wings, so i have not removed much of the bump stops... which means i don't have alot of travel... so its very bumpy (especially on Sheffield's terrible roads). I find the rear end (when not bottoming out) doesn't handle to well and would like to improve it...

I was thinking about getting a slightly narrower ford English axle (I think mk2 escort) and possibly 5 linking it. There are 4 link kits to fit a ford English axle into a escort MK1/2 available for £120... could this be modified to fit the minor??? (https://www.burtonpower.com/product_mai ... t=4%20link)

Otherwise I was thinking about a total custom job - strengthening the original front spring fixing point and using that for the bottom four link arms, then welding in a bar between the chassis under the rear seat to take the upper links. A panhard rod could then be attached to one of the chassis rails near ish to the original damper mounting points. Then turreting some coil-overs into the boot.

I realise JLH do a kit but its 1100 without vat or delivery! I have also had a good look at the Beardmore bros site where they four linked a van, however they had the floor fully removed and the LCV (not saloon) chassis to work with. http://www.beardmorebros.co.uk/website% ... _page4.htm

I have briefly looked at sierra IRS (as the kit car people do), but that's looks alot more complex. Also in a moment of madness I bought a shortened 48in jag IRS setup, (which is currently sat in my parents garage). This would be very nice to fit but i have now decided it is far to heavy for my 1.6 ford crossflow.

Has anyone got any experience / plans / ideas / suggestions.... Is this worth trying???

Probably should stop buying classic / retro ford magazine!!

LukeBoorman wrote:
I was thinking about getting a slightly narrower ford English axle (I think mk2 escort) and possibly 5 linking it. There are 4 link kits to fit a ford English axle into a escort MK1/2 available for £120... could this be modified to fit the minor???

A Minor specialist in Warwickshire has fitted a 5 link with an Escort axle. As a mod I'm not allowed to say who though, but he uses this board and will be able to help.
a

this is a pretty interesting thread as i too have an english axle in my traveller an think about 4 or 5 linking it.
Big ging could you maybe pm me some details?
hope this is ok? cheers, michael.

Done
a

This is a great thread and is something that i'm sure many of us have thought about. I would say anything is possible but not having a chassis to work with definitely complicates things. Has anyone tried some sort of rear sub-frame and from there adapting a four link system?

I have an escort axle under my minor and hope to five link it when I have finished the other running gear projects.

I have had a measure up and I can't see any problem doing it using the available kits for mk2 escorts but I would probably just use link arms that are cheap in pattern form for a modern ish car and make the rest myself just so I could say I had built it myself.

Would be interested to see progress if you get there before me.

Heres how the pro's do it some of JLH's set up

ooooooooooooooooh can we please have more photos of that car now???????? yes?
thanks?!!! michael

I'm impressed at the interest... The JLH setup does look good, I was hoping to adapt the ford MK2 escort boxes and weld them in under the rear seat a bit like that....

superchargedfool wrote:I have an escort axle under my minor and hope to five link it when I have finished the other running gear projects.

I have had a measure up and I can't see any problem doing it using the available kits for mk2 escorts but I would probably just use link arms that are cheap in pattern form for a modern ish car and make the rest myself just so I could say I had built it myself.

Would be interested to see progress if you get there before me.

superchargedfool - What cars were you thinking as donors for the links....

I considered fitting a complete escort RS2000 4x4 rear setup ( missed it on eBay £25... - girlfriend doesn't have the Internet!!)

There are also a few 'lovely' small 4x4's / Chelsea tractors, starting to come into the breakers and so I have had a brief look at a few of those... IRS, relatively narrow rear ends and quite light.....

I hadn't given it much thought yet because I am a fair way from that yet, but the sort of arms i was thinking were: fiesta 2 rear trailing arms at about £12 each pattern or something similar.

Or make the arms from inch box with a short peice of tube welded on the ends at 90 degree's to fit a cheap bush something like escort mk5 front arm bushes at about £3 each.

The other part of rear end work over is that most people would end up with coil over little shocks at fair expense, why not find something suitable and make the turrets to suit or perhaps cut them from the donor. Something like mk4 fiesta rear shocks and springs, available in breakers for all of £20 a pair and they are used to supporting about the right weight.

I can't help myself I make everything if its possible not to save money but just so you can be proud of it more at the end when it works.

I do think independant rear end is more trouble than its worth and it does go away from traditional handling characteristics which make a moggy a moggy.

Do not use box at all on the 5 link arms, the seams will split under the strain. You must use thick walled tube(its the strongest) and it should be CDS2 grade i.e no welds as its cold drawn. The bushes should also be specified to their application, so make sure that the shore rating is correct. All arm sleeves should be strap welded too.
The arms, turrets and link mountings take a massive loading and the stresses involved need to be understood so that strength can be added either by the kit you fit or as a result of strengthening around it.
This is not really a case for a scrap heap raid.or cheap short cuts.
Only my views, just want you to be safe

I've done similar before under other old cars with no probs in the long term!

I hear what you are saying about using cds though.

I do reasonably understand the stresses involved as I am currently a garage owner but before that I was a structural engineer designing BS5950 steel framed building frames for a living.

I hear what you are saying but I am a sod for always doing things my way from scratch and i haven't come unstuck yet (he says touching wood quickly).

Sorry SuperC, didn't mean to sound pompous , just a lot of folk feel that doing this sort of work is easy and just an exercise in finding parts that fit. Its not a job for the inexperienced.

Sorry SuperC, didn't mean to sound pompous

you didn't, you were just being concerned as anybody would at the thought of someone being dangerously daft.

As I said I haven't really thought about the rear too much yet but will in the future when the rest is sorted. At the mo I have esc axle, trav springs, poly bushes and angled teles. Old fashioned but sort of works.

But I can guarantee when the clutch is sorted, more boost, set up properly then the rear will be five linked in a homebrew kind of way. But I will give it much sensible thought. Will also watch how others do it for inspiration!

Who owns the car in the pics??? i would really like to see some more photos of it and see how it gos etc??? what engine and the rest.
cheers, michael.

Michael its one of ours. More pics can be seen on this link

http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about39.html

I can give you more details if you PM me