Morris Minor Owners Club

About a week ago i noticed the front left wheel made a terrible noise when going over bumps and small holes in the road. This sound has gradually got worse through the week and on closer inspection a few bolts have come off a plate which seems to be connected to the wheel, I just need to know what this is called so I can get spare bolts for it.

It is the front damper mounting to the bulkhead. Those bolts are all messed up - might be worth running a tap down the holes in the threaded plate behind the bulkhead to clean them up a bit.

Also get some new locking tabs to prevent this happening again!

EEEEK

With all due respect you must get someone experienced and knowledgable to fix this. Your lack of technical reference suggests that you are inexperienced in these matters. Sorry if this sounds rude, it's not meant to be but it may not be as simple as bolt replacement. You have narrowly avoided a very serious accident and the area needs checking properly to avoid potential re-occurance.

The important thing is - DO NOT drive the car meantime ! And DO check the other side too. It's easy enough to fit new bolts - problem will be if the threads in the captive nuts in the bulkhead are now damaged. Running a tap in may help - but you will only find out when you try to tighten up the new bolts.
Here's the bolts - http://www.morrisminorspares.net/shop_item.php?ID=3070 - put a spot of Loctite on them when you fit them - and do knock over the locktabs too - the old tabs will do again!

the old tabs will do again!

Possibly.

I'm concerned about the fourth bolt: presumably it's still at least approximately in place. but what's happened to permit the shock absorber to attain that angle? Is the bolt bent, or almost disengaged, or is the mounting bent?

I agree completely with Peetee, and don't think we should encourage the OP to just "have a go". Things could go with a bang if the last bolt lets go and the suspension isn't properly supported.

There seem to be a lot of posts recently from people who have made no attempt to read a manual or even an owner's handbook. Frightening to think we share roads with cars maintained like this.

Kevin

Good points there - but the fact folks post up here for advice suggests to me they have some idea of what's going on - and we all had to learn sometime ! To fix this at home will take very little time/expense - to have it taken away on a tow truck etc to a garage for reapair - will cost a LOT!! Provided new bolts are fitted - and they all pull up 'TIGHT' (I don't see a torque figure for these - anyone ??) then all should be well.

Yes, I agree. If the threads clean up OK and the bolts pull up tight (and I would check them on a weekly basis too) then all should be OK. Obviously if any of the threads are stripped then it's a different story altogether..... I'm not sure about a torque figure either but I know from removing them in the past its "quite tight" so I'd go for about 30lbs/ft and check regualary.....

I wouldn't go mad getting them TIGHT as they are quite skinny bolts and if you pull the thread out you have a much bigger problem.
If you use a ring spanner and don't bust a blood vessel doing them up it should be fine.
If there is enough meat on the locking tab to cover one of the flats on each of the bolts they are reusable. But as you have to get some new bolts anyway I'd get new ones too.
One of the reasons for getting rid of rattles is that you can hear when new ones develop and investigate.

bmcecosse wrote:Good points there - but the fact folks post up here for advice suggests to me they have some idea of what's going on - and we all had to learn sometime !

Yes, we all had to learn, and I still am doing, but someone who hasn't bothered to find out what the "plate which seems to be connected to the wheel" is, strains my patience. This message board is great for advice - "shall I fit radials?", and for ideas for fixing obscure faults, but isn't really, imho, a substitute for the owner's handbook.

bmcecosse wrote:
To fix this at home will take very little time/expense - to have it taken away on a tow truck etc to a garage for reapair - will cost a LOT!! Provided new bolts are fitted - and they all pull up 'TIGHT' (I don't see a torque figure for these - anyone ??) then all should be well.

There is a compromise - getting a mechanic to look at it where it's parked now, and it may need workshop attention if the mounting is badly damaged or corroded. If the OP can't recognise the bits, will he have a clue what "tight" means, or know what a tap is, or recognise that feeling of a bolt chewing up damaged threads?

And I'm still bothered about the fourth bolt.

Kevin

Me too! The 'mechanic on site' idea is good - is there anyone near R Parr in Halifax who could go have a look/help to sort it out ?? It's a tad far for me!

Looking at the bolt it would seem that the thread on the captive nut has stripped as it is threaded around the bolt. Therefore running a tap down the thread will do no good. The captive nut will have to be replaced.
How did it manage to get like that without the front suspension collapsing with serious consequences?

I think two bolts are still holding - although loose!

I think it might only be one bolt there is a semi circular scratch that suggests the whole thing has been pivoting.
It must have made a terrible noise on anything less than a billiard table like surface.

MarkyB wrote:I think it might only be one bolt there is a semi circular scratch that suggests the whole thing has been pivoting.

That was my thought, too, and the one remaining bolt must either be bent or barely engaged to allow the left-hand side of the damper to be so far from the mounting.

Can I also see some mushrooming of the damper casting around the upper side of the top-left mounting hole? And are there two small cracks starting to form in the same area?

Kevin

If only one bolt -I would expect the damper to have swung right up on the last bolt - whereas it seems to have stayed pretty well in place.
Any bolts left will definitely be throw-away items - that's for sure!!

That's absolutely true.
I've got a feeling that fitting these bolts can be a bit of a faff if you take them all out at once (no choice in this case).
The captive plate can fall slightly down and back making it difficult to get the new bolts started.
A bit of bent wire, maybe coat hanger can help to get the plate lined up nicely.

We all bash our gums (or thumbs) discussing the matter - and R Parr hasn't come back! Maybe it fell off completely and ........