Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi there. I am now realising I am using the Mog as my run around, I don't need to go places in it but I choose too because I love it. The only thing I am considering is updating the suspension. I would like originality but it is still my baby. Does anyone know of or have done an upgrade of the suspension, ie firmer.
Thanks
Steve

I have front and rear telescopic shocks and an anti roll bar and rear radius arms. Both these kits bolt on so no welding required. It makes cornering v. positive and I've also replaced the rear springs. Ride is firm but not hard. You don't get that "sway" when you go around a bend

Ah right. Can I ask how much is costed to do all of this?
I can't afford massive expensive upgrades thats the only problem. I have been told that upgrading to Radial tyres makes some difference to cornering but will I still get heavy roll?

Radial tyres are absolutely the first step.
I would plump for uprated oil in the standard dampers (shock absorbers) to start with and a front anti roll bar. With just a driver on board these allow for quite enthusiastic driving.
Tyres and anti roll bar will set you back approx £300.

Wheels came from BM - Minator alloys. £350 I chose Kumho 165 x14 tyres and then had those fitted. The anti roll bar kit (MOD 140) is about £85 + VAT and the radius arm kit is about £85 +vat again. Any of these make a difference. As Peetee says start with the tyres. I did this gradually as it all mounts up! As for handling she now corners like I'm on a railway track when going round a bend - no movement - can be a bit scary at first

Yes, radials are a must. They make such a difference to the handling and roadholding that you may feel that you don't need anything else.
I would be careful about stiffening the suspension, road humps are hard enough already and you are never going to get the supple ride of a modern car on ind. sus. and coil springs

Ah right, well I will go for the tyres when I need new ones. And maybe in the future consider the roll bars etc.
Thanks very much guys

I can vouch for the anti-roll bar. Takes no time to fit and is pretty cheap. I have one on the Saloon and Trav, sorts out the 'sway' quite nicely. Mr brother has one on is saloon too, he manages roundabouts at silly speeds The only downside we have noticed is that if you are using a softer tyre like firestone or bridgestone they tend to wear more on the outer edges, especially on the left, I think it's because you can take roundabouts a bit quicker!

I used to struggle with enthusiastic driving in my first Minor (when I was a teenager) due to the body roll etc... Experience makes all the difference!
The car does not give you a false sense of security like a modern car - both are limited by grip between the road and tyres but a modern won't always give you an advance warning that you're close to the limit.
Decent rear springs help, and a bodge to reduce roll is to increase suspension height at the front - doing that prevents the unloaded side from raising! The effect is simialr to ARB but without any cost - except that the front will look a bit high.

If you want to go a bit quicker - you want good brakes before you worry about the rest. Standard brakes can work well if they are in top condition - worn out drums with rotted flanges are not good.

What are the tools needed for the anti roll bar then and where do you get one from. I am not too worried about the mentioned tyre wear because I won't be going round roundabouts at bigger speeds as much as I could do (as you said, teenage drivers ).
I feel I understand my car and its limits and I know not to push them further. I have driven a couple of my friends newer cars and they just don't have that feeling, they go round corners or they don't. I love my car, I am just considering maybe a more sturdy ride by an easy way of modifying it.
Another question, with adding roll bars, radials and suspension etc, will that get rid of the rear end drifting in the wet ;)?

You will go round corners and roundabouts quicker with radials because it will feel perfectly natural and there will be better wet road grip.

It won't do much for the back end but certainly makes for more comfort in cornering. Tools..... well you need spanners for undoing the front tie bars, a drill for making the hole in the chassis leg for the new anchor plates and possibly a jack to hold it in place while you are marking/setting it up. The instructions that come with it are pretty good.

Generally -the front anti-roll bar is considered to be a waste of time (and money). Better by far to improve the damping (SAE 40 in the damprs) and fit decent tyres. If you have X ply tires at the moment you will notice a huge improvement simply by fitting radials - and the wider wheels with wide radials will be a HUGE improvement!
Fitting a front arb increses the understeer - which is already massive in the Minor! If you really want to cut roll - you must fit bars front AND rear to keep the balance - normally this would only be for track use. Best improvement for handling (after simple damping upgrade) is to add a little negative camber at the front - this cuts the understeer - and helps to combat outside edge tyre wear too! Poly bushes in the top trunnion/damper arm location greatly improve suspension control too. Anti-tramp bars are only usefull if you are experiencing 'tramp' ! Useful upgrade is to fit Trav 7 leaf rear springs - which pretty much eliminate tramp and reduce the soggy rear end feel of the 5 leaf springs. But probably only worth doing if planning new springs anyway.

I'd advise that if you really need to fit the roll bar then do not bolt it throgh the chassis leg, rather weld the bracket on. Also have the front end re checked for the correct geometry having fitted the roll bar and removed the tiebars.
To be honest a good damper set up will negate the need for a roll bar and as you have already pointed out the extra control over roll will upset the rear end. Suspension /handling should always be viewed as 'systems' this being both front and rear to complement each other.

My anti roll bar (bracket) is welded on. I didn't like the idea of the bolt through the chassis leg

BM, you mention replacing 5 leaf springs with 7 leaf springs.

I am hoping to totally revamp my suspension over Christmas, including replacing the springs and stiffening the dampers, and the tramp reduction you mention sounds ideal.

So can I assume 7 leaf springs (which I understand are for travs) can be fitted comfortably to a saloon?

Cheers,
G

When I fitted Traveller springs on my Series MM it seriously affected the handling and I removed them very quickly.
I see no point in fitting even harder springs than standard. Road humps are hard enough already.
As I drive a saloon and a Traveller I am able to compare the effects of the local humps and I would also say that my Series MM is quicker through the roundabouts than my Traveller.

The 'hard' suspension is often caused by the bump stop clattering the chassis pad! In reality an unladen Trav is not that much heavier than a saloon - and my rear springs are certainly not 'hard' by any means ! So my firm recommendation is to try 7 leaf springs - and if you don't like them you can always remove a leaf or two! They will greatly reduce any tendency to tramp the axle. However - thre have been some problems recently with springs not holding their camber for very long - so may be worth enquiring about best suppliers before buying! Strange that no-one has come up with alternative 'single leaf' rear springs - as they have for the MGB for example.

hmmm, ok, so can two leaves be removed easily / without bodging? If so then I'll probably go with that - the rear of my car tramps and steers all over the place at the moment, even the tiniest potholes cause the whole back end to bounce right across the road, so I am desperate to firm it up and sort it out.

I am also intending to fit lowering u-bolts (one of the standard 1.5" kits) would this have any implications with 7-leaf springs?

Leave the rear as intended with the std 5 leaves. Fit nes ones but if you still experience axle tramp then go for 'triangulated radius arms rather than just tramp bars as these offer much better axle location as well as erradicating tramp.
Check the axle for good location , your car should not 'steers all over the place' nor 'bounce right across the road'. Check that the axle 'perches' are not corroded and allowing movement of the axle, also check the axle plates , they often corrode alarmingly allowing movement. Fit your new springs together with poly bushes, shackle pins as required, axle plates and pads and new U bolts. Check the rear shackle plates for corrosion on the inside face, if worn replace these too.Check the rear lever arms too.
If fitting lowering blocks you must use longer U bolts, however using these blocks will lower the centre of gravity but will reduce the travel of the rear axle.