Torsion bar components. MM with 1000 legs etc

[RobThomas]

Does anyone have some M1000 suspension components on the bench that they could photograph? I've stripped the lowlight suspension off and just wanted to correctly identify the collection of brass/bronze, steel and iron washers and bearing plates that have come from the rear ends of the torsion bar and from under the eyebolt. The car had different thickness components on both sides. The manual is a bit faint after 60 years'-worth of greasy fingers.
In particular I'd like to see the "C-shaped spacer between the rear of the torsion bar and thecrossmember" that appears to need to be fitted from the front after the bar has been slid into position and also I'd like the dimension of any spacers under the eyebolt, either as a measurement from eyebolt centre to chassis face or as a spacer thickness.

Ta!

[bmcecosse]

The spacers on the eyebolts are there to adjust the amount of negative (or positive!) camber on the front legs. The C washer as you say - goes in at the rear of the T bar - i've never really understood quite what it does!

[IslipMinor]

The 'C' washer(s) between the eye bolt and the chassis leg are there to provide the correct amount of camber, which changed when BMC introduced the rubber bushed top trunnion and created more postive camber.

The M1000 official BMC Parts List shows 2 washers, a thick (ACA5353) and a thin (ACA5268). Quantities required are 1 thick and 'as required' for the thin one. I would imagine that they are 'C' shaped so the they can be fitted after the suspension has been fitted to allow the final adjustment without removing anything from the car?

I would suggest that any spacer/washer used on the eye bolt should be a 'complete circle', i.e. a standard washer type, to avoid the ingress of water/dirt into the chassis leg mounting tube by 'sealing' the end of the tube, instead of having a nice gap for the water to get in through!

I have had to fit a total of 10/12mm of spacers each side to correct the excessive positive camber that results from lowering the car about 2".

Rob, I can scan the Parts List pages and email them to you, if that would help?

[bmcecosse]

I have 3/8" plates between eye-bolt and chassis leg - and then a washer or two to get just a touch of -ve camber. Limit is to make sure the nut (and a load spreading washer) still has full thread on the end of the eyebolt.

[mike.perry]

Will that do?[frame][/frame]

[joeone62]

hey mike where can I find those wonderful pictures???

[bmcecosse]

Well done turning that picture round Mike - I was getting a crick in my neck! There's an even clearer picture on the MOSS Europe site. Lets' see if the link works.........http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewP ... exID=17091
Yes indeedy! Many spares Cos have exploded diagrams - the Moss ones seem clearer than most.

[mike.perry]

hey mike where can I find those wonderful pictures???

Morris Minor Series MM Service Parts List. Also lists part numbers and chassis numbers of modifications

[RobThomas]

Thanks, Guys.

The problem I have is that the car originally had MM suspension but was later changed to post Srs2 legs. The eyebolts (fairly new) have a single washer that appears to have been shrunk on and can't be removed plus either a single shouldered bronze/brass C-washer on one side and a collection of steel junk washers under the eyebolt on the other side. I'm not certain of the correct-ish dimension from chassis rail to eyebolt centre. I'm wondering if the shrunk-on washer is meant to be enough or whether I can expect to have to make up another bronze/brass C-washer plus some shims.

Wifey has got the camera so I can't add a pic.

Part 52 in that pic seems to be a simple flat C-washer to keep the rear torsionbar arm on and it isn't the same dimensions as the eyebolt one. The piece I'm looking to sort out isn't shown on that pic. Maybe the problem had been sorted during the production run?

[mike.perry]

Some cars seem to have a C spacer between the chassis and the eye bolt, some don't. Graham tried his 1950 MM without the spacers and you could see the wheels leaning out at the top. My '52 MM does not have the spacers. I would suggest putting the suspension together loosely and see what it looks like, and fit metalastic bushes in the eye bolts.

[RobThomas]

At the moment the floor of the car is about 3 feet above the ground, all nicely suspended on a 4-wheeled dolly. Not much chance of trying out the camber for the next few months!

All this stuff has got me wondering. Aren't there some extra bolt holes on M1000s near the damper that could've been added to allow the damper arm to be swung inwards rather than having to pack the eyebolt out?

[alex_holden]

I thought the extra holes were for fitting a different (physically larger) model of damper. A while back somebody posted that they had got hold of a pair of these oversize dampers, which were never used on production Minors, and they fitted perfectly.

[bmcecosse]

You will have to pack the eyebolts to suit the car - it's nothing to do with 'MM' - it's just all standard Minor suspension. Your extra washers etc are just someones attempt at getting the wheels upright. The washers compensate for imperfections in the geometry of the legs. Interested to hear of these 'larger' front dampers - I haven't heard this before - although I have suggested in the past this may be what they are for. They won't be used to change the camber!! The change is far too great....