Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello Everone

Ok I hope you can help me out here?

due to ill health "Olive" my moggy was stood for 3 months outside my flat, now "Olive's" owner is a bit better I took her to Manchester for a full service etc etc.

On the way back over the A57 snake pass I heard a big bang coming from the back left, this is still happening when I do a sharp right turn and pressure is put on the back left suspension, the noise is just like somone hiting the bodywork with a hammer!

Ive had a good look underneath and nothing is leaking or broken (As far as I can see)

I also have the updated rear suspension fitted to the rear and that looks like it is ok.

What could it be ?

It's not the exhaust hitting somewhere is it?
Most times if it's been hitting something, there will be evidence in the way of a shiny spot.

updated rear suspension

Are the dampers (shock absorbers) mounted vertically or at an angle (viewed from the rear)? I've seen angled ones here come very close to the exhaust.

hitting the bodywork with a hammer!

PS you don't have a hammer sliding around in the boot I assume.

Scott wrote:It's not the exhaust hitting somewhere is it?
Most times if it's been hitting something, there will be evidence in the way of a shiny spot.

updated rear suspension

Are the dampers (shock absorbers) mounted vertically or at an angle (viewed from the rear)? I've seen angled ones here come very close to the exhaust.

hitting the bodywork with a hammer!

PS you don't have a hammer sliding around in the boot I assume.

Hello Scott

The dampers are mounted vertically, I will jack up "Olive" again & look for and signs of a shiny spot.

As for the hammer question?
That did cross my imne as well so I took all the tools out of the car + the spare wheel so there was nothing at all in the back & it still made the noise?.

Paul,
Try to jack it up from under the axle U bolt area. This way the N/S/R will be under load & it should be easier to see what might come in contact with it. Jacking the body up will let the wheel hang down & it might not be easy to see what can hit what.
Make sure you have it properly supported before crawling under to have a look.
It could be something worn in the suspension, but better to check the easy stuff first.

Scott wrote:Paul,
Try to jack it up from under the axle U bolt area. This way the N/S/R will be under load & it should be easier to see what might come in contact with it. Jacking the body up will let the wheel hang down & it might not be easy to see what can hit what.
Make sure you have it properly supported before crawling under to have a look.
It could be something worn in the suspension, but better to check the easy stuff first.

Thanks Scott

I will jack up "Olive" A.S.A.P & report back

it is possible for the rear shackle bolt hole to brake out (normally due to corrosion)
People have a tendency to plate the rotten metal around the hole, but giving no strength to the tubular section. This is often hard to see as the tubular secytion comes loose insiide the rear chassis extensions but the fracture line is obscured by the suspension rubbers / shackle plates.
The result is that the top of the leaf spring eye bangs into the bottom of the rear chassis extension and this sound is along the lines that you describe.
To find it, jack the car under the u-bolt and check that the top of the rear spring eye is clear of the car.

Golfball in your fuel tank?

i like that one to ray
the exhaust on crossmember/ body but it would be many knocking sounds

[quote="ive had a good look underneath and nothing is leaking or broken (As far as I can see)
([/quote]

Im going blind as a bat

The rear left spring is broken!

Its done well its only lasted 34 years.

Ive been told that I have to replaced both back springs as the car will tilt slightly if I only replace the broken rear left one?

replace both of them. they have probably been supporting the minor all those years.
many minors need new rear springs.

While you are replacing the pair of rear springs fit a full set(12)
of the polyurethene bushes to replace the rubber type. Well worth
it.

Ive been told that I have to replaced both back springs as the car will tilt slightly if I only replace the broken rear left one?

It may do, but then it might not. Replace the broken leaf spring on the n/s and see what happens. Your car may have had one or more replacement spring in it's long life and you can't say whether the o/s spring has flattened until you put on new one on the n/s and compare.

I found three leaves broken on my o/s the day after I bought my minor (I had missed this fact when inspecting the car before purchase). The front of the car tilted upwards slightly. A week later and the 4th leaf broke. Faced with replacement I rang ESM and asked their advice whether I should replace both rearsprings at the same time. They advised me to replace the broken one and see if the rear remained level. I did so and found there was no difference. Nearly 5 years later I'm glad I took their advice and saved my money as the n/s spring is still fine.

I've heard since from several sources that the spring on the driver's side tends to go first because it is the side which always has to bear one person's weight (this would seem to make sense). Of course very few minors will have paperwork showing when rear springs were replaced in the past and you can't be sure that the springs on either side are the same age, type, quality or manufacturer. So replacing both may be a waste of money as it was (or would have been) in my case.

I'm glad I took their advice and saved my money

only reason not to change both springs

I've heard since from several sources that the spring on the driver's side tends to go first because it is the side which always has to bear one person's weight (this would seem to make sense). ????????

not good enginering pratice to change 1 spring

Worked for me, but that's because someone had only changed one spring a few year earlier! The old one snapped and the new one was virtually perfect so it did not make any sense to change it.

I did remove it to change the bushes while I was at it though.

When I was a skint 18 year old student, just starting to learn about Minors, I replaced 1 rear spring (with a second hand one) as the car had some tilt. That's when I found out it was the torsion bar setting making the car look wrong, not a faulty rear leaf. Then I did the front suspension setting and the car was fine.
12 years of hard abuse and high mileage later the rear springs were still fine, but maybe fitting new rear bump stops helped them keep going. I expect spring failure comes a lot quicker if the bump stops are missing as the spring has to do nearly double the travel.

hmmm i have a bump stop on one side, but not the other....... maybe I need to to that when I go back home again!

I was a skint 18 year old student, just starting to lear about

Fair enough Ray

Cam, if they did both at the same time in the first place, you would not have suffered the broken one.
(if ive read that right)

1 more thing.
the source of the springs. they can come from different manufacturers.
they may have a different steal or something.
if you dont get them at same time they may be different.
is you get at same time they will usually be a good match.

torsion bars can be adjusted rear springs cant.

Cam, if they did both at the same time in the first place, you would not have suffered the broken one.

Absolutely! I was just stating that replacing both at once is not ALWAYS the best thing to do. If you have a sad looking rusty one and a broken one then it does make sense to change them both. BUT as I said if you have a nice shiney one and broken one then it's pointless to replace them both.

1 more thing.
the source of the springs. they can come from different manufacturers.
they may have a different steal or something.
if you dont get them at same time they may be different.
is you get at same time they will usually be a good match.

Hmmm....... there can't be THAT many makers of Minor rear springs surely?? I bet most of the suppliers buy from the same place anyway. I bought mine from Birmingham but I bet they are identical to Bull Motif, ESM, London etc.

I can't see the materials being different enough to cause problems. But I take your point.

torsion bars can be adjusted rear springs cant.

Very true.

I can't say I consider whether a component looks a bit dirty or rusty - what I care about is whether it still works properly? My point being that (unless money is no object) why not change the broken spring and then see whether the car is level. No doubt a perfectionist would want to change them at the same time (which is up to them) but it's not always necessary. You've lost nothing by following this course as the springs can be changed independant of each other as can many handed items - for instance I have one new and one old drum at the front of my minor. This causes no problems - when it does I'll buy a new drum.