Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi All

about ayear ago i bought a donor minor which had the "Bolt on" front telescopic damper mod which you can buy now from ESM.

i have now refurbed all the brackets and fitted them to my Morris im currently refurbishing but in need of finding what telescopic damper is used? i have heard there from a Mini can anyone please confim for me.

Also the car came with the rear telescopic damper with the bar that bolts/welds to the boot floor with the dampers at an angle mounted to the lower sping clamp. i would like to install this kit as well, i do know that its not the best design but i have a lot to do/spend on the morris and cant be tied up by making a better turreted design now as i want to get all welding/bodywork complete and car runnning with the new twin cam. can anyone confirm what telescopic dampers are used with the rear kit as well please.

king regards

Just stick with the lever arm dampers - and fill them with SAE40 oil. They work fine provided they are not leaking. You can add the front tele dampers if you like - but Mini dampers won't have nearly enough stroke length. The rear kit with dampers at an angle is horrible - don't bother!!

on the front i will be using the original damper. i have filled the armstrong with i believe SAE90, if its too harsh used in tandem with the tele ill use a thiner oil ie 40 or do without and just use the tele.

it will probably be fine with my likeing as im used to a very harsh ride.

the rear im building is a escort axel which ive re-located the mounts, on the weekend im going to find a car that can lend its radius arms to the morris the adapt to fit the axel etc.

i have heard no bad feedback regarding the standard armstrongs thats why ive left the fronts working

would you say leave the rears working as well and use tele dampers for extra damping also would you recommend traveler leafs with this setup as the spring rate is higher.

if the angled setup is innefective would you recommend me getting say mini rears and fabbing up my own turrets.

im very keen on using the tele setup so i will enevitable opt to use them.

also can you tell me what shocks to get for my existing setup

many thanks

Yes to Traveller 7 leaf springs - much better. Yes to keeping the lever arm dampers all round - add to them by all means. I used SAE90 oil before in my rally Minor - worked ok - but I don't suggest it on here in case it damages the dampers. I suspect Mini dampers are FAR too short travel to be any use front OR rear. Remember - the Mini has very short travel suspension - the Minor is long travel.

Thanks for the info but I ask what dampers do the kits use for front and rear so I can get replacements for mine as my originals are shot

Cheers

I know that's what you asked for - and sorry - no idea - but I can tell you (because I have tried them!) Mini ones are no use/too short stroke, although I believe some kits do supply them....... I feel sure if you take the dampers into an autoparts place - they may be able to match up the stroke length and the end fittings - or prowl about at autojumbles !

Hi again, looking at mini dampers on e-bay they seem to be in the pictures too short as said above so stil lhave no idea what to get...

i have this kit here:

http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pro ... 1ce5a8710d

they seem to sell dampers on the site but i would like to know what car they come off to give me a wider choice range.


the rear kit is this one

http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pro ... 1ce5a8710d

it seems like the rear uses longer dampers than the front

can anyone else help me at all

thanks for your help

I can't help you as I have the welded on type from Owen Burton which were MkI Ford Cortina I think

I can only suggest that you contact ESM and ask them what car the kit was originally based on.

In the end I bought a set of uprated gas mini shocks, there about half an inch shorter than the old duff ones from the Owen burton bolt on front and rear kits that I've got which should not be a problem as I've lowered the car

I phoned up esm who supply the kits now it seemed like it was a secret and wouldn't give me the part number for there uprated spax shocks that they supply and said that I had to buy from them to get the part number

Bit poor really as i have spent over 1000 with them and seems a shame that no one has a choice of getting replacements elsewhere after forking out for the whole kit.

Unless you restrict the suspension movement - these dampers WILL be too short. They are also designed to 'damp' a light weight Mini with self damping rubber suspension - they won't cope well with the much heavier Minor and it's bouncy metal springs. Don't put any great faith in anything supplied by OB!!!

ohc_turbo wrote: I phoned up esm who supply the kits now it seemed like it was a secret and wouldn't give me the part number for there uprated spax shocks that they supply and said that I had to buy from them to get the part number

why not just phone SPAX? im sure they will know what fits a minor, they might even have a kit?

I think these are the ones you want http://www.spax.co.uk/classic_products-ckx.php no price though so you may have to phone them.

He seems determined to go with the too short/too weak Mini ones.........

This might help with determining the length of damper needed http://www.spax.co.uk/ownershandbooks/C ... book-9.pdf I agree that the Mini dampers are far too short as they would surely bottom out too early and not allow enough droop when cornering?

Exactly.....

ohc_turbo wrote:Hi All

about ayear ago i bought a donor minor which had the "Bolt on" front telescopic damper mod which you can buy now from ESM.

i have now refurbed all the brackets and fitted them to my Morris im currently refurbishing but in need of finding what telescopic damper is used? i have heard there from a Mini can anyone please confim for me.

Also the car came with the rear telescopic damper with the bar that bolts/welds to the boot floor with the dampers at an angle mounted to the lower sping clamp. i would like to install this kit as well, i do know that its not the best design but i have a lot to do/spend on the morris and cant be tied up by making a better turreted design now as i want to get all welding/bodywork complete and car runnning with the new twin cam. can anyone confirm what telescopic dampers are used with the rear kit as well please.

king regards

Hi unfortunately I dont know what dampers are used on the front kit however the rear kit you have will be using Mini front tele's what you need to be careful with is that they can cause the rear floor to split especially if the channel section is welded into place as I have seen this happen on a couple of cars in the past, at the rear there is not a problem with the travel as its less than at the front, they also need to be of the thin walled type rather than the thick walled type, if I remember correctly the standard KYB ones are of the correct type. I have a couple at home somewhere if you need measurement's.
with the front kit I think that the original levers are only used as a mounting link so to speak, I have some info somewhere if you need it.

Mini front dampers have VERY short travel! The rear suspension on a Minor has a LOT of travel - especially if the bump stops have been cut down to allow the car to be lowered! What probably causes the 'cracking' will be the back axle banging on to the fully stretched damper on droop - and tearing the mounting away from the floor!

bmcecosse wrote:Mini front dampers have VERY short travel! The rear suspension on a Minor has a LOT of travel - especially if the bump stops have been cut down to allow the car to be lowered! What probably causes the 'cracking' will be the back axle banging on to the fully stretched damper on droop - and tearing the mounting away from the floor!

And how is the back axle supposed to touch the damper !!

Kevin - the whole back axle is hanging on the damper! On full droop - it will be pulling the short travel damper downwards putting great strain on the upper (floor?) mount. The original lever arm dampers have massive extra travel built in - so even on full droop they don't strain the chassis mounting point for the arm.

Hi, i didnt realise i had replies, i have to set up the instant notification in the user CP..

i have got a set of mini dampers now due to the fact of lack of information on the original ones that came with the kit and not by choosing the dampers by ignorance. The fact is the mini ones are about 1/2 an inch shorther than the ones supplied with the kit, which is not too short in my opinion.

Im going to be using them on the rear firstly so if i do get any info about shocks that are 1/2 inch longer than ill get these for the front.

The rear kit that i have is not the best but it will adequatly peform well possibly in the future ill carry out a turreted setup using diffrent style dampers but for now i just need to get along with more pressing issues such as finishing off some welding, installing marina pedal box and fixing new brake lines etc. basically i need to concentrate gettting the car a rolling chassis.

if anyone does have an i dea of what dampers are longer which will suit the front please post up the info for me as im sure it will be needed in the near future

cheers