Morris Minor Owners Club

One more question before I dive in and strip down the front end. What is the consensus on eyebolt bushes? Poly or Rubber? Some have suggested poly at the rear and rubber at the front. Thoughts?

I went with poly all around, as the rubber ones don't seem to last very long, and I don't want to have to replace them anytime soon.

The best seems to be steel centred one piece rubber bushes for the eyebolt, poly elsewhere - although fitting two poly at the tiebar makes it very inflexible, and I opted to fit poly on the outside - but retained a rubber on the inside. The poly taking the braking forces - the rubber allowing some flexibility, and allowing the nut to be tightened right up to get the best possible caster angle!

"the best possible caster angle"
What would that be then Roy?

I used metalastic bushes in my eyebolts. Once fitted they are almost there for life, 25 years so far. The outside diameter should just fit in the eyebolt and the inside diameter should just fit over the fulcrum pin. You may have to cut them to the correct length.

I fitted Superflex polyurethane bushes everywhere as part of the restoration 12 years and 37,000 miles ago. No problems of any kind, with the exception of the odd squeak from suspension movement - believe the current bushes come with a lubricant? None show any kind of wear, including the front eye bolt ones.

Metalastic - that's the name I couldn't remember last night. Best caster angle for me is "as much as possible"!

I see.
caster angle;
The purpose of this is to provide a degree of self-centering for the steering - the wheel casters around so as to trail behind the axis of steering. This makes a car easier to drive and improves its straight line stability (reducing its tendency to wander). Excessive caster angle will make the steering heavier and less responsive, although, in off-road racing, large caster angles are used to improve camber gain in cornering.

I'm not going to ask what camber gain is.

Look at any modern car parked on full lock - the 'outer' wheel will be showing a lot of -ve camber - and the 'inner' wheel may actually be in +ve camber. That's camber gain - but of course modern cars also have power steering!

Thanks for the advice. Think I will look for some Metallastic Bushes. How about tie rod ends? Poly or Rubber?

I believe that the lubricant to use on polybushes is white grease.

I've just done the entire front end in poly (albeit cheapies for now) and I have to say the front end feels a darned sight better than it did before.

As I suggested above - poly on the outside - but (new) rubber on the inside to give a little flexibility.

Has anybody found a source for the metalastic bushes? I never can find them.
Regards
Declan

Try your local bearing stockist. I got mine from Brammer UK Ltd, was Bearing Services Ltd.