Replacing leaf springs, improving ride quality

[picky]

Hi people,

One of my leaf springs has snapped, and they were both sagging pretty badly beforehand so time to replace them both. I want to order all the parts I will need in one go. Here is what I think I will need:

2 x leaf springs
4 x U bolts
2 x bump stops (damaged anyway)
8 x rubber bushes
4 rubber pads for between spring? or only 2?
Do the shackle pins usually survive being taken off or will I likely be hacksawing them.

Im wanting to improve the ride quality in terms of comfort, the front suspension has less than 1 inch of travel between the kingpin and the bump stop, so Im going to adjust the torsion bars. Also there is a slight lean to the drivers side, Im hoping that with new rear springs if it is still leaning I should be able to adjust the torsion bars, or maybe even just moving the vernier plates.

And with the dampers, Ive looked at old forum posts, I have bought a plastic syringe with a tube to drain the old oil and then fill with SAE 40. Is this the same for front and back? Anything Ive missed out?

Picky

[mike.perry]

What car is it? Earlier cars had 7 leaf rear springs which are not the same as Traveller springs, fit 5 leaf springs

[picky]

Ah right, itsa 1969 saloon 4 door, so I was going for 5 leaf springs.

[beero]

My car was sat around for 22 years and everything came apart no problems but you may also need locating plates as mine were very rusty, part no 11 in this diagram
http://www.morris-minor.co.uk/p261.htm

[picky]

Thanks, I will wire brush the locating plates on the car and see what condition they are in.

[bmcecosse]

Welcome back 'picky'! Yes - you will need new pins and plates at the front - they pretty much never survive. And do go for polyurethane bushes - not rubber! And drain/refill the dampers with SAE 40 oil.

[picky]

Well I am not sure about the poly bushes, from reading about them it seems they improve the "road holding" at the expense of "ride comfort". Although Ive always though the suspension was poor just due to the age and design of the car, didnt realize until recently how low the suspension travel was!

[bmcecosse]

The 'ride' would be poor because it would be effectively sitting on the bump stops. You can reasonably cut 1.5" off the rear stops - but do try to retain the taper shape to give some progression.

[kennatt]

you're right about polybushing,did mine and it handles like a sports car but,is a very hard ride,I belive you can get a softer version of poly,well you can for the reliant scimitars,which I have just done so probably can for minors.