how's your legs??

[Morrisminormo]

I was wondering what the average condition of the chassis legs are on cars that are in regular use? I'm on my third moggy now and all have been good cars £2-3500 average saloons. But the chassis legs have always been patched somewhere over the years and my current moggy is no exception. I have read on this forum that patches do nothing for the structural strength of the legs, and they must be changed. I can't imagine all the morris minors in every day use/regular have recently changed legs, I bet most have patches here or their. Unless they have been restored to former glory, and cost a lot more than mine

What are your legs like??

[chesney]

Mine are brand new
The problem is they rot out from the inside, so unless an owner has taken steps to apply some protection to the inside, they are likely to rot out.
Another problem I had on my white 4 door was the eyebolt collapsing, the eyebolt has a bracket spot welded inside to take the strain, the welds broke on mine after 50 years, and the leg split around the eyebolt. The actual nut was sitting in the leg itself when I discovered it, having driven it on the A1 the day before from Peterborough to Yorkshire...
So imperative that you look after the chassis legs in my view, not sure whether that answers your question though, but if you apply wax oil or similar to the inside of them they shouldn't rot out.

[bmcecosse]

Back in the day - owners used to pour old engine oil into the legs to preserve them...

[Morrisminormo]

I want mine doing as I use mine daily and the ns is patched

It's finding someone to do it for reasonable cost

[Ufudu]

Here's mine before and after. I had also driven 150 mile with the leg in that state

The RHS leg was very rotten at least half its length up front (you can see some of the welding patches from the PO). The LHS was bad also, as was the front X member.

They were the original legs and I replaced them last year (1960 model) so that's 54 years...

I put in quite a lot of effort to rust proof the inside before assembly. I'll let you know in 54 years time what they look like! [frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[Morrisminormo]

Thank for the pictures, looks very good now

[SteveClem]

I paid Charles Ware £110 to wax inject all internal box sections. They advised doing it every 3 years. Time will tell if it works but can't do any harm?

[Morrisminormo]

I paid Charles Ware £110 to wax inject all internal box sections. They advised doing it every 3 years. Time will tell if it works but can't do any harm?

The wax would run out mine

[SteveClem]

So at least they are well ventilated!

[Trickydicky]

I have found you can rust proof inside the chassis legs two ways, one is to drill 10mm holes in the engine bay above the chassis legs and inject the potion of your choice, then use rubber plugs to seal the hole, the second way is to remove the gearbox cover and again inject the potion of choice.

If you wish to use old oil and are worried about using old engine oil with it being acidic, then you could use old gearbox oil instead.

[drivewasher]

I have found you can rust proof inside the chassis legs two ways, one is to drill 10mm holes in the engine bay above the chassis legs and inject the potion of your choice, then use rubber plugs to seal the hole, the second way is to remove the gearbox cover and again inject the potion of choice.

If you wish to use old oil and are worried about using old engine oil with it being acidic, then you could use old gearbox oil instead.

I use new oil

[Trickydicky]

I have found you can rust proof inside the chassis legs two ways, one is to drill 10mm holes in the engine bay above the chassis legs and inject the potion of your choice, then use rubber plugs to seal the hole, the second way is to remove the gearbox cover and again inject the potion of choice.

If you wish to use old oil and are worried about using old engine oil with it being acidic, then you could use old gearbox oil instead.

I use new oil

New oil is available from all good motoring shops

[kennatt]

Provided the rot is cut out,and the patch welded properly all the way round onto sound metal,there is nothing wrong with doing it.I don't see the point in ripping a complete leg out,if a small repair will do. You risk throwing the allignment out unless done very carefuly. Different if you are preparing concours car of course. Should NEVER be just stuck over the top of the rusty section ,which I have seen many times.But if cut out and butt welded then dressed up just as strong as the original..

[Mark Wilson]

I remember a mate back in the sixties repairing the bottom of a leg with structural grade chicken wire, bodyfiller and lashings of underseal. Think MOT testers were a bit less diligent back then.

Mark

[SteveClem]

At university,back in 1971,we replaced most of a moggy floor with flattened beer cans. Under seal beneath and carpet glued on top. Passed 2 MOT's I think.

[les]

I think Bodgery courses were dropped in '72, you must be one of the last to obtain a Degree.

[SteveClem]

I studied geology so I knew it was no good paving the floor with flagstones! The things we used to do...

[chesney]

Ufudu,
That's exactly the same as my '60 4 door, the eyebolt collapsed into the chassis leg in that exact fashion. I always wondered why it looked low on one side!
My traveller has new chassis legs fitted, full length, both sides. They were well and truly gone, there was evidence of patching on the n/s but not a lot of 'leg' left to confirm!
There was a large hole under the master cylinder too, when a fluid leak occurs it strips any protection underneath and allows rot to set in.
Fitted new tie plates too, these have three holes each side to allow me to spray 50/50 waxoil/gearbox oil into them. It is not a job I fancy doing again! I would suggest any Minor owner to do the same.

[Morrisminormo]

How long does it take for someone to change both sides?. Average?

[chesney]

Difficult to say, as we changed the front tie plates and crossmember too. Iirc it took us approx a week to fit them, but that didn't include taking the engine out and other panels you'd have I remove. It takes a long time as everything has to be braced, and measured, and measured again! Then cut out, test fitted, adjusted, etc, etc. Nothing wrong with patches done properly, with good metal to good metal. Can you show us a picture of yours?