Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi everyone I plan on lowering my morris with lowering blocks at the back and matching it at the front by adjusting torsion bar, my question is how do I adjust the camber if possible?

Simplest way to do it is to slacken off the torsion bars and eyebolts, and use suitable sized slotted (i.e., so you can slide them into the loosened eyebolts) spacers or flat washers fitted between the eyebolt and chassis leg; they need to have an internal diameter of approx. 17.5mm, and be approx. 1/8"-5/16" thick (the thickness sets the amount of increased negative camber, i.e., pushes the wheel out more at the bottom, and thus in more at the top).

Alternatively, purchase specially-machined eyebolts, but they are as rare as hen's teeth and as a result, usually expensive.

beware of lowering; I lowered my 1970 Traveller a few years ago by just 1.5" all round, and while it handled great on smooth tarmac and looked good, the ride was very crashy and bumpy over the many rutted local roads, and there was the added problem when it came to parking on a cambered road, whereby the bottom of the door would hit against any moderately high kerb as you opened it, making for awkward entry/exit.

I endured this for a few years, then returned to normal ride height.

Do not expect the camber to be the same on both sides even if you put the same thickness washers between the eye bolt and chassis leg.
The camber can vary between sides and should be checked with a camber gauge.
My negative camber was checked with a Dunlop camber gauge and an extra 1/8" spacer washer had to be fitted on one side.
To spread the load around the chassis eye bolt hole use a large plate that should preferably cover the raised portion of the chassis leg around the eye bolt hole.
These are the special eye bolts mentioned above - note the 'U' washers.
Phil

I worked it out at 3.2mm per degree, IIRC

With rubber top bushes fitted the camber is already set at 1 degree.

The problem with the Minor suspension geometry is that as the suspension is depressed i.e. when cornering hard the camber becomes more positive as aptly shown in the attached photo of my Minor cornering at over 72mph at Gurston - so to get the most benefit with the negative camber the camber needs to be set at least 2 degree negative at rest and at normal ride height.
Phil

Philthehill .... who is making those eyebolts?

Hi Frosty

No-one is making them to my knowledge. There were some companies making them in the past, but no longer. There has been discussion about it on here in the past if you want to do a search.
One of this messageboard's members was threatening to make them a while back, but I don't think he has gone into production.

Don

The eye bolts were sold by Minor Mania but they have not had any manufactured for some considerable time. The ones pictured above had sat in a drawer for over 15 years before I purchased them.
I am not aware that any other company produced a eye bolt that allowed negative camber to be increased.
The horseshoe washers allow for up to 4 degrees of negative camber to be introduced.
There have been eye bolts produced privately but they are in the single figures and for their owners own consumption. There is a thread on here if you can find it.
The eye bolts I have are also fitted with hard plastic bushes (pre poly bushes) again supplied by Minor Mania. The Minor Mania eye bolt is normally fitted with one hard plastic bush with thrust face - I have modified and fitted two bushes per eye so giving a thrust face fore and aft of the eye bolt. Also grease nipples have been fitted.
Minor Mania used to produce a multitude of Minor performance equipment but that has been reduced drastically.

They were going to work out at about £65 for a set so there wasn't enough interest to get them made. Phil and others supplied the dimensions and drawings and I played about with them before getting some quotes.

Rob
Taking account of inflation since the Minor Mania eye bolts were originally advertised (see advert above) - £65 or thereabouts is cheaper than the original offering.
The spacers can always be made up from flat plate and do not have to be of a horseshoe form which was done to make changing of the camber easy.
Phil

I think there would be a lot of keen buyers here in Oz.

Don

Having spent money setting up to remanufacture ALTA parts I have found that for every 5 people who say they want something there are another 5 who say they want it but then don't end up purchasing. I also had trouble with a bounced cheque that I had to chase up. Since I was making zero profit it wasn't much fun.

Hi Rob
I understand what you are saying.

I think that as the organizer these projects for the benefit of other Minor owners you are entitled to get a fair return for your time, expertise and work.

Don

Thanks for the reply’s guys really helpful
I have the torsion bar off the car at the moment as replacing bushes and rear bracket, with the torsion bar on the floor and front are flat on the floor this is the measurement I have at the rear, is it about right to match the rear with 1.5inch lowering block

Andrew
You need to set the thick front suspension arm to the standard height as per the attached diagram and then raise/turn the thick front arm by one spline which will lower the car by 1.5" so matching the lowered rear.
Use measurement 'C' as the datum/start point.
Phil

don58van wrote: ↑Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:49 pm I think there would be a lot of keen buyers here in Oz.

Don

A$120 or so plus some postage is excellent.
I would even pre pay !!