Front suspension- is this right?

for those with Series MM sidevalve cars produced between September 1948 and February 1953
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Mick Lynch
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Front suspension- is this right?

Post by Mick Lynch »

Clack and click from suspension.
Put hand on top swivel and wife turn steering it was ok but when bouncing could feel movement between the top swivel and the pin to the shock absorber.

Haynes manual shows the bushes on the pin. Dismantling however shows a threaded arrangement nothing like indicated. Photo.
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I’ve got any amount of bushes (from ESM) but these are unsuitable it seems. Anyone know what I need or of this is the correct arrangement. The car has not been on the road since the 80s if the tax and licence plate are to be believed.

The thread to the stub axle/steering is nice with little to none slogger.

The car is a 1951 series MM
philthehill
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by philthehill »

The top trunnion set up is correct for the age of the car.
If you are not too worried about originality you can fit the later type top trunnion with rubber bushes. BMC fitted rubber bushes to the top trunnion as a factory incorporated mod to eliminate rattles caused by the screw trunnion . The details of which can be found in BMC wksp man Section K10 - K13.

Mick Lynch
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by Mick Lynch »

philthehill wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:02 pm If you are not too worried about originality you can fit the later type top trunnion with rubber bushes.
Phill, thanks,
I don’t have the manual so it was a bit of a surprise. I note ESM do the top trunnions and pin, will these be a fit onto my existing king pin do you think? Did they change the thread at any point? I suspect they are handed also.

I had a Morris 1000 in the early 90s but it’s a learning experience this one...
philthehill
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by philthehill »

The top trunnions are handed - R/H & L/H thread.
The swivel thread is/was the same (70% Whitworth profile) throughout the years. The only change is the undercut swivel threads with appropriate oversize thread trunnions. Those trunnions are painted RED to identify then from standard.
I know of nothing that will hinder the change from screwed trunnion to rubber bushed trunnion.
You do need the manual as it is a little more than just changing the top trunnion and pin. Section K 11 sets out what you require to do to incorporate the changes.

RobThomas
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by RobThomas »

That's the first one of those original top trunnions I've ever seen. Amazing that it has lasted so long
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kennatt
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by kennatt »

I saw one once about 1966 ,It was embedded in the road after a suspension collapse ,forced it all back together,strapped it up with fencing wire (stolen from a farmers fence, wonder where he thought that bit of wire went), drove 2 mile back home .No way I could afford a recovery back then.
RobThomas
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by RobThomas »

Mick. Any chance of some more photos of it all dismantled? I'll never get to see one in up close.

Thanks.
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Mick Lynch
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by Mick Lynch »

A few more photos. The male thread is quite worn. The threaded hole for the suspension pin breaks through into the kingpin thread. I had to remove the pin to screw the trunnion off the king pin.
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RobThomas
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by RobThomas »

Thanks for doing that.

Amazing that somebody thought it was a good design and nobody stopped them.
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smithskids
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by smithskids »

I have been messing with Morris Minors since 1957 and that is the first one I have seen, Brill, I wonder who dreamed that design up!!
Mick Lynch
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by Mick Lynch »

I got a workshop manual
Looking at the aforementioned section K could anyone tell me the face to face dimension of part numbered

183471-Z

My understanding is the rubber bushed upper trunnions move the top of the swivel pin outboard and the C washer does the same on the bottom to maintain the camber
philthehill
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by philthehill »

The 'U' shaped washer. Must be used with washer Pt No: 127889-Z.
The 'U' shaped washer removed from my Minor was made of bronze.
I cannot give an exact dimension requested but if I remember correctly it pushes the eye of the eye bolt out about 5/16".
If you want to increase the negative camber you can use one of the 'U' washers if not already fitted. You cannot use multiples of the 'U' washer as the 'U' washer has a centre recess.
All part of the conversion to fit rubber bushed top trunnions.
Unfortunately negative camber eye bolts are no longer available unless made special to order.
Even with the right parts the camber on either side may be different and may need to be adjusted accordingly.

Mick Lynch
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by Mick Lynch »

philthehill wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 7:53 pm All part of the conversion to fit rubber bushed top trunnions.
As an alternative would it be viable to replace the bottom eyebolt for a newer one? That’s to say all we discussed above was to ‘convert’ from the existing screwed to modified bushed so I’m assuming that after the change happened during the production run then Morris Motors modified the bottom eye bolt to suit?

Does that make sense or is it an oversimplification?
philthehill
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by philthehill »

You can change the bottom eye bolt so long as you undertake the rest of the conversion.
To repeat - fitting the modified eye bolt was all part of the improvements to the front suspension.

plumby74
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Re: Front suspension- is this right?

Post by plumby74 »

I agree that I have never seen the laterally-threaded top trunnion pin arrangement on a surviving MM either!

Amazing that it was still in service. I've come across some bronze trunnions over the years, but never that earliest style still fitted to a car. When exactly was it dropped/changed by the Factory?
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