Morris Minor Owners Club

I suspect the rear springs on Joe need to be replaced. The plate connecting the rear of them to the body is angled back and consequently the lower pivot is nearly touching the underside of the car when unladen. Presumably they should be angled forward or vertical to allow the leaf spring to lengthen when loaded? Can anyone tell me the clear space between the axle or bumpstop and floorpan please?

You should have about two and a half inches between the top a standard bump stop and the bump stop plate on the floor. This is only a general dimension as this can increase to just over three inches in some cases.Basically if your springs look flat (straight) then they are worn they should represent a smile . Look out for the lower leaves cutting into the ones above. If a quick fix is required then we do some slightly longer shackle plates, this method is fine for buying time but the spring should be replaced as soon as possible and the standars plates re-fitted.

Thanks Jonathon.
Having taken a look under the car now I can see the rear springs don't resemble anything like a smile - more like a 'deadpan'
Also there are no rear bumpstops
Time for replacement methinks.

Sounds like the safe option.

Dangerous to run with no bump stops - the dampers may come up to the end of the stroke and then fantastic shock loads will be transmitted through them. So first off - get new bump stops on there !! Note that traveller springs are stronger than saloon springs (7 leaves instead of 5) and may be worth thinking about if you carry a load of stuff about.

I'd recommend fitting poly bushes with the new springs, mostly because they're soooo much easier to fit than rubber ones. You just give them a light smear of copper grease and push them in with your thumb. None of this warming them up, coating with washing up liquid (bound to promote rust, surely) and then still having to squeeze them in by carefully tightening each side of the shackle pin...

Oh yes, and the handling's noticeably sharper too, but without any harshness.

Stig28 wrote: You just give them a light smear of copper grease and push them in with your thumb.

White Grease, surely?

bigginger wrote:White Grease, surely?

Ah, quite possibly. I used copper grease as that's what the hard plastic ones are supposed to have (or so I was told) and, to be honest, I didn't know any better.

Me neither really - JLH advised white a while back for Rubber bushes. I'm about to install a load of Poly ones - anyone know for sure?

White grease is best, but if you have not got any (or can't get any) then copper grease will do. I must admit, I tend to use copper grease for lots of jobs now I have a massive tub of it!

Me too - but dear old Halfords have sterted selling aerosols of White grease too.

Ooooh, not seen that in there before, but I have to say that my local Halfords now looks like a 'chav-only' I.C.E. shop. Supply and demand I guess...

Thanks for the useful discussion. I will have to replace the rear springs as, looking at the thing, there may be enough space for the bumpstops but the springs won't have much travel (perhaps some kind soul would let me know how tall the bumpstops are -just to double check).
I will replace the bushes with poly - as I have done on the front.

No long to go and Trav springs but:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Morris-MinorTrave ... dZViewItem

I have to say that my local Halfords now looks like a 'chav-only' I.C.E. shop.

Ours is being refurbed into a chav shop and everything is moved into one half, so when I went in to find some loctite bearing-lock I had to ask where it was.
The kid looked on the computer, then 5 minutes later said "we don't do it".
Fortunately in that time my eyes had wandered down a different aisle and I seen it. I waved it at him whilst shaking my head, but didn't think it worth taking it back to the counter to show it what it was, as he'd probably not understand...

Don't you just love Halfords

No - mine has turned into an ICE/camping/push bike super store which never seems to bother restocking any of the useful bits and pieces. Bet you next time I go they won't have any more white grease...

My last experience was a bit different....

I was looking for some plastic tubing (I was bleeding brakes), so I asked the young lad if they had anything suitable.

He took me to the right aisle, shelf & said "This is good" - now I had the old sheared off nipple, so I started to measure is against the tubing - next comment _ "Oh, that's an old type nipple - it will fit those as well"

I was just about to fall over in astonishment and then "my dad's got an E-type - do you know anywhere that machines out the nipple from a caliper?" Apparently a replacement caliper (non standard) is around £600

Far to good to be there for long....

All the best,

Colin