Minor Changes - Page 3
Conversion
I'VE tried a couple of other telescopic damper conversions on my own Minor over the years but wasn't particularly impressed with either. Chris explained this was probably due to the dampers not being mounted in the ideal position to work in harmony with the suspension.
But after a test drive in 'Merlin', I was so impressed I arranged to have my car fitted with the Classic Handling System at the CS Autoclassics workshops. The first job was to check the soundness and alignment of the bodyshell - there is little point in attempting to fit an uprated suspension system to a car which is structurally unsound or may have been distorted in an accident. This was carried out by Wells Tyre Service, and we made a point of checking all the suspension geometry, including toe-in, camber, castor and king-pin inclination, using electronic test gear. Back in the workshops, the rear axle was removed and the front suspension dismantled.
Fitting the front dampers is quite straightforward. The rearmost bottom arms of the suspension are replaced with new arms incorporating a pin to take the damper. The top damper bracket is then carefully aligned with the end of the bulkhead crossmember and welded in place. The original lever arm dampers are retained but modified to act as suspension top links.
The lower suspension ride height mentioned earlier means that the rubber rebound stops under the rear axle have to be positioned higher to prevent the suspension upright from touching the damper body when the wheel is at full drop.
The re-engineered axle has pins welded to the rear-most sections of its outer ends to take the telescopic dampers, and brackets on top for the radius arms. When the axle is in place, the top damper brackets are aligned and welded to the inner wings.
Before the radius arms can be fitted, strengthening plates are welded to both sides of the floor, the upper plate being shaped to channel stresses into the cross-member below the rear seat.
With both radius arms installed on the rear axle, the car is then laden with a weight that simulates a full complement of passengers and fuel to determine the position of the front radius arm brackets. These are then welded in place.
And it is as simple as that. The Series IV system employs slightly different components, most notably at the front, where torsion bars and eyebolts need to be changed, but the method of fitting is much the same.
The rear suspension modifications may be a little more complicated than the front but neither are beyond the scope of the competent DIY mechanic, so the uprated suspension packages are also available in kit form for those wanting to do the job themselves.
On the Road
TAKING the wheel for the first time since the suspension update, I couldn't believe the difference in. handling. Whereas before the car had felt `nervous' when cornering, and pitched front to back on the bumpy roads around Somerset, now on those roads it felt taught and precise. The ride is firmer than standard, but not uncomfortable, and once I was used to the new handling characteristics, I felt a greater sense of security that the car could cope better with unexpected hazards.
Long, fast corners could be taken at greater speeds, while on the motorway the car feels more stable.
The front disc brakes give greater confidence, particularly in town traffic, and open road driving is more relaxed, making long journeys much less of a trial. In short, the car is now much more usable than before. As Chris Street points out: `It's a survival line for the Minor... If no-one does it, the following for the car will fall apart.'
Source: Popular Classics Magazine, December 1991. Article written by Paul Jeffries