Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Front suspension longevity

Get some motorcycle chain grease.

That's what I use as well.

+2

In response to Lecats post(I think)I have attached some photographs of the Vesconite Hilube bushes that I have fitted to my 4/4's Stub Axles, the Bushes I made have 2 pairs of opposing helical groves connecting to a annular groove at the one end thus allowing the lubricant to circulate with the rotation of the Stub Axles about King Pins, although in theory being made with a PTFE filler the Bushes should not require this amount of detailing, but I am a belt and braces man. The Bushes were made for a resultant fit in the Stub Axles that line bored at both ends,leaving shoulders for the Bushes to register against, avoiding any axial movement of the Bushes when fitted. I also bored the seating for the lower Bush to accommodate a Lip seal that is shown in the one photograph.the outcome has been as I hoped with a close transition fit with no reaming

Interesting....looks like a quality job.

I agree with Richard
I like the solution with the line bored 'shoulders' - I guess it requires 'professional machinery/-ing' though...
Mine are press fit, 'glued' and reamed - wasn't my idea from the beginning but it seems to work.
Thanks for photos!

Nice job.

PJB recommends the lip seal too. He says that the lip should face downwards to act as a wiper to keep the dirt out. That is to say not upwards to keep the grease in.

Yes Peter I must admit to some extent I am a plagiarist although I stole the idea from a article on The Morgan Owners Club of Australia's excellent website not Peter Ballard. The only features I have added is the line bored stub axes to produce shoulders that aid the stability of the bushes and the grease groove pattern in the bushes themselves.
Please excuse my feeble attempts at photography, but the lip seal is outward facing.

I have no idea who came up with the idea first. I know that Peter Ballard trims the outside circumference of the seal to make it fit. I think boring the stub axle to accept the seal is a great idea. This is one of those things that Morgan should do as standard if they insist on keeping this type of front suspension. After all they have had a few years to develop the system.

As far as I'm aware the factory has never fitted hard chrome kingpins. They switched from mild steel to stainless around the same time as they tried the Devol bushes, but went back to bronze after they found the Devol had stiction problems.