Post Photobucket Reboot............
From August 2013.
I spoke too soon that the Roadster had behaved impeccably............but it did get us home OK.
On the way to the event on Sunday, we heard a loud pinging noise, like a hammer hitting a tube, from the nearside rear. The road wasn't especially bumpy, and I wondered if a spoke had snapped. On later inspection the spokes were intact and the Morgan drove normally, so I though no more about it. A large stone hitting the exhaust could cause such a noise.
However, I've spent today cleaning the Roadster, including underneath, and I found that the offside lower shock absorber mounting, which connects the damper to the brake backplate has sheared off. It's not a great design, as the bolt holes are on the edge of the metal plate, but the direct acting force - you would imagine - would be down. But the way this bracket has fractured shows a sideways force at work.
I have ordered both sides, but will be off the road until the factory can supply. Look at the top edge of the left hand small piece and you can see a badly finished sawtooth pattern, ideal for encouraging a stress fracture.
Photo UnavailableFrom the side you can see how this bracket has been bent:
Photo Unavailable And here is the other side, which looks sound, but there isn't much metal around those holes!
Photo UnavailableWhat is amazing is that we motored over 400 miles with the offside damper totally disconnected. It never banged and there were some periods at fairly high speed round corners, and it never felt twitchy. There was no sign of the damage.
With hindsight, the only thing I do recall was that under hard acceleration, it seemed to squat more than normal at the rear. I put that down to the luggage.
From now on I won't worry so much about the number of clicks..............
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Frank, the dampers are not causing the cracks when acting as dampers, only when acting as anti-tramps.
When the power is on and the propshaft puts the torque into the pinion, the crownwheel turns the halfshafts, together in the case of an LSD. With grip at the tyres, the axle casing will rotate backwards with equal and opposite force while ever there is equilibrium as the car accelerates. If traction breaks there will be a sharp rocking effect between power on and slip, and the part which controls most of the movement - these brackets, will be violently flexed.
That's whats going on. It would be less of a problem with no LSD.
Here's the photo I promised.
According to BHM, most if not all cars are now coming with a limited slip diff. Mr Bumble has one.
Now I must log off for a glass of wine and an early night. Another early start tomorrow for Devon.
Back next Thursday.
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The new ones are a tad thicker I think. If Plus 4's can break them then maybe the damper is part to blame but it doesn't explain why mine was pulled away from the backplate.
All sorted now.................
I've washered both sides. This is the tight access inside the brake drum.
You can see the thick washer here.
I've also increased the thickess of the washer on the stub. The one furthest away in this photo.
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This is Bumble's rear damper mini-nut!
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Update:
I spoke to Chris Bailey at the recent NCM about the damper brackets and he told me that Tim Ayres at New Elms Morgan manufactures his own version.
Tim has been in touch, and although now too late for me, the brackets look good. Different vesions are available.
And that's it...................
