A lot of Mogs are weekend cars, and if management doesn't like it, then that severely limits options. And if management doesn't buy into it, being retired won't help. I suspect in many cases that's what's going on.
Nick - the ladder chassis can twist, and flex. You can test this by jacking up either the rear or one side and you'll see that the doors get sticky. The wing beading stops the joined panels from chafing. There's nothing wrong with a live axle and leaf springs in the context of their era. But if you can visualise a bare chassis with the rear axle fitted looking from the rear, the only possible movement is vertically up & down, and the chassis can roll over the centrepoint of the diff. So on a dead smooth road the tyres stay vertical. When one wheel hits a bump or hole though, both rears will then be at an angle to the horizontal which reduces grip.
The front frame stays in alignment with the chassis at that end, so as the case for the rear, on a smooth road the wheels stay 'vertical' (with a bit of designed negative camber). On small bumps, they will remain vertical and act independantly, but the minute you get a big deflection, the cross tubes & chassis will twist and the wheels stray from vertical. In truth the front is a lot more complicated because the negative camber may mean that one wheel becomes more vertical while the other becomes less vertical, and it's even more complicated when cornering. It's amazing that this design feels so good on most roads.
Fitting an independant front end - (and by that I really mean wishbones)works best with a stiff monocoque or tub, because wishbone set ups vary the camber under bump & rebound. To fit this set up to the front of a trad without altering anything else will need a lot of work to make it worthwhile IMO.
And the limited suspension travel will compromise the design.
I hope MMC try this, and it will be interesting to feel the difference if it happens. But really I would prefer to see a new aluminium tub with a complete makeover - under the trad shape, no bigger than a Plus4. Would I buy one? Not today, or this year. But in the future as a grumpier old fart I might just prefer a bit more comfort.
